Every year between December 26 and January 1, the Kwanzaa festival is celebrated in Africa and parts of the USA. It is primarily about honoring African culture and tradition - but there is also good food.
The first Kwanzaa took place in 1966 and goes back to the "Black Power" activist Maulana Karenga. It is based on African harvest festival traditions. According to the founder, Karenga's aim was to offer people of color an alternative to Christmas. They were to celebrate themselves and their culture instead of just imitating the customs of a dominant society. In addition to Africa, Kwanzaa is also celebrated in Jamaica, France, Canada and Brazil. The festival is becoming increasingly popular and is now estimated to be celebrated by up to 2,000,000 people.
According to Karenga, the term "Kwanzaa" comes from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" (Swahili), which means "first fruits". This festival is celebrated in South Africa every year on the winter solstice in December and January.
The Kwanzaa process
Before the start of Kwanzaa, the houses are decorated. The women wear traditional clothing such as "kente" and children are also involved in the preparations for the celebrations. On the streets, dan greeting "Heri za Kwanzaa" (Happy Kwanzaa) is heard everywhere, even from white people.
The community comes together for seven days to tell stories and light the kinara every day. This is a candle holder with seven candles, which is similar to the well-known Hanukah symbol. The colors of the candles used are meant to be reminiscent of the African population. The so-called "Pan-African colors" of black, red and green are used in many African flags. This expresses the nation's sense of togetherness. On each day of the Kwanzaa festival, another Kinara candle is lit.
In each case, one of the seven principles (Nguzo Saba) is considered.
These are the
- Unity (Umoja),
- Self-determination (Kujichagulia),
- Responsibility (Ujima),
- joint work and cooperative economy (Ujamaa),
- the common goal (Nia)
- Creativity (Kuumba) and
- the faith (Imani).
Gifts, usually with a cultural background, are exchanged in the families, African music is played and old stories are told. Knowledge about traditions is passed on and there are discussions about everyday life as a dark-skinned person (everyday racism).
The highlight of Kwanzaa is the sixth day. On December 31, a large communal celebration called "Karamu Ya Imani" is held. In addition to authentic music and the enjoyment of traditional food, various speeches are also given. Just like on other days of Kwanzaa, the expression "Habai Gani?" is heard very often. This is a Swahili way of asking: "How are you?"
However, the kinara is only one of the symbols used in Kwanzaa. The candle holder with the seven candles stands on a mat (mkeka). There are also various fruits and vegetables symbolizing the harvest (mazao). Corn (Mahindi), a cup symbolizing unity (Kikombe cha Umoja) and smaller gifts (Zawadi) form a kind of altar. In addition, African flags, works of art and books are sometimes placed on the mkeka.
In 1997, a commemorative Kwanzaa stamp was issued in the USA. In the same year, Bill Clinton gave the first presidential speech on Kwanzaa and thus officially recognized the festival. All subsequent US presidents have done the same. In 2008, a documentary film about the festival entitled "The Black Candle" was released. This is a good source of further information on the festival, which is relatively unknown here.
Here is a short video of this year's preparations for Kwanzaa. Unfortunately, it is only available in English, but it illustrates the explanations about this festival very well.
Sources:
https://www.headout.com/blog/global-cultural-festivals-in-december/
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/message-the-observance-kwanzaa-1997
https://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/
Cover picture: Public domain from PIXABAY.com
Picture of the family: Public domain from freeimages.com/en
Video: Many thanks to KCRA3 on YouTube
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