What does Kwanza mean? In what year was this holiday first celebrated?

Answer 1

Kwanzaa was a girl in the ghetto that would take care of tired men after Christmas. She died of AIDS a few years ago but until that day she was a joy in her community.

Answer 2

Kwanzaa is a holiday honoring African-American heritage. There are seven days of celebrating culminating in a feast and gift giving. It was created by Ron Karenga in 1966 in California. Mr. Karenga stated, "...it was chosen to give a Black alternative to the existing holiday and give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society."

The name Kwanzaa comes from a Swahili phrase, "matunda ya kwanza", which means "first fruits".

Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa correspond to one of, what Mr. Karenga refers to as, "The Seven Principles of Blackness".
These are: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).

Many people believe it is an African holiday but in truth it was created in America for the purpose of giving black Americans a holiday exclusively for them. The creator of Kwanzaa has since stated that while Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday, it can be celebrated by anyone. "...other people can and do celebrate it, just like other people participate in Cinco de Mayo besides Mexicans; Chinese New Year besides Chinese; Native American pow wows besides Native Americans."

I hope this helps. For more information go to www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org which is run by the creator of Kwanzaa.

Answer 3

Here are a couple of links that should also help you with your search for the history of Kwanzaa.