I've only heard bout it never really known anything bout it.
2006-12-23 05:48:47 · 19 answers · asked by Thobie 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a cultural tradition. It is the way many Afrikan Americans celebrated the the gift giving of the Christmas season, with the understanding that Jesus Christ is the true reason for the season. Kwanzaa ia an Afrikan American Holiday. It is a cultural and harvest festival celebrated by Afrikan Americans from December 26 to Jan 1 each year. During the slavery era, slaves had to make their gifts if there were going to be any gifts all. The idea of giving gifts that were individually hand made and given to your persons of choice made the gift more personal while giving a part of you to another. Theses gifts would be wrapped as in any other culture. If you think about it, there were not many stores anywhere to go shopping many many years ago and this is in regards to any culture. The giving of gifts continued for seven days as to indicate that the gift of giving is not just on Christmas day only. They started the day after Christmas. However the gift of giving is to continue all year long regardless how you give. Remember, seven days of gift giving . From that point on and the rest of your life the idea of giving to another is what one should always be willing to do. Everyone should give or share goodness to all man kind weather you know the person or not. We all need something from another some times, even if its a few kind words or words of encouragement to another. These are also considered gifts too. Anyone can participate in this tradition. Christmas is everyday but celebrated only once a year. Giving is a life time deal. Pass it on.
2006-12-23 09:34:39 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 9⤋
The holiday Kwanzaa originates for the mere purpose to link cultural relationships of a common lineage within African ancestry. Kwanzaa encourages individuals to SEARCH from within and getting in touch with ones origins, sharing concepts, and connecting with one religious practices and values.
Dr. Maulana Karenga’s intentions is to have Kwanzaa be a traditional cultural holiday in celebration of the family offspring and joining with one another into the new year; while reminiscing on the past and present good times. This is the true meaning of “First Fruits or Harvests”. The concept of this holiday lay much deeper.... "First Fruits or Harvests" refers to the memories our ancestors, rather than literally speaking about the celebrating of a basket of fruits.
It’s a brilliant concept however the date in which to celebrate Kwanzaa is confusing for many because it’s the day after Christmas and during the month of many festivities. Had this holiday been initially dated in the summer, more individuals would probably take a liking to it and with better understanding.
2006-12-25 14:51:57 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
What IS everyone's problem?
No holiday is "naturally occurring" they're all "made up" by someone.
Yes, this was made up recently, as others have pointed out.
But I don't see why everyone has to diss it.
So some members of an oppressed people have taken up a holiday made up for them to celebrate.
Who cares the inventor was a criminal? That's not what it's about.
All of the holidays this time of year are really about the same thing: lights and celebrations in the cold and dark time of year. (Well, in the northern hemisphere, anyway)
For some reason, Kwanzaa is the only one that some nut jobs want to tell other people not to celebrate, or get all hot and bothered about.
I think people should celebrate what they want, and not celebrate what doesn't appeal to them.
At a time of great inter-racial strife in the US, a Black man invented a holiday for African Americans to celebrate their African background.
That's what it's about, really, the same things they're all about: family, reflection, warmth, food, light, celebration.
There are other answers that give a lot of factual detail about Kwanzaa; I wouldn't have bothered clicking Answer if they'd left it and that and not had some bizarre compulsion to editorialize.
Get a grip, people.
The people celebrating Kwanzaa aren't plotting the violent overthrow of anything; they're just celebrating.
At this time of year, you'd think some kind of "Live, and let live" attitude would kick in.
2006-12-25 13:43:46 · answer #3 · answered by tehabwa 7 · 0⤊ 5⤋
Kwanzaa is fictional. A celebration created to further perpetuate racism in america.
2006-12-25 15:15:14 · answer #4 · answered by joshua 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
I think "i hate hippies but love my Jesus" is right on point.Am from Africa and to be sincere i learnt bout this Kwanzaa from answers.It is unknown in Africa.So dont be lied to.Its not an African celebration.We celebrate christmas
2006-12-24 14:48:19 · answer #5 · answered by Mikillah 4 · 7⤊ 1⤋
Just wanted to throw out there that every holiday is a made up holiday. What you believe to be true is what is true. Calling Kwanzaa a made up holiday is akin to calling any religious system or stucture of beliefs a cult. Christ was not born on December 25th, it was picked by Charlemegne 800 years after the death of Christ. So Christmas would also be a made up holiday. And yes if it would make you happy to burn make at the stake for being a Buddhist you are welcome to!
2006-12-25 12:52:15 · answer #6 · answered by pfarro1 2 · 1⤊ 4⤋
Its a made up holiday originally by a black separatist movement in Philadelphia in the early 70's before a black mayor bombed them into submission.
The idea was to celebrate the African harvest but then someone realized that there are no 'harvest ' in Africa as we know them because-well check out the agriculture of Africa-they dig up roots , They dint have acres of corn/wheat etc like here because the climate isn't conducive to that type of agriculture so we do the little individual garden plots
SOOOOOOOOO some one said ='well maybe we'll alter it because it is good to have a traditional time of year [how do start a tradition-add hundreds of years and modify]
So you make up some names and add a little x-mas to get gifts and a little Hanuka to spread out the gifts so you get more and throw in some made up other stuff [like Africans' a language-how many thousands of tribal dialects are there-sorry no 'It's African for lion roars'
So it makes some feal good so whose it hurt as long as its history is honest
In short-Its a celebration over several days commemorating differ ant family/social events/morals that are admirable and looked forward to by many people-It's all good
2006-12-23 14:06:23 · answer #7 · answered by arthur d 2 · 6⤊ 3⤋
its not a religion(??) at all. yes it was made up but i think it has/had good intentions behind it. you can't get made at minorities for wanting something to connect them.
that's really sad if someone actually knows a black person who said kwanzaa was made up in africa... hopefully they were joking *shakes head remorsefully*. haha "christmas for colored ppl" that's kinda bad though and arthur d sorry but youre a bit wrong, hope you were being sarcastic on some of those points
(yea im just commenting on ppl's answers)
personally i think that it was created -as some said here- for blacks in america to feel united (mind you it was created in the 60s when civil rights was still a big issue). now it's still celebrated, right along with christmas for some and as an alternative to christmas for many different reasons such as: wanting to be more cultural, thinking that christmas is too materialistic.... blah, blah, blah, whatever. people have their own opinions but please get the facts as i see they arent forthcoming, even including me. ; )
2006-12-25 00:23:10 · answer #8 · answered by sunshine 2 · 0⤊ 4⤋
It may be a made up holiday but so what? Any celebration of peace and love is OK in my view.
2006-12-25 21:40:23 · answer #9 · answered by Bad Bob 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Kwanzaa is about family and community Kwanzaa was made for the harvest.
2006-12-24 02:18:30 · answer #10 · answered by Tammy 3 · 2⤊ 7⤋