2006-09-25 08:32:41 · 16 answers · asked by bob F 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa (or Kwaanza) is a week-long secular holiday honoring African-American heritage, observed from December 26 to January 1 each year, almost exclusively by African-Americans in the United States of America. Ron Karenga created Kwanzaa in California in 1966, during his leadership of the black nationalist United Slaves Organization (also known as the "US Organization"), in order to give African Americans an alternative holiday to Christmas.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa
2006-09-25 08:41:36 · answer #1 · answered by williegod 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Kwanza is a made-up holiday for African-Americans to find yet another way to try & make themselves feel superior to whites.
2006-09-27 01:38:01 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope it was created by a doctor who wanted a holiday that american ***** could recognize like maybe at that time a lot of blacks couldn't afford to buy xmas gifts for their love onesand assumed it was only for the other people and so they created kwanza
2006-09-26 05:18:44 · answer #3 · answered by trueexposure 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not quite...more afro US...
This celebration is not a festival originating in any of the 55 African countries nor is it an "African" Christmas celebration. Kwanzaa is an African-Americans celebration of life from 26 December to 1 January.
Dr. Maulana Karenga introduced the festival in 1966 to the United States as a ritual to welcome the first harvests to the home. Dr. Karenga created this festival for Afro-Americans as a response to the commercialism of Christmas. In fact one might say that Kwanzaa has similarities with Thanksgiving in the United States or the Yam Festival in Ghana and Nigeria. The word "kwanza" is a KiSwahili (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania) word meaning "first."
Five common sets of values are central to the activities of the week: ingathering, reverence, commemoration, recommitment, and celebration. The seven principles (nguzo saba) of Kwanzaa utilize Kiswahili words: unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba), and faith (imani). Each of the seven candles signify the principles. Like the Jewish Hannakah, candles are used to represent concepts of the holiday.
The symbols of Kwanzaa includes crops (mzao) which represents the historical roots of African-Americans in agriculture and also the reward for collective labor. The mat (mkeka) lays the foundation for self- actualization. The candle holder (kinara) reminds believers in the ancestral origins in one of 55 African countries. Corn/maize (muhindi) signifies children and the hope associated in the younger generation. Gifts (Zawadi) represent commitments of the parents for the children. The unity cup (Kkimbe cha Umoja) is used to pour libations to the ancestors. Finally, the seven candles (mishumaa saba) remind participants of the severl pinciples and the colors in flags of African liberation movements -- 3 red, 1 black, and 3 green.
Gifts are exchanged. On 31 December participants celebrate with a banquet of food often cuisine from various African countries. Participants greet one another with "Habari gani" which is Kiswahili for "how are you/ how's the news with you?" For further information about Kwanzaa, write to the University of Sankore Press, 2540 W. 54th St., Los Angeles, CA 90043. A children's book about KWANSA by Deborah Newton Chocolate is available through Childrens' Press, 1990, Chicago.
Source(s):
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/k-12/kwanzaa...
2006-09-27 01:40:03 · answer #4 · answered by Capt 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Remember that episode of Futurama when Bender had to be Santa, and he meets up with Kwanza-Bot?
Bender asked him if he was passing out gifts; but Kwanza-Bot was just passing out "What the Heck is Kwanza?" books.
2006-09-25 08:41:33 · answer #5 · answered by GoNinjaGo 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
NO!!! Kwanza is a Black AMERICAN holiday. What it is I don't know but it is not from Africa, the Caribbean, or anywhere else exept America.
2006-09-25 08:35:44 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It was created in the late 1960's by a Black man (Dr. Maulana Karenga), a professor at (I think) San Diego State Universty.
I personally think it's a really great holiday!
2006-09-25 08:40:35 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No it is a made up holiday...do you really think all the African tribes would really celebrate the same holiday?
2006-09-25 08:40:32 · answer #8 · answered by Love always, Kortnei 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it's not an African holiday. It was made in the USA.
2006-09-25 14:00:46 · answer #9 · answered by Holly 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it's an American Holiday, made up by Black folks in America, so theys could haz there ownz holeedaazz.
2006-09-25 09:54:31 · answer #10 · answered by Maggie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