Holiday
Traditions
Explaining the “First Fruits”
Celebration
Christmas and Chanukah are two holidays ripe with
tradition and history. Despite its comparatively short
history, Kwanzaa is another important end-of-year holiday.
It is based on African heritage and values, which tie in
seamlessly with the giving nature of the holiday season.
the holiday’s name. Therefore, the additional “a” was added
to make it a seven-letter word. One might also deduce
that the seven letters tie into the seven days the holiday is
celebrated as well as the Nguzo Saba, central to the holiday,
which are the Seven Principles of the celebration.
Kwanzaa was established and first celebrated in December
1966 under the direction of Dr. Mulanga Karenga, who was
the chair of Black Studies at the California State University
at Long Beach. A year prior, Karenga bore witness to a
deadly riot that took place in the predominantly black area
of Watts, a neighborhood of Los Angeles. The community
was devastated after 34 people were killed and 1,000
injured. Karenga wanted to revitalize the spirits of those hit
hard by these acts of violence and also establish a way the
African American community could band together through
heritage and shared traditions. He looked to the customs
of African people and became inspired by the harvest
celebrations that took place in Africa. In turn, Karenga
developed a nonreligious holiday that melded appreciation
of the harvest with the unique identity that is African
culture to establish Kwanzaa.
Dr. Karenga believes Kwanzaa has grown among African
people for a number of reasons, not the least of which is its
ability to speak to the community’s need and appreciation
of life-affirming values while reaffirming the African tradition.
The holiday also brings together people from various
countries, several different religious affiliations, different
ages, and various political persuasions. Although Kwanzaa
was an African holiday created for people of African descent,
others can and do celebrate the holiday. Because the basis
for Kwanzaa is good will, many people are drawn to its
practices.
At the heart of the creation of Kwanzaa was the desire
to reaffirm communitarian values and practice ways to
strengthen and celebrate family. It was also designed to link
African Americans as a people in the United States and
those on the African continent.
Some people mistakenly assume that Kwanzaa provides
an alternative to celebrating Christmas. Although both
holidays are celebrated in December, Kwanzaa is not a
religious holiday but a cultural one. It is perfectly acceptable
to celebrate both, taking religious cues from Christmas and
cultural cues from Kwanzaa.
The name of the holiday, “Kwanzaa,” was taken from the
phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits.”
The extra “a” was added onto the name to coordinate with
seven children, who each wanted to represent a letter in
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Asheboro Magazine, Issue 51
Unlike other holidays of the season, Kwanzaa has largely
avoided commercialization. Although widely celebrated,
Kwanzaa is still a mystery to much of the public.
For the last 46 years, African Americans and celebrants
across the globe have come together to explore cultural
togetherness by participating in Kwanzaa.