Kwanzaa

A Magical and Meaningful Holiday

By Jennifer Newton Reents

Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday observed by more than 28 million people worldwide that celebrates family, community and culture.

The seven-day holiday is observed throughout the world from December 26 through January 1 and is rooted in the ancient African first-fruit harvest celebrations. In Swahili, Kwanzaa means "first fruits."

The modern day holiday, however, began in 1966, developed by African-American activist Maulana Karenga. African-Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa do so for the same reasons those from other cultures celebrate other holidays – "to teach and reaffirm cultural views, values and practices of a people," says Karenga, who serves as head of the Department of Black Studies at California State University in Long Beach, Calif.

The celebration encompasses five fundamental activities:

1. Gathering of family, friends and community
2. Reverence for the creator and creation (including thanksgiving and a recommitment to respect the environment and heal the world)
3. Commemoration of the past such as honoring ancestors and emulating achievements of African history
4. Recommitment to the highest cultural ideals of the African community such as truth, justice, respect of nature and people
5. Celebration of the "Good of Life" such as life, struggle, family and community

Kwanzaa is based on the cultural principles of a theory called Kawaida, according to the Kwanzaa Information Center of Norfolk, Va. The premise of the Kawaida theory is that social revolutionary change for blacks in America can be achieved by the act of revealing and disclosing to individuals their cultural heritage.

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