About Kwanzaa
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Kwanzaa is a unique African American celebration with focus on the traditional African values of family, community responsibility, commerce, and self-improvement. It is not a political or religious tradition and it is not a substitution for Christmas. It was created to reaffirm and restore our roots in African culture as well as to serve as a regular communal celebration to reaffirm and reinforce the bonds between us as a people. |
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Kwanzaa Karamu
2007 |
Kwanzaa was founded in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga and is an adaptation of the traditional African first harvest celebration. It is celebrated from December 26th thru January 1st. The term Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits.” It is said that an extra ‘a’ was added to the end of spelling to differentiate that African American tradition from the African celebration.
The American celebration is based on the African concept of the Nguzo Saba, which are seven basic values of African culture and each day recognizes one of those principles. Nguzo Saba is more commonly known as the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa. They are Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). On each day of Kwanzaa family and friends come together to reflect on the meaning of each principle.
The daily ceremony may consist of the lighting of the candle(s) followed by a statement about the day's principle and its meaning. Then possibly a passage or poem is spoken or read which relates to what the principle means and how it relates to their life. Finally, the family shares the Unity cup and they may exchange education and/or artistic gifts and then the candles are extinguished. This is the basic ritual except for on the sixth day. On the sixth day, which occurs on New Years Eve, the Kwanzaa Karamu or Kwanzaa Feast is held. This is a day of great celebration. Often in many communities a celebration is held for the entire community. Kwanzaa is a tradition that we can and should embrace this holiday season. It is a way to reconnect with the ancestors as well as to reaffirm our connection to our culture and belief system
The Greetings
The greetings during Kwanzaa are in Swahili. Swahili is a Pan-African language and is chosen to reflect African Americans' commitment to the whole of Africa and African culture rather than to a specific ethnic or national group or culture. The greetings are to reinforce awareness of and commitment to the Seven Principles. It is: "Habari gani?" and the answer is each of the principles for each of the days of Kwanzaa, i.e., "Umoja", on the first day, "Kujichagulia", on the second day and so on.