Kwanzaa, an African-American holiday, is celebrated from December 26 to January 1. Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana studies at California State University in Long Beach and an important figure in Afrocentrism, is where the name and the celebration originated in 1966. Kwanzaa, meaning “first,” “from the Swahili phrase Matunda Ya Kwanzaa, adding the seventh letter, an extra a, to make the word long enough to accommodate one letter for each of the seven children present at an early celebration” (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kwanzaa).
The seven days are each dedicated to one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa, along with seven symbols of the holiday and seven candles in the African colours of red, green, and black.
Seven Principles Seven Symbols:
- Unity (umoja)
- Self-determination (kujichagulia)
- Collective responsibility (ujima)
- Cooperative economics (ujamaa)
- Purpose (nia)
- Creativity (kuumba)
- Faith (imani)
- Fruits
- Vegetables and nuts
- Straw mat
- Candleholder
- Ears of corn (maize)
- Gifts
- Communal cup signifying unity
For the seven days, the family will come together to talk able the seven principles and light one of the candles in the kinara, or candleholder. On the last day “December 31, families join in a community feast called the karamu. Some participants wear traditional African clothing during the celebration.” (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kwanzaa. Accessed 15 December 2023.)
References: Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Kwanzaa”. Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kwanzaa
Happy Holidays from the Mind Forward EDI Committee