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Its a whole new year! We hope you had an amazing Christmas and New Year and the big man looked after you. Because we are all beginning again, its time to throw out the old and usher in the new, and make 2025 your year! Why not start today with the Health Hub's latest newsletter and all the latest from Normedica headquarters? 😉 #normedica #northumbrianmedicalsupplies #medicalsupplies #medicalsupplier #January2025 #Januarynewsletter #Newsletter #supplier #pinknitrile #pinkgloves #beautysalon #aesthetics #hairdresser #personalcare #healthhub #brewmonday #bluemonday #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthawareness2025 #cervicalcancerawareness2025 #cervicalcancerawareness #happynewyear #selfcare #selfcare2025 #balancedlife

We have come to the last pillar of the Kwanzaa festival, the start of a brand new 365 days and an exciting 365 new chances to be more than we were last year. Having never come across Kwanzaa before, it has been absolutely amazing to read about these celebrations. Although born from inequality and violence, every one of these principles is about embracing community, remembering where we came from and making ourselves and those around us into better people through positive action, understanding, love. tradition, culture and family. So that brings us to Imani, the last day, and one that is represented by the symbol of the Ankh which serves simply as a reminder of steadfastness and commitment to encourage the good, the right and the beautiful within our lives. The connection between beginning with unity and ending with Faith is more than coincidental. Without Unity, important work cannot begin but without faith, it cannot be sustained. Faith gives us the strength to commit right up until the work is complete. Final challenge... look inside yourself and find your faith not just in yourself, but in something bigger. Find it in the people around you, and if you feel it, in a creator that blessed you with life and the ability to grow and learn. That creator will look different for each and every one of you, but we challenge you to find that faith in your world, nurture it and bring it to fruition. "Faith is the first factor in a life dedicated to service. Without faith, nothing is possible. With faith nothing is impossible. Our task is to remake the world, it is nothing less than this." Dr Mary McLeod Bethune Happy Imani and Happy New Year. May your 2025 be filled with Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba and Imani 😁 #africa #tradition #kujichagulia #festival #nia #imani #candles #nguzosaba #umojaday #ujamaa #ujima #unity #kuumba #self #HappyKwanzaa #culture #selfdetermination #singinganddancing #Umoja #responsibility #africanamerican #history #kwanzaafestival #northumbrianmedicalsupplies #medicalsupplier #nitrileglovesupplier #teamnormedica #normedica #medicalsupplies #medicalsuppliers

Symbolised by the seven vibrations of divine creation - the Dogon symbol - Kuumba is a celebration of creativity. One of the over-arcing themes of Kwanzaa is that of community, and Kuumba is no different. Set up to celebrate creativity within the community and leaving it more beautiful than ever, the principle has roots in both the social and spiritual elements of African American culture. Rather than destroying the old, Kuumba celebrates restoration, and progression from where things began. It encourages creativity not only as the act of creating something original, but also the act of imitating something that has come before but changing it to embrace the new. The spiritual elements lie in the changes that come as the creator pushes away chaos and decay through the processes of restoration and revitalisation. Whilst creativity allows self expression and can be an incredible outlet on a personal level, it can also be a way of sharing cultural ideas across mixed communities in a way that everyone can embrace. Not only does it celebrate what has been and what can be, it also allows you to honour and remember what came before. We wanted take the idea of leaving your community more beautiful than before and challenge you to use that in your own lives - whatever that looks like. Within the African American community, it is about more than just beauty, but it can be as simple as something that puts a smile on someone's face as they walk past it. Happy Kuumba 😁 #singinganddancing #ujamaa #kuumba #HappyKwanzaa #ujima #Umoja #candles #nguzosaba #self #imani #africa #africanamerican #selfdetermination #kujichagulia #festival #culture #tradition #nia #umojaday #unity #history #kwanzaafestival #medicalsupplies #selfcare #medicalsuppliers #teamnormedica #normedica #medicalsupplier #northumbrianmedicalsupplies #nitrileglovesupplier

