Do you know the real history of Kwanzaa?
Unlike Christmas and Hanukkah, Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, and is only decades old. Founded by Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor and Chairman of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach in 1966, Kwanzaa was created as a way to bring African-Americans together as a community.
What does Kwanzaa mean for black Americans?
It is a recognition that knowledge of Black history is worthwhile. Maulana Karenga, a noted Black American scholar and activist created Kwanzaa in 1966. Its name is derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili, the most widely spoken African language. However, Kwanzaa, the holiday, did not exist in Africa.
What religion is Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, but a cultural one with an inherent spiritual quality as with all major African celebrations.” 4 Karenga claims that he did not intend Kwanzaa to become a religion, a religious holiday, or an alternative to Christmas, but rather an alternative to the commercialism of Christmas.
What is the real purpose of Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa was created during a time of social uprisings against racism, and was to re-establish community and to enlighten African Americans of their African culture. Kwanzaa is based on seven principles that are reaffirmed during the celebration and are practiced all year long. The official colors of the holiday are black, representing the ...
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What country did Kwanzaa originate?
Although Kwanzaa is based on ancient and modern celebrations in Egypt and Southeastern Africa, the Kwanzaa holiday as we know it today was started in the United States. Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor at California State University, Long Beach after the Watts Riots in Los Angeles.
Is Kwanzaa African-American?
Born in a time of racial unrest, Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration of African-American culture and heritage. This secular holiday takes place every year from December 26 to January 1 and is observed by millions of people in the United States and around the world.
How did Kwanzaa originate?
1. Kwanzaa was created in the 1960s. Maulana Karenga, a Black nationalist who later became a college professor, created Kwanzaa as a way of uniting and empowering the African American community in the aftermath of the deadly Watts Rebellion.
Who created the holiday Kwanzaa?
Dr. Maulana KarengaThe holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 to celebrate family, culture and heritage, and is modeled after the first harvest celebrations in Africa. There are 7 Principles and 7 Primary Symbols that emphasize a unique set of values and ideals during the 7 days of Kwanzaa… also spelled with 7letters.
Who brought Kwanzaa to America?
American Maulana KarengaAmerican Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 during the aftermath of the Watts riots as a specifically African-American holiday.
What religion is Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa is a strictly secular holiday. Although its seven-pronged kinara bears a resemblance to the eight-pronged Jewish menorah, it has no connection to Judaism. And although Kwanzaa is celebrated immediately after Christmas, it is neither related to nor intended to supplant the Christian holiday.
Is Kwanzaa Pagan?
As a non-religious cultural observance, Kwanzaa can compliment many variations of Pagan practice by including ancestral reverence and honoring the harvest, while also allowing spiritual choice.
What do the 7 days of Kwanzaa mean?
The seven-day period of Kwanzaa is meant to be a time of celebration, reflection, affirmation and connection. Though it is rooted in African traditions, it is not solely recognized, studied or celebrated by people of color.
Who are the 7 principles of Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa is an annual week-long celebration that honors Black history and culture. It celebrates seven values in African culture: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.
What language is Kwanzaa?
Started in 1966 as a way for African Americans to celebrate their cultural heritage, Kwanzaa uses the East African language, Swahili, to name its days.
What races make up African American?
On average, African Americans are of West/Central African with some European descent; some also have Native American and other ancestry. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, African immigrants generally do not self-identify as African American.
What foods are eaten during Kwanzaa?
Catfish, collards, and macaroni and cheese all began showing up on Kwanzaa tables, as did jerk chicken, gumbo, accras (Caribbean fritters) and feijoada — foods of the Atlantic rim expressive of the geography of the African diaspora. Kwanzaa food, at its simplest, is any dish people cook for Kwanzaa.
When did Kwanzaa begin in history?
Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach, created Kwanzaa in 1966. After the Watts riots in Los Angeles, Dr. Karenga searched for ways to bring African Americans together as a community.
What is the story of Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa is an African-Americans celebration of life from 26 December to 1 January. Dr. Maulana Karenga introduced the festival in 1966 to the United States as a ritual to welcome the first harvests to the home.
What is the purpose of Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa is a time of learning, family and celebration. During the week of Kwanzaa, families and communities come together to share a feast, to honor the ancestors, affirm the bonds between them, and to celebrate African and African American culture.
When was Kwanzaa created?
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana studies. Kwanzaa grew in popularity with the rise of the Afrocentrist movement, which focused on Black self-sufficiency in rejection of white imperialist narratives and histories.
What is Kwanzaa in the United States?
