For one week each year, from December 26th through January 1st, African Americans celebrate a holiday called Kwanzaa. During this weeklong celebration, families get together to sing and dance, feast on traditional African food, and light candles on a kinara. Though, as you will learn below, the holiday hasn't been celebrated for that long, it is a now a popular celebration that anyone, whether of African descent or not, can take part in.
Image by barunpatro, sxc.hu
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by an author, political activist, and professor named Ron Karenga. Feeling as though African Americans were lacking a collective identity and were losing touch with their roots, he came up with the idea of a strictly African American holiday. This would allow them to honor and celebrate their ties to Africa and connect with their heritage.
The name Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, which means "first fruits." In developing his ideas for the holiday, Karenga researched several traditional harvest festivals throughout the African countries. In addition to the physical aspects of these festivals (feasting, drinking, storytelling), he also analyzed the principles of African thoughts and practices.
From his research, Karenga came up with "The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa," which represent the African cultural values that can build community among African Americans. The Seven Principles, or Nguzu Saba in Swahili, are:
- Unity
- Self-Determination
- Collective Work and Responsibility
- Cooperative Economics
- Purpose
- Creativity
- Faith
Photo by Christopher Myers
Another important aspect of Kwanzaa is the candle-lighting ceremony. Each night, one of seven candles held in the kinara, or candle holder, is lit. Usually a child is given the responsibility of lighting the candle. After the candle is lit, the family gathers around to discuss one of the Seven Principles as well as the larger meaning of Kwanzaa.
Kwanzaa clearly is an important holiday in the United States. Though it was developed as a way for African Americans to honor their roots, the holiday is now celebrated by people of African descent in all corners of the world.
Even those whose heritages don't trace back to Africa can still celebrate Kwanzaa, and we can all study the holiday's seven principles to determine how we can connect and strengthen ties with our own communities.