As we grew up in America, we learned about Christmas and Hanukkah, and not many of us learned about the holiday Kwanzaa. What is it? Who celebrates it?
“Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday celebrated by millions throughout the world African community, Kwanzaa brings a cultural message, which speaks to the best of what it means to be African and human in the fullest sense. Kwanzaa is a significant holiday for African Americans and indeed, the world African community. It is celebrated from December 26 to January 1.”
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach, author and scholar-activist who stresses the indispensable need to preserve, continually revitalize and promote African American culture.
Kwanzaa is:
- a time of ingathering of the people to reaffirm the bonds between them;
- a time of special reverence for the creator and creation in thanks and respect for the blessings, bountifulness and beauty of creation;
- a time for commemoration of the past in pursuit of its lessons and in honor of its models of human excellence, our ancestors;
- a time of recommitment to our highest cultural ideals in our ongoing effort to always bring forth the best of African cultural thought and practice; and
- a time for celebration of the Good, the good of life and of existence itself, the good of family, community and culture, the good of the awesome and the ordinary, in a word the good of the divine, natural and social.
There are also 7 different symbols for the holiday, and they all have different meanings, isn’t this intereting? They each represent values and concepts reflective of African culture and contributive to community building and reinforcement. The basic symbols in Swahili and then in English are:
Mazao (The Crops)These are symbolic of African harvest celebrations and of the rewards of productive and collective labor.
Mkeka (The Mat)This is symbolic of our tradition and history and therefore, the foundation on which we build.
Kinara (The Candle Holder)This is symbolic of our roots, our parent people — continental Africans.
Muhindi (The Corn)This is symbolic of our children and our future which they embody.
Mishumaa Saba (The Seven Candles)These are symbolic of the Nguzo Saba, the Seven Principles, the matrix and minimum set of values which African people are urged to live by in order to rescue and reconstruct their lives in their own image and according to their own needs.
Kikombe cha Umoja (The Unity Cup)This is symbolic of the foundational principle and practice of 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.
Just like Christmas and Hannukah, Kwanzaa also has holiday colors. The colors for Kwanzaa are red, green and black. Also, there is a gife giving day for children. The gift always includes a book and something with heritage symbolism.
The last day of the holiday is January 1. “Historically this has been for African people a time of self-reflection and reflection on the life and future of the people and of recommitment to their highest cultural values in a special way.”
Kwanzaa is a really cool holiday that is very spiritual. Remember, the first day of the holiday is December 26!
For more information on the holiday, visit www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org.