Kwanzaa, annual holiday affirming African family and social values that is celebrated primarily in the United States from December 26 to January 1. Both the name and the celebration were devised in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana studies at California State University in Long Beach and an important figure in Afrocentrism. Karenga borrowed the word kwanza, meaning “first,” from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, 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. (The name Kwanzaa is not itself a Swahili word.) The concept of Kwanzaa draws on Southern African first-fruits celebrations. Kwanzaa is celebrated from Wednesday, December 26, 2021 to Saturday, January 1, 2022.
What are the seven principles of Kwanzaa?
Each day of Kwanzaa is tied to one of the holiday’s seven principles: unity ( umoja ), self-determination ( kujichagulia ), collective responsibility ( ujima ), cooperative economics ( ujamaa ), purpose ( nia ), creativity ( kuumba ), and faith ( imani ). Each day, families bring out corresponding symbols and light a new candle on the kinara ...
What is Kwanzaa's importance?
It emphasizes the importance of the pan-African family and corresponding social values. Kwanzaa peaked in popularity during the Afrocentrist movement of the 1980s and 1990s.
What are the symbols of the African holiday?
There also are seven symbols of the holiday: fruits, vegetables, and nuts; a straw mat; a candleholder; ears of corn (maize); gifts; a communal cup signifying unity; and seven candles in the African colours of red, green, and black, symbolizing the seven principles.
Is Kwanzaa a Christian holiday?
And although Kwanzaa is celebrated immediately after Christmas, it is neither related to nor intended to supplant the Christian holiday.
Is Kwanzaa celebrated by black people?
Kwanzaa was created for and is celebrated by Black Americans. Although it waned in popularity following its peak during the 1980s and 1990s, the holiday is still annually celebrated by millions of Americans. It is also celebrated by Black people in Canada and the Caribbean.
What is the meaning of Kwanzaa?
The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili. Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, but celebrations often include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading, and a large traditional meal.
Who created Kwanzaa?
Contents. Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach, created Kwanzaa in 1966. After the Watts riots in Los Angeles, Dr. Karenga searched for ways to bring African Americans together as a community. He founded US, a cultural organization, and started to research African “first fruit” ...
What is the significance of the candle light ceremony on Kwanzaa?
Each day of Kwanzaa emphasizes a different principle. The candle-lighting ceremony each evening provides the opportunity to gather and discuss the meaning of Kwanzaa. The first night, the black candle in the center is lit (and the principle of umoja/unity is discussed).
What does the Mazao symbolise?
Mazao, the crops (fruits, nuts, and vegetables) Symbolizes work and the basis of the holiday. It represents the historical foundation for Kwanzaa, the gathering of the people that is patterned after African harvest festivals in which joy, sharing, unity, and thanksgiving are the fruits of collective planning and work.
Who created the seven principles of Kwanzaa?
The seven principles, or Nguzo Saba are a set of ideals created by Dr. Maulana Karenga. Each day of Kwanzaa emphasizes a different principle.
What is the purpose of the Kikombe Cha Umoja?
Kikombe Cha Umoja: The Unity Cup. The kikombe cha umoja is a special cup that is used to perform the libation (tambiko) ritual during the Karamu feast on the sixth day of Kwanzaa.
Where did Kwanzaa originate?
Although Kwanzaa is based on ancient and modern celebrations in Egypt and Southeastern Africa, the Kwanzaa holiday as we know it today was started in the United States. Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor at California State University, Long Beach after the Watts Riots in Los Angeles.
How many nights does Kwanzaa take place?
The holiday takes place over seven nights. Similar to Hanukkah, candles are lit every night of Kwanzaa. Each night represents a different principle, outlined below.
What are the colors of Kwanzaa?
The colors of Kwanzaa are black, red and green. Black represents the color of the people of Africa. Red stands for the struggles of the African peoples and the blood they’ve shed. Green symbolizes the fertile land of Africa and hope.
Why is Kwanzaa celebrated?
Kwanzaa is a celebration that started in the black nationalist movement of the 1960s. It was created as a way to help African Americans reconnect with their African cultural and historical heritage.
What are the symbols of Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa symbols include a decorative mat on which other symbols are placed, corn and other crops, a candle holder with seven candles, called a kinara, a communal cup for pouring libations, gifts, a poster of the seven principles, and a black, red, and green flag. The symbols were designed to convey the seven principles.
What are the seven principles of Kwanzaa?
It consists of what Karenga called "the best of African thought and practice in constant exchange with the world." These seven principles comprise Kawaida, a Swahili term for tradition and reason . Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the following principles, as follows:
Why did Karenga change his position on Kwanzaa?
