Heard of this Holiday? An overview of Kwanzaa
Abigail Dickerson, Staff Writer
Around the holidays, people may check their calendars and see holidays they don’t recognize. One of the upcoming holidays is called Kwanzaa, which is defined by Wikipedia as “an annual celebration of African-American culture that is held from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.” This festival was introduced in 1966 to the United States.
According to CNN, “the name comes from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits.” During the days of Kwanzaa, people gather together to celebrate the history and African American community. On each day, families light a candle to celebrate each principle of Kwanzaa. There are seven principles, one for each day of celebration,
The first principle is called Umoja, which means unity in Swahili. This stresses the importance of striving for unity in all aspects of life. This is an important part of all communities.
The second principle is called Kujichagulia, or “self determination” in English. This refers to speaking up and making a name for oneself. Being able to define yourself as an individual helps each person to fit into the community in a special way.
The third principle is Ujima, which is translated as “collective work and responsibility”. This principle shows the importance of uplifting those around you and in your community. When people maintain community, they are able to solve problems and face things together.
The fourth principle is Ujamaa, which means “cooperative economics”. This is similar to the previous one, but focuses more on the economy. Being able to support the community economically is important to help it flourish.
The fifth principle is called Nia, which means “purpose.” Maulana Karenga, a professor of Pan-African studies at California State University at Long Beach said “To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.” Each person has a purpose within the community.
The sixth principle is called Kuumba, which is translated to “creativity”. Karenga defines this principle as “To always do as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.” Creativity is a gift, and during this holiday it is celebrated.
The seventh, and final principle is called Imani, which means “faith.” Having faith is something that is important on this last day of Kwanzaa. They stress the importance of having faith in each other.
Each day of the holiday Kwanzaa, is important to the African American community. Even though this holiday is not as largely celebrated as it used to be, many still hold it dear to their hearts.
*Featured Image: Candle. Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com.
