Washington, US

Kwanzaa is an annual celebration honouring the African American and Pan-African culture and traditions with a seven-night festival which begins on December 26 and goes on till January 1. The festival began in the United States in 1966 and is still predominantly celebrated in the country in millions of homes and communities. 

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Origins of Kwanzaa 

The term Kwanzaa (pronounced as “kwahn-zuh”) comes from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits”. In 1966, Dr Maulana Karenga, professor and chair of the department of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach created the holiday which has links to harvest festivals in Africa and communities across the world. 

The secular holiday does not associate with any particular religion and was created in the wake of the 1964 Watts Riots in Los Angeles, California, during the Black Freedom Movement in the US. According to National Geographic, Karenga drew inspiration from the African harvest festival “in which communities came together to celebrate the fruits of their collective labor.”

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Why is it celebrated?

“African American celebration that highlights the culture of the entire African diaspora and gives the community a chance to come together to reflect upon important values,” said Kelly Navies, a museum specialist and oral historian at the National Museum of African American History and Culture told USA Today. She added that since there is no particular religion associated with the holiday it allows “to unify people” rather than divide them based on their religious beliefs. 

Seven principles of Kwanzaa

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Each day of the celebration is dedicated to reflecting on one of the seven communitarian principles known as the “Nguzo Saba”. The seven principles are, Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).

What are the seven symbols of Kwanzaa?

According to the festival’s official website, there are seven basic symbols and two supplemental ones, each of which, “represents values and concepts reflective of African culture and contributive to community building and reinforcement”. 

Beginning with the “Mazao” which means crops and includes things like fruits and vegetables to represent the “rewards of productive and collective labour.” This also includes “Muhindi” (meaning corn) which is a symbol for “our children and our future which they embody.” 

These items are arranged on a “Mkeka” (the mat) along with the “Kinara” (the candle holder) which has the “Mishumaa Saba” (the seven candles) which are symbolic of the seven principles, and the “Kikombe cha Umoja” (the unity cup). 

How is Kwanzaa celebrated?

The official colours of Kwanzaa are black, red, and green which represent, “black for the people, red for their struggle, and green for the future that comes from their struggle,” said the festival’s website. On each day the family comes together to light one of the seven candles and discuss the principle of the day. The lighting of the candles begins with the black candle which is placed in the middle of Kinara, on the first day.

In the following days, those on the left are lit following the order from left to right each day, the order indicates that the people come first, then the struggle, and the hope from that struggle. On the final day of the festival, there is a feast known as karamu, where the children also receive “Zawadi” which means gifts. 

(With inputs from agencies) 

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