African American Christmas Decorations

One of my favorite nativity scenes is one my mother created. When I was little, we lived in Kenya. Mom purchased various statuettes while we were there and created an African Nativity. It was special because it was one of a kind and reminded me of the good times when I was a toddler.

Here in the states, you can find … if you keep an eye out … an entire array of African American inspired Christmas decorations. They often take tradition European themes and given them an African American twist.

But African American Christmas decorations can go further than the “white” traditions. Sometimes they also celebrate authentic African traditions.

Of course, what exactly constitutes African American decorations really varies depending who you are asking. Some people take African American Christmas decoration to mean African Christmas decoration, and like to adorn their trees with charms shaped like giraffes, gazelle, and stylized masks.

Others, celebrate and remember African American history. That means celebrating literature, music, education, farming, and all of the other areas in which African Americans have made a contribution to U.S. culture, and doing it with a distinctly African American style.

Regardless, if you like to add a little multi-cultural spice to your decorations … or are African American and proud of it … consider using some of the African American decorations available or make some of your own.