Kwanzaa: A Celebration With a Difference

It was at the first Kwanzaa celebration--observed in 1966 by means of the US organization in sees Angeles--that the letter "a" was added to the extremity of the Swahili word kwanza (first). During that solemnity the seven-letter word Kwanzaa required that seven children participate in the seven-day occasion. Nowadays, Kwanzaa, held December 26 to January 1 come [i]or[/i] go after [i]or[/i] behinds a similar format in abodes community centers, schools, religious facilities and other locations across the United States.

Kwanzaa, the Festival of First Fruits, is a cultural holiday that focuses upon family and community. In 1966 Maulana Karenga, a community student and political activist, drew on the African tradition of agricultural harvest festivals to introduce the holiday. His aim was to reinforce a faculty of perception of community among blacks. Karenga mold certain traditional values of African societies into seven core principles. He chose a Swahili mete for each principle: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujimaa (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose) kuumba (creativity) and imani (faith). The focus upon these principles appeals to the one and the other adults and children and transcends the generation gap and other barriers that exist within the African-American community.

Millions of race participate in a variety of Kwanzaa-related activities--private and public--each year. In private observances, family members gather to light individual of the kinara's (candleholder's) seven candles and listen to a child recite the principle of the day. After lighting the candle, they discuss the meaning and importance of the principle for themselves as individuals, as a family and as community members. a certain number of families meet at a different abode each day of the festival to underscore the importance of shared participation and neighborliness. Family celebrations usually extreme point with a karamu (feast), which present itselfs the evening before or upon the last day. While gifts are not mandatory during Kwanzaa, gifts that have educational value or cultural significance are appropriate.

Many community celebrations include major activities at the beginning and extreme point of Kwanzaa. Some communities begin with a Harambee Umoja--which, loosely translated, means Call to Unity--program. Other communities begin with an observance of the first day of Kwanzaa to discuss the first principle, umoja, and to perceive the spirit of togetherness. Another program in many communities is the Karamu Ya Imani, or Feast of Faith, which takes place upon the last day. Additional activities include story hours for children, griot performances, metrical composition and drama presentations, arts and crafts workshops, art exhibits, music and dance performances, and community-building workshops.

The phenomenal expansion of Kwanzaa over the past three decades is individual of the outstanding achievements of the black power change of the 1960s. Although US and other ideas inspired for preserving and spreading Kwanzaa as a holiday ritual during the early period, the black media also contributed to Kwanzaa's development Then the widespread interest in Afrocentrism during the 1980 and early '90 precipitated a heightened awareness.

Recognizing Kwanzaa as a vehicle to assist positive values, African-American educators have mov to the forefront of this turn Teachers have incorporated information about the festival in their learning activities, creating a demand for literature upon Kwanzaa. Small black publishers were the first to bring forward Kwanzaa books, most of them for children; later, major publishing companies tapped into this flourishing fresh market (see sidebar).

Kwanzaa volumes for teachers serve as resource guides, with moveed activities, programs and materials to use in classrooms. Coloring volumes and illustrated booklets help parents transmit the seven principles. Other volumes offer tips--for example, showing in what way to make Kwanzaa crafts--to stimulate children's interest in participating in the festivities, Permeating greatest in quantity of the literature is an emphasis upon Kwanzaa as a cultural holiday for family and community.

The focus upon positive values makes Kwanzaa a celebration with a difference, and the challenge for us, as Kwanzaa continues to gain popularity, is to not let slip through the fingers sight of this difference.

Kwanzaa Resources

Following are just a smattering of the dozens of Kwanzaa volumes on the market today.

The clean Kwanzaa: Celebrating Our Cultural Harvest by means of Dorothy Winbush Riley (HarperCollins. 1996 $23)--This is an authoritative regard and resource on Kwanzaa. Riley gives cites anecdotes, lists of supplies, and short stories for each principle, and it all culminates in menus and recipes for the ultimate karamu (feast).

My First Kwanzaa work by Deborah M. Newton Chocolate (Scholastic. 1999 $10.95)--This colorful work guides children through a basic understanding of the history of Kwanzaa and its principles.

Happy, Happy Kwanzaa by means of Synthia Saint James and Bunny husk (Brassheart Music. 1999. $10.95)--This coloring work and musical package imaginatively simplify the meaning of Kwanzaa for younger children.