As with the previous four, principle 5 - Nia is very much community centred. Celebrating a sense of purpose within the community and represented by the ancient Egyptian symbol Nefer which represents beauty and good, it is about bringing people together to build and develop the community, culture and history to ensure that those things are never forgotten. The purpose of a collective history and culture lies in what the overriding thoughts and beliefs can bring to the world to change it for the better, and the principles of Nia focus on those important elements that embrace the very core of where a community has come from, allowing them to reclaim their cultural identity. Mary McLeod Bethune stated, "We, as African American's must recognise that we are custodians as well as heirs of a great civilisation". This stands true of us all. We are not only carrying on a legacy of our past but looking after our future and the legacy that we will leave for our children. Every nation has been responsible for wonderful things, but also huge atrocities and as the current representatives of our pasts, it is our responsibility to learn from the past and ensure that the same mistakes are not made in the future. This Nia, we want to challenge you to begin to understand your past, both the good and the bad. To recognise your place in the world and the importance of changing the thinking and actions that are damaging not only your personal legacy, but the legacy of your nation. To be part of a change that celebrates the good, recognises the bad and chooses to love and embrace all those who are culturally different. We have, whether we want it or not, inherited the legacy of our predecessors and that responsibility is huge. Be the change you want to see in the world and make the legacy you leave personally and as a nation something that you can be proud of. Happy Nia 😁 #tradition #Umoja #HappyKwanzaa #candles #self #ujamaa #culture #africa #ujima #africanamerican #festival #nia #nguzosaba #kuumba #kujichagulia #selfdetermination #singinganddancing #imani #umojaday #responsibility #unity #history #kwanzaafestival #medicalsupplier #nitrileglovesupplier #teamnormedica #normedica #medicalsupplies #northumbrianmedicalsupplies

And here we are, halfway through the festival of Kwanzaa. Day 4 - represented by a red candle and the Nsibidi symbol of togetherness and family is about committing to financial equality and the work required to achieve shared social wealth. Bringing in the concept of joint responsibility for everyone in the community and ensuring that everyone has what they need to live a safe, happy life is an important one. It allows control and encourages self reliance and active participation in the building and development of resources for everyone rather than just on an individual level. Although this principle doesn't suggest you shouldn't work with others outside of the immediate community, it does drive home the importance of being self reliant, controlling the policies within the environment that directly affect your community, and shouldering responsibility as a whole unit for the successful future of it. It also celebrates generosity and encourages giving to those in need - however that looks. As a people, we can be blinkered to the issues and needs of others. Ujamaa is a reminder that we have an obligation to look after others, and to understand that the ability to be generous will bring its own reward. Its easy to forget that everyone deserves to live a life that is not ruled by deprivation, poverty and the fear inherent with not knowing how they will pay their bills or feed their family. "To share wealth and work is to share concern. care and responsibility for a new, more human and fulfilling future." Todays challenge is to commit to doing something this year that will change someone's life. If we look past our own lives, there are so many on our doorstep who need us, and whose lives will change because you took the time to look. Happy Ujamaa 😁 #tradition #Umoja #HappyKwanzaa #candles #self #ujamaa #culture #africa #ujima #africanamerican #festival #nia #nguzosaba #kuumba #kujichagulia #selfdetermination #singinganddancing #imani #umojaday #responsibility #unity #history #kwanzaafestival #medicalsupplier #northumbrianmedicalsupplies #nitrileglovesupplier #consumablessupplies #teamnormedica #normedica #medicalsupplies

Bringing us quickly into the third principle, Ujima embraces collective work and our responsibility to others. Represented by the Akoma Ntoaso symbol - the Adinkra symbol of shared effort and obligation, this is a day that celebrates our commitment to each other across both our immediate family and the wider communities. The first of the green candles to be lit - the colour represents the future and hope that comes from the struggle. There are many things that impact us all, and shouldering some of the responsibility for making sure that those things are worked on collectively to ensure a positive impact on the community is very important. The belief is that without that collective impact, progress and change is not possible. We have seen this time and again. When people come together to fight against a common threat or issue, positive change can happen. Ujima also means that we accept the failures of our people at both a national and familial level. If we choose to ignore what we see happening in front of us, we cannot then deny responsibility for the result. As we all know, all it takes for evil to succeed is for good people to do nothing, and this is in essence what Ujima is about. We all share a responsibility collectively and personally for the world that we inhabit. On this Ujima, we want to challenge you to not only see what is going on in your immediate community, but to actively take part in positive change. Whether it be volunteering with a local charity, working with local community groups and offering your skills to help improve the area you live in, or standing up for something you believe needs to change, there are so many ways you can incorporate this principle into your everyday world. Happy Ujima 😁 #nguzosaba #candles #self #singinganddancing #africa #HappyKwanzaa #festival #imani #africanamerican #ujima #Umoja #selfdetermination #kujichagulia #kuumba #umojaday #tradition #ujamaa #nia #culture #responsibility #standup #kwanzaa #love #community #northumbrianmedicalsupplies #medicalsupplies #normedica #medical #communitysupport #support

