What is Kwanzaa?

Kwanzaa begins December 26th, the day after Christmas. The name Kwanzaa derives from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits." This refers to the tradition of African harvest celebrations, in which the first fruits of the harvest were brought and celebrated. Biblically giving of first fruits, means to bring forth your absolute best! Kwanza is a weeklong celebration from Dec. 26^th to January 1st that was started by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 in response to the violent riots in which black people were fighting for equality. Kwanzaa combines various aspects of harvest celebrations from tribes such as the Ashanti and the Zulu. It is a celebration honoring African culture within the African-American community. Blacks within the U.S., The African Diaspora and Canada celebrate this holiday

Kwanzaa has seven participles, which are the following. Each night a candle is lit on the kinara to celebrate a principle:

Unity: Umoja (oo–MO–jah)To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

Self-determination: Kujichagulia (koo–gee–cha–goo–LEE–yah)To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.

Collective Work and Responsibility: Ujima (oo–GEE–mah)To build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together.

Cooperative Economics: Ujamaa (oo–JAH–mah)To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.

Purpose: Nia (nee–YAH)To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

Creativity: Kuumba (koo–OOM–bah)To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

Faith: Imani (ee–MAH–nee)
To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

On Dec 31st a big feast is held, called a karamu.