KWANZAA

A celebration of culture ADiverging from seasonal religious holidays, Kwanzaa is a celebration of culture. Commemorating African-American traditions and history, it is observed from December 26 through January 1. Literally derived from the Swahili word 'Kwanza', meaning 'first', this holiday was inspired by the African practice of gathering to celebrate the harvest of the first crops/fruits. Created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, founder and chairman of the Black Nationalist Organization, Kwanzaa was termed with an extra 'a' to distinguish the holiday from the African word. Kwanzaa is a time for African-American gathering, for generational kinship; it is a time for those celebrating it to reflect on their achievements and reaffirm their commitment to shared values (indicated below as the Seven Principles). In The Complete Kwanzaa Celebration Book, Linda Robertson explains that the holiday "establishes principles and practices designed to recapture the essence of … African American [culture] and give … a positive Afrocentric value system for the future."
The Seven Principles The Seven Principles central to the tradition of Kwanzaa, known as the Nguzo Saba, encompass social values. These principles are chronologically honored on each respective day of the holiday. 1. Umoja (unity): This principle rests on the effort to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. 2. Kujichagulia (self-determination): This principle encourages a general ownership of the self, or the freedom from "being defined, named, created for, and spoken for by others," as Robertson asserts. 3. Ujima (collective work & responsibility): This principle promotes the existence, maintenance, and appreciation of community and co-provision. 4. Ujamaa (Co-operative economics): This principle strives for the building and maintenance of African-American businesses and communal profit. 5. Nia (purpose): This principle asserts the collective establishment of an African-American community and culture "in order to," as Robertson declares, "restore [its] people to their traditional greatness." 6. Kuumba (creativity): This principle sets to consistently and progressively instill beauty in the community, so that it can flourish and grow. 7. Imani (faith): This principle upholds belief in the culture, its history, struggle, and people.
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