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Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a week-long African American holiday observance held from
December 26 to January 1. Timed to serve as an alternative to the growing
commercialism of Christmas, it was created in 1966 by Ron Karenga, black
activist and director of the Black Studies department at the California State
University, Long Beach.
Kwanzaa Candle House
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Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, but a cultural one, a syncretic
festival, based on various elements of the first harvest celebrations widely
celebrated in Africa, around the 10th month of the year. According to a
survey conducted by the National Retail Foundation in October 2004, 1.6% of
consumers celebrate Kwanzaa, which would calculate out to approximately 12%
of African Americans, as derived from 2002 U.S. Census statistics.
The name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase 'matunda ya kwanza', meaning
"first fruits". The additional "a" was added to "Kwanza" so that the word
would have seven letters, one for each of the Seven Principles, or Nguzu
Saba, of Blackness. Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of
the following principles. In order, they are:
Umoja (Unity),
Kujichagulia (Self-determination),
Ujima (Collective work and responsibility),
Ujamaa (Cooperative economics),
Nia (Purpose),
Kuumba (Creativity), and
Imani (Faith).
Kwanzaa has seven basic symbols. Each represents values and concepts
reflective of African culture. The basic symbols in Swahili and then in
English are:
Mkeka (The Mat) The mat can be made of any material, but is
frequently straw. Often red, black and green, the colors of the black
nationalist flag, it is a reference to a West African aphorism, "No matter
how high a house is built, it must stand on something."
Kinara (The Candle Holder) This is the symbol of African roots, the
"parent people" of continental Africa.
Mishumaa Saba (The Seven Candles) These are symbols referencing the
Nguzu Saba, the set of underlying values by which African people are urged
to live in order to rescue and reconstruct their lives in their own image
and according to their own needs. There are three red candles to the right,
three green candles to the left, and one black candle in the center of the
kinara. The colors, again, are symbolic of black nationalism: red is for
the blood of the African people; green is for the hope of new life and for
the motherland, Africa; and black is for the face of the African people.
Mazao (The Crops) These are symbolic of African fruit harvest
celebrations and of the rewards of productive and collective labor during
the October month.
Muhindi (The Corn) Corn symbolizes children and the future which
they embody.
Kikombe cha Umoja (The Unity Cup) This symbolizes unity, which
"makes all else possible."
Zawadi (The Gifts) These are symbolic of the labor and love of
parents and the commitments made and kept by the children.
A supplemental symbol of Kwanzaa is the bendera, or flag. The Kwanzaa flag
is the red, black and green black nationalist flag.
There is a traditionally established way of celebrating Kwanzaa:
First, celebrants arrive at the celebration with respect for its values,
symbols and practices and do nothing to violate its meaning.
Secondly, no one should mix the Kwanzaa holiday or its symbols, values and
practice with the holidays of Anglo-Saxon culture. This would violate the
principle of kujichagulia (self-determination) and thus violate the
integrity of the holiday.
Thirdly, choose the best and most beautiful items to celebrate Kwanzaa.
This means taking time to plan and select the most beautiful objects of
art, colorful African cloth, and fresh fruits so that every object used
represents African idealism and a commitment to the holiday in the best of
ways.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from
Wikipedia
and from ShiningRise.com
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