’Twas the first day of Kwanzaa

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Hollis: The 26th of December was the first day of Kwanzaa. It is the day when we light the first candle, the black candle, which stands in the middle of the other red and green candles on the candle holder which is called the Kinara. The black candle, symbolizes “Umoja” which means unity. It is a special day to many of Afrocentric consciousness and it is important to uphold our celebration in our way! Yes, we impart “zawadis”, or gifts, as a gesture of having and maintaining good friendships. Yes, gifts are given to children. We have the “Karamu”, or a feast like what is done on Thanksgiving. This is normally held the night before New Year’s Day, which is the last of Kwanzaa, and symbolizes the principal of “Imani” which mean faith, as in many of us can have faith for a better and prosperous year.

Kwanzaa is not separatist occasion for divisiveness. It is call out to the masses to recognize the presence of African descendants in this country, in this world. They, too, can partake in our feast. Most of all, it is not a Black Christmas. It never was, nor was it meant to be!

Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Ali-Abdul Perez

Chrismahanukwanzika

Edison, N.J.: ”: Voicer Stephen Hill, let me see if I correctly understand you. You want everyone to only say “Merry Christmas”? That’s very presumptuous of you, don’t you think? The young saleslady who helped me the other day wished me a Merry Christmas as I left the store, although she saw that I bought items needed for Chanukah. I, in turn wished her a Happy Chanukah. “I’m not Jewish,” she said. “I’m not Christian,” I said as I smiled and walked out the door. So, Mr. Hill, I will continue to wish the people I encounter a “Happy Holidays” — it is still a holiday, is it not? So get over it.

Diane Diamond

Not naïve

Brooklyn: Bramhall has gone too far and, I believe that he owes every Christian in the world an apology. The last thing that I expected to see on Christmas morning was a cartoon depicting President Trump as the baby Jesus being worshiped by kneeling elephant Republicans figures. It was insulting, not funny. We Republicans do not see Trump as the Second Coming of Christ. We are fully aware that he is not a seasoned politician and that he often says and does things that are not politically correct. However, we are also aware that he is

getting many good things done for our nation. Your liberal left-wing rag of a paper will hear our voices loud and clear when we give Trump four more years and you will be forced to publicize it on the front page.

Daniel Colón

Slackers

Woodside: It seems interesting that the media puts so much emphasis on St. Patrick Cathedral’s holy day services, as if St. Patrick’s was the only place in all of New York City that offered a midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Could it just be because St. Patrick’s is a tourist attraction in Midtown Manhattan? There are other Christian churches that offer these masses and services, but they get no coverage at all. Couldn’t the media expand their coverage on church holidays and go to other churches besides St. Patrick’s?

The inquisition

Tom Rice

Woodhaven: The Daily News has sunk to a new low. To use the birth of Christ as a political tool on this most holy day is insulting and hurtful to all Christians. To paint Donald Trump in the place of the infant Jesus is blasphemous and shows the total lack of respect for your readers at this most sacred time of the year.

Janet and Steve Forte

BBQ time!

Yonkers: I am appalled and disgusted that Bramhall saw fit to desecrate the most iconic and sacred Christmas manger scene beloved by all Christians around the world. What next? Will I see Trump being roasted over a menorah later this week, offending millions of Jews?

Marion Kristensen

The 1%

Manhattan: Trump is supposedly impeached. My question is: Presidents don’t and have never ran the country. The banking system runs the country. It really doesn’t matter who is in office, because the global elites run the political system.

Omar Branch

The never ending battle

Atlanta: Re “‘Anti-Semitic’ hit on Soros stirs Eve rage” (Dec. 25): The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction movement is not the peace-loving organization described in this article. It was ostensibly founded to shut down Israeli businesses in Judea and Samaria, areas that the Palestinians claim they want for a state. Those businesses employ

Jews and Palestinians, who work together and receive commensurate salaries and benefits. The businesses also serve Jewish and Palestinian consumers by offering highquality merchandise at reasonable prices. They should be lauded as the first steps toward achieving Two States for Two Peoples, a Palestinian state co-existing, peacefully, with the nation-state of the Jews. But, sadly, the leaders of the BDS movement seek not only to shut those businesses down, they admit that their true goal is the destruction of the Jewish state. The criticism George Soros has received for his support of the BDS movement is well-warranted. Toby F. Block

The United States of AOC

Staten Island: There she goes again! Alexandria OcasioCortez belittles America as a fascist state. As a Navy veteran, I take mighty exception to her despicable slander. Four hundred thousand American soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen lost their lives in WWII defeating fascist states. Whenever she opens her mouth, one knows something inane is about to be said. And the press enables her vitriolic declarations. They don’t mock her remarks like they did Sarah Palin. Has she no shame? AOC and her gang of anti-Semites have no clue about American history. It never ceases to amaze me that anyone would vote her into office. She disparages American values and our capitalistic system. I’m sure her inflammatory rhetoric lends great comfort to our enemies. She owes an apology to American troops, past and present, who sacrificed their lives fighting fascism and proletariat dictatorships.

Joseph Valente

Same old

Staten Island: Re “Pain in the gas” (Dec. 1): This is not new news. Take a look at Fresh Kills Park which is being built on a garbage dump in Staten Island. When people drove through they knew where they were from the awful smell. The sad part is that the people who lived there had debris floating in the air and in the summer they could not go outside. Perhaps this is another ploy so Mayor de Blasio can sell Rikers Island to another friend for less than it is worth.

Thomas Bell