However, as Kwanzaa became more popular, Karenga changed his position so that practicing Christians could also feel included. He stated in the 1997 Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture, "Kwanzaa was not created to give people an alternative to their own religion or religious holiday."
What do people do during Kwanzaa?
During Kwanzaa, families also decorate their households with objects of art. They use colorful African cloth such as kente, especially the wearing of kaftans by women. Fresh fruits that represent African idealism are also used. It is normal to include children in Kwanzaa ceremonies and to give respect and gratitude to ancestors. Libations are shared, generally with a common chalice ( a shared cup ), Kikombe cha Umoja, passed around to all people present. A Kwanzaa ceremony may include drumming and musical selections, libations, a reading of the African Pledge and the Principles of Blackness, reflection on the Pan-African colors, a discussion of the African principle of the day or a chapter in African history, a candle-lighting ritual, artistic performance, and, finally, a feast ( Karamu ). The greeting for each day of Kwanzaa is Habari Gani? which is Swahili for "What's the News?"
What does Umoja mean?
Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
What Is Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa is a secular holiday that celebrates the African-American community and its culture, heritage and values. According to an excerpt from Dorothy Winbush Riley’s book, “ The Complete Kwanzaa: Celebrating Our Cultural Harvest ,” “During Kwanzaa, we study, recall, and reflect on our history and the role we are to play as a legacy to the future.”
Who Celebrates Kwanzaa?
The exact number of people who celebrate the holiday is unknown, but it’s likely in the tens of millions. Since Kwanzaa is not tied to a religion, many people celebrate both Kwanzaa and another religious holiday, such as Christmas.
Why do people drink the Kikombe Cha Umoja?
The Kikombe Cha Umoja (“Unity Cup”): Celebrants drink from this special cup on the sixth day of Kwanzaa to honor their African ancestors.
What does the Mazao represent?
The Mazao (“Crops”): The mazao symbolize the harvest fruits that nourished the people of Africa (e.g., fruits, nuts, and vegetables).
What is the third principle of Kwanzaa?
Ujima (“Collective Work and Responsibility”): Ujima is the third principle to be discussed during Kwanzaa, and centers around the idea of working together as a community to solve problems.
What is the meaning of the Zawadi?
The Zawadi (“Gifts”): These are the gifts that are given on the seventh and final day of Kwanzaa: Imani. According to Riley, these gifts are supposed to be meaningful and “encourage growth, self-determination, achievement and success.” The ultimate goal of gift-giving is to strengthen the relationships you have with your family members and your guests as you head into the new year.
What is the idea of Umoja?
Umoja (“Unity”): Umoja is the first principle that’s discussed during Kwanzaa, and centers around the idea of building and maintaining unity in the family, community, nation and race.
Where did Kwanzaa originate?
Kwanzaa began in the United States. Since Kwanzaa is a pan-African and African-American holiday, some people incorrectly assume it originated in Africa. In actuality, it has American roots—though people in Africa celebrate it today as well. Maulana Karenga, born Ronald McKinley Everett in Parsonsburg, Maryland, ...
What is the meaning of Kwanzaa?
The word “Kwanzaa” comes from “ matunda ya kwanza ,” which means “first fruits” in Swahili. Like other harvest festivals, Kwanzaa includes a feast called Karamu on day six of the holiday.
What are the principles of Kwanzaa?
Each day of Kwanzaa has a specific principle that participants are meant to talk about, celebrate, and reflect upon: unity ( umoja in Swahili), self-determination ( kujichagulia ), collective work and responsibility ( ujima ), cooperative economics ( ujamaa ), purpose ( nia ), creativity ( kuumba ), and faith ( imani ). “I don’t think there will ever be a time when the principles of Kwanzaa will not be important or timely,” Kellie Carter Jackson, PhD, assistant professor in the department of Africana Studies at Wellesley College and co-editor of Reconsidering Roots: Race, Politics, and Memory , tells Reader’s Digest. “It’s a great time for reflection and now more than ever our country needs to be reminded of unity.”
What do the colors of the Kwanzaa represent?
The colors of Kwanzaa have specific meanings. The green candles and green parts of the Kwanzaa flag stand for hope and the future, two appropriate and universal themes for the end of the year. The red candles and the red in the Kwanzaa flag represent the struggle of the people. “Dr.
What is the tradition of the Kwanzaa feast?
The Kwanzaa feast is steeped in tradition. During the Karamu, or Karamu Ya Imani (feast of feasts), everyone present drinks from the unity cup. After everyone has a sip of water, juice, or wine from the cup, the oldest person at the celebration asks for a blessing from God or from the ancestors of those who are present .
What are the gifts that people give on Kwanzaa?