From unity to the self, the second principle that is celebrated during the Kwanzaa festival is Kujichagulia - self determination. Represented by the Ahenwa symbol, (the Akan Throne which is a symbol of national identity, cultural grounded-ness and rightful governance), this principle is all about internal work. It is the first of the red candles to be lit - the colour representing the struggle of the people. We all have experienced situations that have left us wishing that we had spoken up or done something to defend something that was important to us. Kujicagulia is about learning how to be the true you from a personal, emotional, spiritual and cultural position whilst also respecting and understanding the differences of others. Its a skill that requires a lot of practice and commitment and a proper understanding of who you are, alongside the confidence to stand true when challenged by others. When embraced fully, it is something that has the potential to give you a much deeper understanding of self, ancestors, cultural history and an appreciation and voice that would not be there without seeking that knowledge. So, todays challenge - lets make 2025 the year we really begin to look inside and stop worrying about the 'stuff' that we think makes us important. Lets take time to really understand our own histories, both familial and wider history, and truly start to pick apart who we are. Lets make 2025 the year that we find our voices and speak up about what we know is not right. Lets make it the year that we open ourselves up to understanding other cultures and peoples and not judging because their journey is not ours. Accepting that we are not all the same, and that each and every one of us is unique and beautiful is such a freeing concept to learn. After all, in the whole of time and space, there will only ever be one you... Happy Kujichagulia 😁 #Umoja #unity #selfdetermination #self #HappyKwanzaa #umojaday #kuumba #ujamaa #africa #nia #kujichagulia #ujima #imani #nguzosaba #history #africanamerican #singinganddancing #candles #festival #tradition #culture #kwanzaafestival #northumbrianmedicalsupplies #normedica #teamnormedica #principles #medicalsupplies #medicalsupplier #medical #nitrileglovesupplier

Its the beginning of Kwanzaa, and in recognition of all the amazing principles that the festival celebrates, we wanted to talk about what each candle and day means and maybe challenge you to take those things into your own life day to day. The Nguzo Saba (seven principles), begins with Umoja which is a celebration of unity - not just with immediate family and friends but also within the community around you. The black candle, representative of the people, is the first to be lit with the symbol used known as the Dagi knot. This is a symbol used by several different African cultures. The overriding element of this day lies in bringing families, communities and races together to live a harmonious, ethical and moral life which embraces not only cultural difference but the beauty of uniqueness and individuality. More than just a day of recognising and celebrating those differences, Umoja is also a practice that is vital to living a good life. The belief is that if this is not embraced, it becomes impossible to live a life that is ethical and moral. We loved this idea because at this time of year, it is common for families and friends to come together to celebrate the season, but what happens afterwards? Do we continue to cultivate those relationships or do we let life take over and forget the importance of unity? Todays challenge is to not only recognise and embrace this principle, but to find a way of making it an active practice every single day moving forward into 2025. Happy Umoja 😁 #HappyKwanzaa #Umoja #umojaday #unity #medicalsupplies #medicalsupplier #northumbrianmedicalsupplies #teamnormedica #normedica #nguzosaba #dagiknot #africa #kujichagulia #ujima #ujamaa #nia #kuumba #imani #self #selfdetermination #creativity #family #community #familyunity #celebrations #responsibility #selfpurpose #faith #belief #celebrationoflife

In 1964 in Watts neighbourhood in LA, violent riots started after a young black man was arrested by a police officer for drink driving. Having lived for many years with racial inequality and regular violent clashes with the police, the events surrounding the arrest turned the African American community on its head and resulted in several days of riots, looting and violence causing 34 deaths and over 1000 people being injured. At the time, an activist named Dr Maulana Karenga lived in the area, and being hugely affected by what he had happened, made the decision to create a festival that would reunite the community and remind them of their traditions and culture. The festival of Kwanzaa was born. Celebrated mainly by African Americans, the festival contains seven important elements and similarly to Hanukah, part of the celebrations involve lighting a candle each day that represent important elements of the African culture and community. Alongside the Kinara (candle holder) and the seven candles (mishumaa soba), the celebrations also include crops (mazoo) an ear of corn (muhindi), a place mat (mkeka), the unity cup (kikombe cha umoja), and gifts (zawadi). One candle is lit each day starting with the black one and then working from left to right with the celebrations involving dancing, singing, storytelling, the giving of gifts and sharing food with family and friends. Having never actually come across this previously, we loved this. Although it was born out of exceptionally sad circumstances, turning something so tragic into something positive that remembers traditions, celebrates culture and creates unity is amazing. We wanted to shout about this because a lot of us forget these vital elements of what makes us who we are. For the next seven days, right up to New Year, we are going to take the candle for that day and look a bit further into what it means. Set yourself a challenge to look inward at your history, your traditions and those around you. Lets keep the heart in Christmas and celebrate each other and everything we are this year #medicalsupplier #northumbrianmedicalsupplies #nitrileglovesupplier #consumablessupplies #teamnormedica #normedica #medicalsupplies #medicalsuppliers #bosch #medicalindustry #welchallyn #nitrilegloves #africanamerican #festival #kwanzaafestival #candles #singinganddancing #tradition #culture #celebrationoflife #wattsriots #drkarenga #celebrationofculture #celebrationoftraditions #kinara #mishumaasoba #mazoo #muhindi #kikombechaumoja #zawadi