What is Kwanzaa?

, , Comments Off on What is Kwanzaa?

Kwanzaa is a celebration of the African-American that pay tribute to the values and culture of Africa and their ancestors.

The Kwanzaa was created by the chairman of the Black Nationalist Organization, Maulana Karenga back in 1966. The term Kwanzaa is taken from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which is a Swahili phrase that pertains to the African’s first fruit celebration.

Kwanzaa explained

Kwanzaa has no religious indications or practices despite the fact that the week-long celebration of Kwanzaa starts a day after Christmas or on December 26. This weekend celebration ends on the first day of the year or January 1.

The founder, Karenga at first wanted Kwanzaa to be celebrated in lieu of Christmas, but he had a change of heart. He instead asked the Africans practicing various religions as well as the African Christians to take part in the Kwanzaa.

There are seven principles for Kwanzaa, which are also referred to as Nguzo Saba with each of the values representing a certain area of the philosophy of Africans.

The seven principles include unity or Umoja, responsibility and collective work or Ujima, self-determination or Kujichagulia, purpose or Nia, creativity or Kuumba, cooperative economics or Ujaama as well as faith or Imani.

The Kwanzaa has a special candle holder for the celebration which is referred to as kinara, and each kinara symbolizes each of the seven principles. The candles are lit only during the celebration.

Those who celebrate the Kwanzaa also give out presents to others, but these are mostly for the children. It is required that at least some presents are educational materials like books.

Those who join the Kwanzaa celebrations as spectators are told not to mix the symbols of other holidays like Christmas or Easter with the symbols of Kwanzaa. Mixing symbols could violate the celebration’s integrity.

People who celebrate this holiday are also advised to select the most elegant items to celebrate the occasion or holiday through careful planning and selecting of various objects that are beautiful.

Tea Time Quiz

[forminator_poll id="23176"]