In line with the principle of creativity, Kwanzaa gifts are traditionally homemade. But families also buy creative gifts such as books, music, and art, or—in line with the principle of cooperative economics—they are purchased from Black-owned businesses.
Why is there 7 in Kwanzaa?
In fact, according to Karenga himself, the additional “A” in “Kwanzaa,” which comes from the Swahili kwanza, was added so that the name would have the symbolic seven letters! Seven was a central number for the Rosicrucians and ancient Egyptians; there are seven deadly sins in Catholicism; there are seven days in a week.
What is the meaning of Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa was created out of the philosophy of Kawaida, which is a cultural nationalist philosophy that argues that the key challenge in Black people's life is the challenge of culture, and that what Africans must do is to discover and bring forth the best of their culture, both ancient and current, and use it as a foundation to bring into being models of human excellence and possibilities to enrich and expand our lives.
Why is Kwanzaa extra A?
It was done as an expression of African values in order to inspire the creativity of our children. In the early days of Us, there were seven children who each wanted to represent a letter of Kwanzaa.
Why is Kwanzaa celebrated?
The central reason for Kwanzaa's being seven days is to stress the Nguzo Saba and through this introduce and reaffirm communitarian values and practices which strengthen and celebrate family, community, and culture.
What are the seven principles of Nguzo Saba?
To introduce and reinforce the Nguzo Saba, the Seven Principles and through this, introduce and reaffirm communitarian values and practices which strengthen and celebrate family, community and culture . These seven communitarian African values are: Umoja (Unity), Kuji-chagulia (Self-determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).
Why is Kwanzaa important?
Kwanzaa grows among African people because: It speaks to our need and appreciation for its cultural vision and life- affirming values, values which celebrate and reinforce family, community, and culture. It represents an important way Africans speak our own special cultural truth in a multicultural world.
How does Kwanzaa help us?
Kwanzaa organizes people, gives them a chance to ingather, and to reinforce the bonds between them, and to focus on positive cultural values and practice. And in reinforcing the bonds between us and reaffirming us in the best of our values, we are strengthened in our struggle for a morally grounded and empowered community, a just and good society and a world of peace and freedom.
Is Kwanzaa a holiday?
Kwanzaa is clearly an African holiday created for African peoples. But other people can and do celebrate it, just like other people participate in Cinco de Mayo besides Mexicans; Chinese New Year besides Chinese; Native American pow wows besides Native Americans.
History and Name of The Holiday
Principles and Symbols
- Kwanzaa celebrates what its founder called the seven principles of Kwanzaa, or Nguzo Saba (originally Nguzu Saba—the seven principles of blackness). Karenga said that this "is a communitarian African philosophy," . It consists of what Karenga called "the best of African thought and practice in constant exchange with the world." These seven principles comprise Ka…
Related Pages
- The Black Candle (2009) – a documentary film about Kwanzaa, narrated by Maya Angelou
- Dashiki– A shirt or suit worn during Kwanzaa celebrations
- Kaftan (boubou)– A dress worn by women during Kwanzaa celebrations
- Kufi– A cap worn during Kwanzaa celebrations
Further Reading
- A program to raise the faith level in African-American children through Scripture, Kwanzaa principles, and culture, Janette Elizabeth Chandler Kotey, DMin, Oral Roberts University,1999
- The US Organization: African American cultural nationalism in the era of Black Power, 1965 to the 1970s, Scot D. Brown, PhD, Cornell University, 1999
- Rituals of race, ceremonies of culture: Kwanzaa and the making of a Black Power holiday in t…
- A program to raise the faith level in African-American children through Scripture, Kwanzaa principles, and culture, Janette Elizabeth Chandler Kotey, DMin, Oral Roberts University,1999
- The US Organization: African American cultural nationalism in the era of Black Power, 1965 to the 1970s, Scot D. Brown, PhD, Cornell University, 1999
- Rituals of race, ceremonies of culture: Kwanzaa and the making of a Black Power holiday in the United States,1966—2000, Keith Alexander Mayes, PhD, Princeton University, 2002
- Interview: Kwanzaa creator Ron Karenga discusses the evolution of the holiday and its meaning in 2004, conducted by Tony Cox. Tavis Smiley (NPR), 26 December 2003
Other Websites
- The Official Kwanzaa Web Site Archived 2012-08-15 at the Wayback Machine
- The Black Candle: a Kwanzaa Celebration by Maya Angelou Archived 2019-07-19 at the Wayback Machine
- Why Kwanzaa was created by Karenga Archived 2007-12-30 at the Wayback Machine
- The History Channel: Kwanzaa Archived 2006-08-09 at the Wayback Machine