The Joy of Kwanzaa

Dr. Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa as an African American holiday in 1966, during the aftermath of the Watts riots. He derived the name from the Swahili phrase, “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits of the harvest.”

Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of Pan-African and African American culture. It is held from Dec. 26th to January 1st, culminating in a gift-giving ceremony called a Karamu, or festival of faith. The tradition of first fruits is still practiced in Southern Africa, mainly in the kingdoms of KwaZulu-Natal and Swaziland and is celebrated near the winter solstice.

To celebrate the holiday, people decorate their homes with colorful artwork, fresh produce, African Kente cloth, and other traditional African decorations. They also tend to wear traditional African attire during the week of Kwanzaa. Many men wear Dashikis and Kufi caps, while the women wear pullover robes and garments called caftans that follow in the tradition of unique West-African clothing.

Children are included in the celebration as they are important to the holiday; they are the next generation that need to experience, firsthand, their cultural heritage. As participants of these festivities, they learn to respect their culture, honor their ancestors, and acknowledge their ancestral roots.

The celebration includes seven basic principles of the holiday, originally called the Nguzo Saba, the seven essential principles of African culture. So Kwanzaa is a seven-day festival, and each day is dedicated to one of the seven spiritual principles of the Nguzo Saba.

They are: Umoja — unity in family, community and race; Kujichugalia — self-determination; Ujima — collective work and responsibility; Ujamaa — cooperative economics; Nia or purpose — collective vocation of the people; Kuumba — practicing creativity, and lastly, Imani — is faith.

Each day, Kwanzaa participants greet each other by using the Swahili phrase, “Habari Gani.” It means “How are you?” or “What is the news?” The spoken response is to say the principle word for that day, such as, Kujichugalia, or Ujamaa.

Over 40 million people still celebrate this festival around the globe. Each day during the celebration of Kwanzaa gifts can be exchanged. Kwanzaa is based upon the concept of the first fruits of the harvest which includes planting, growing, and harvesting because they represent the efforts of a community.

The celebration of Kwanzaa also uses many traditional symbols during the week-long celebration. The Mkeka is the central mat of ceremony on which other significant objects are placed. The Kinara, or candle holder, is used to hold the seven candlesticks called the Mishumaa Saba, representing the seven principles of Kwanzaa. One candle is lit each day. The Kikombe cha Umoja, or unity cup, is used for sharing libations, and giving thanks to the ancestors. These symbols represent values and concepts that are reflective of the African culture throughout the diaspora.

Dr. Karenga seemed destined to give us a significant holiday like Kwanzaa. His name, Karenga, means “keeper of the tradition.” His calling drove him to visit Africa to recapture and reconstruct his African culture. Kwanzaa was created out of rebellion as an annual event that would bring about a drastic change in the African-American mindset. At its inception, Kwanzaa was meant to lend validity to the Peace and Freedom, and Black Power Movements of the 1960’s and early 1970’s.

The final day of Kwanzaa is a day of collective feast and celebration. It’s called a Karamu, and happens at the end of the week-long procession. The festivities involve entertainment such as: traditional West African drumming and dance, song and poetry, West African cuisine, imaginative storytelling, performing arts, and an African marketplace.

Many people, not just African-Americans, have come to participate in this processional African, spiritual holiday. The celebration of Kwanzaa began as a Pan-African holiday rooted in rebellion, and resistance to the dominant culture, but has now become a holiday based in reflection, sharing, togetherness, and to strengthen the global African community and culture.