Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration honoring African heritage in African-American culture, and is observed from December 26 to January 1. It was created by Maulana Karenga, and was first celebrated in 1966–67. Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the following principles: Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves. Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers and sisters problems our problems, and to solve them together. Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together. Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. Kwanzaa symbols include a decorative mat (Mkeka) on which other symbols are placed, corn (Muhindi) and other crops, a candle holder kinara with seven candles (Mishumaa Saba), a communal cup for pouring libation (Kikombe cha Umoja), gifts (Zawadi), a poster of the seven principles, and a black, red, and green flag. The symbols were designed to convey the seven principles.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 13:35:15 +0000