Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is an African American celebration of life from December 26th to the 1st of January. It peaks in a communal feast called Karamu which is usually on the sixth day. Its origins came from Maulana Karenga, a black nationalist who later became a college professor. He created Kwanzaa as a way of uniting and empowering the African American community in the aftermath of the deadly Watts Rebellion and was based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West and Southeast Africa. Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966. Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday but a cultural one. Thus, people from all different religious backgrounds, including African spiritual traditions, celebrate the holiday. On each night of the seven days of Kwanzaa, a candle is lit to observe and celebrate the seven basic values of African culture or the ¨Nguzo saba¨, the seven principles of Kwanzaa. The principles of Kwanzaa are: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith). Unlike many of the other holidays and traditions that we celebrate, Kwanzaa is one of the newest, at only 54 years old. It was created in 1966 as a way for African American families to reconnect to their roots and their community.