TRADITIONS AND VALUES As the water slowly soaks the soil of the rubber plant it nourishes, Patricia Nelson McMillian remembers those who have gone before her. She pays homage to her husband's great-grandmother, Lula, who was a slave in Mississippi during the Civil War. She thinks about her late father, Wesley, who passed his love of fishing down to her sons. She gives thanks for the work of American abolitionist Harriet Tubman, a former slave who escaped to Philadelphia in the 1840s and became one of the most successful Underground Railroad conductors, and for civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Patricia believes this ceremony — in which water is poured from a unity cup into a plant representing life, while libation statements about loved ones who have died are recited — is the heart and soul of Kwanzaa. A weeklong holiday taking place every year between December 26 and January 1, Kwanzaa (a derivative of the African word meaning "first fruits of the harvest"), was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a professor in the Department of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach, to celebrate African American traditions and values. "We refuse to let our parents, ancestors and those people important to us die," Patricia says in explanation of the importance of the nightly libation ritual. "As long as we are alive, they will remain in our hearts and homes." Kwanzaa is centered around seven principles, beginning with unity (umoja) celebrated on the first day, followed by self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), and creativity (kuumba) and, finally, faith (imani), which takes precedence on the seventh. Patricia and her daughter, Keesha McMillian, are dedicated to sharing the meaning of Kwanzaa with people of other faiths and cultures. So much so that they host biennial community dinners for as many as 250 people in their respective hometowns of Cleveland Heights and South Euclid. "People have so many misconceptions about the week," Keesha explains. "It is not a religious holiday, it's a cultural one. It does not replace the Christian holiday of Christmas. Most gifts are handmade, so it's not about presents. And most importantly, anyone, regardless of race, religion or origin of people, can participate. We see the world as one." In 2003, mother and daughter published The McMillian Family Kwanzan Celebration Guide, an 83-page book filled with crafts for children, poetry and information about the meaning behind the principles, as well as the recipes that make the week complete for the 75-niember family, which includes godchildren and an extended circle of friends. "Food is crucial to tlie celebration. It nurtures the sense of family we already have," Patricia says. "Everyone brings a dish, from black-eyed peas to cornbread to sweet potato pie." One of Patricia's mouth-watering contributions is Wonnie's Cream Cheese Pound Cake, which her 75-year-old sister taught her to make 20 years ago. "This is just one of the recipes we have written down to pass on to our children," she says. "It's yet another way for us to be present when we are gone." To order The McMillian Family Kwanzaa Celebration Guide, call 216/321-/539 or visit www.klmcreations.com.