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| Figure 1: Kwanzaa being celebrated |
December is a month full of various holiday. It has almost become traditional to feature
one of those holidays on the blog, particularly as they fit within the primary
theme of this blog (to cover anthropological subject matter). Previous posts have covered Yule, Hanukkah, Krampus, and
St. Nicholas Day. Therefore with Kwanzaa
right around the corner it felt appropriate to dedicate a blog post to it.
Kwanazaa is a seven day African
American and African holiday celebrated from December 26 to January 1 annually (Figure 1). It was created in the 1960s by Dr. Maulana Karenga as a holiday dedicated to celebrating African American
and African people, culture, and values.
The name Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili word for “first fruits” and is modeled
after the first African harvest festivals celebrated in antiquity and today. Kwanzaa decorations, therefore, model these
festivals as crops, mats, candles, a unity cup, and flag are meant to adorn the
home.
There are seven guiding principles of Kwanzaa that signify the
ideals derived from various African values, traditions, and customs. The seven principles are as follows:
o
Umoja (Unity)
o
Kujichagulia
(Self-Determination)
o
Ujima (Collective Work and
Responsibility)
o
Ujamaa (Cooperative
Economics)
o
Nia (Purpose)
o
Kuumba (Creativity)
o
Imani (Faith)
Each of the seven principles is celebrated on the corresponding
day of the seven-day holiday, meaning on the first day Umoja is celebrated,
followed by Kujichagulia on the second, and so on. Rituals related to each principle are observed
daily. Each day, principle, and corresponding
ritual is marked by the lighting of the Kinara, a seven-branched candelabra that
holds three red, three green, and one black candle (Figure 2). These candles hold symbolic meaning meant to
represent the purpose of Kwanzaa: the black candle represents African-Americans
and Africans, the red candles embody past and present struggles experienced by
African-Americans, and the three green candles symbolize hope. Typically, the youngest member of the family lights
a candle for each day of the Kwanzaa celebration and either leads or takes a
lead in the ritual celebration of the Kwanzaa principle, but it is not expected
or required that the youngest be responsible as any member of the family or
celebratory individual can do this.
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| Figure 2: The Kinara, Unity Cup, and other symbols of Kwanzaa |
Kwanzaa is typically closed by a large feast, the karamu,
which is celebrated on December 31. It
is during this time that educational gifts that teach about African culture are
gifted to children. Adults and children
come together at this time to celebrate family, remember ancestors, and bask in
African culture. There are no specific
customs or traditions that are observed at this time.
Today, Kwanzaa is celebrated by at least 18 million people
world-wide of various races, ethnicities, religions, and nationalities. Despite its long history it was only recently
recognized as a national holiday in the United States, though. As a result there has been an increase
awareness in the holiday, and just one more reason why December is known for
being the holiday season.
References
Ali-Dinar, A.B. 1990.
“Kwanzaa-What Is It?” Akwansosem
Newsletter. University of
Wisconsin-Madison.
Karenga, M.
2017. “The Founder’s
Welcome.” The Official Kwanzaa Website.
No Author. 2017. “Kwanzaa Holiday Information.” Holidays.net
No Author. 2017. “Seven Interesting Facts About Kwanzaa.” PBS.org
