How to Make a Kwanzaa Unity Cup

In Kwanzaa ceremonies, the Kwanzaa Unity Cup symbolizes the founding principle of the holiday celebration: Nguzu Saba, Umoia (Unity). The Kwanzaa Unity Cup is used to pour Tambiko, or "Libation for our ancestors" which is imbibed by every member of the immediate and extended family. The Kwanzaa Unity Cup must be held with both hands by the person drinking the libation, and it is then passed from the oldest family member to the youngest. Drinking from this cup honors the struggle of African Americans and their commitment to continue on their path.

1. The Chalice

If you can't find a plain wooden chalice at your local craft store, a plain glass wine goblet will do for a Kwanzaa Unity Cup. You can get a set of six wine goblets from Target for around $15, but shop around. They're everywhere and you might be able to find single glasses on sale elsewhere. However, I recommend buying multiples so that the whole family can get in on the project.

2. The Paint

The colors of Kwanzaa are red for the suffrage of the ancestors, green for the color of the land, yellow for the wealth, and black for the color of the people. These are the colors that you want to buy from your local craft store. Be sure to buy paint designed especially for glass (it will say so on the package) which is easy to find at most craft stores and will run you anywhere from $3 to $10 per tube.

And don't forget brushes! The size of the brush will depend on the intricacies of the design you decide to use. Artificial brushes are fairly inexpensive (somewhere around $5) so consider getting two or three of varying sizes. However, if you're only going to buy one you want to err on the small side.

3. The Design

There are no standard designs for Kwanzaa Unity cups. However, the colors we discussed above are often included in the design. Here is a sample, traditional design scheme.

Paint the chalice black all over (do not paint the inside) and wait for it to dry.

Cut out a slip of paper around ½" thick and long enough to wrap around the wine goblet. The thickness will depend on the size of your goblet.

Trace three evenly spaced stripes around the goblet.

Paint the stripes yellow, green and red (order doesn't matter).

This is one of the simplest design schemes that can be accomplished by even the most remedial artist. However, the design scheme is really up to you. If the little ones are going to be involved, I suggest pre-painting the goblets black. Then, explain the meaning of the colors of the Kwanzaa Unity Cup and let them design whatever they want as long as they use all three colors.