"Kwanzaa is celebrated through rituals, dialogue,
narratives, poetry, dancing, singing, drumming and other music, and feasting," say
its founder and creator Maulana Karenga.
Currentyly Karenga is chairman of the Department of Black Studies at California State
University at Long Beach. Back in 1966 he was a young scholar and activist living in Los
Angeles during one of the most pivotal times of the Civil Rights struggle. Like many of
the young activists of the sixties, Karenga was inspired by the teaching of men like
W.E.B. DuBois, Langston Hughes, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Marcus Garvey. After
the Watts riots he created Kwanzaa, a non-religious holiday, intended to promote and
celebrate African American pride, community, hertiage, culture and most of all
"Family".
Kwanzaa was and is not meant to replace or challenge Christmas: the word Kwanzaa was
derived from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza meaning "first fruits," and
was based on ancient African celebrations that pre-dated the introduction of Christianity
in the Mother Land.
The seven-day celebration begins the day after Christmas, and each day highlights one of
Kwanzaa's seven principles known by the Swahili phase Nguzo Saba.
The seven principles of Kwanzaa are umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination),
ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose),
kuumba (creativity), and imani (faith).
The flag Bandera Ya Taifa, displayed during the seven days of Kwanzaa, is the red, black
and green flag of black liberation, created by Marcus Garvey.How to Celebrate Kwanzaa.
Each day a candle is lit. The candles are called mishumaa, and also are the colors of the
black liberation flag. Three red, three green and one black. It's customary to toast after
each lighting- to our ancestors and family members-accompanied by the exclamation
"Harambee!" which meen "let's pull together".
Each day of celebration is bugun with the exclamation/question "Habari Gani?"
which means "what's the news?", to which each one must answer with the principle
of the day.
Preparing for Kwanzaa, you decorate your home with holiday symbols (representing African
American hertiage and family) placed on a table or on the floor on top of a mkeka (a straw
mat). These items could incluce, but limited to:
- A seven-branched candelabra (Kinara) is placed in the center of the decoration,
representing a stalk of corn from which the family grew.
- Seven candles representing the seven principles (Mshumaa).
- Fruits and vegetables meant to symbolize and celebrate the harvest (Mazao).
- An ear of corn for each child in the home (Muhindi) demonstrating the fertility cycle
and celebrating each child's potential.
- The Unity Cup (Kikombe Cha Umoja) to be used in prayers and blessings to commemorate
ancestors.
- Gifts meant to encourage creativity (Zawadi)
Gifts, preferably hand made, are exchanged each day of Kwanzaa to celebrate African
traditions and to encourage creativity, knowledge and achievement. They are displayed on
the mkeka, but not opened until January 1.
Tradionally, children receive at least three gifts including books to
encourage/furthjer a goal or highlight black self-esteem, a toy or a cultural/heritage
symbol.
Kwanzaa is organized around the gathering of family, friends and community. The festival
commemorate those gone, honor our ancestors, educate and emulate the achievements of
African and African-American history, and show reverence for the creation-by using nature
as an example, respecting the environment and healing the world. And finally, Kwanzaa
allows us to recomit to uplifting the values that better promote a positive family and
comunity.
Kwanzaa Resources.
For more information, visit these Internet website: www.melanet.com/
kwanzaa/, www.christmas.com/kwanzaa.html, www.flint.lib.mi.usfpire/holidays,
www.infidels. |
