Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa, which will be celebrated for the 46th time in 2011, was established by Dr. Maulana Karenga. The seven-day festival (December 26 – January 1) is secular, not religious, and aims to strengthen African cultural identity and community values while providing a spiritual alternative to the commercialism of Christmas.

Kwanzaa, which comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," meaning "first fruits," is celebrated by:

Decorating the home with the colors of the African flag (bendera): black for the people, red for their struggle, and green for the future and hope that comes from their struggle.
Laying out a straw or cloth mat (mkeka) in a place of honor in the home. Upon it are placed: a candleholder (kinara) with one central black candle, three red candles to its left and three green candles to its right; crops (mazao), including bananas, plantains, mangoes or whatever the family favorites are; ears of corn (muhindi), representing the children; and a unity cup filled with water, grape juice or wine (kikombe cha umoja). Other objects of African heritage may be added.
Lighting the kinara: the black candle on the first night, the black one plus the leftmost red one on the next night, those two plus the rightmost green one on the next, etc. Each candle represents one of Kwanzaa's seven principles (nguzo saba).
Pouring libations from the unity cup in the corners of the room to honor the African ancestors, then passing it around for all to sip.
Holding a communal feast (karamu) on December 31, with food and an educational program.
Exchanging enriching and culturally significant gifts (zawadi).

The traditional Kwanzaa greeting is "Habari gani?" The answer is the principle for that day: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity), and imani (faith).

Recommended Sites:

Kwanzaa crafts, cards, calendar and more

Kwanzaa Day of Meditation: Siku ya Taamuli

Delicious traditional Kwanzaa recipes

Written by

Search unanswered questions...

Browse: Unanswered questions | Most-recent questions | Reference library

Kwan·zaa

Top

also Kwan·za (kwän'zə) pronunciation

n.
An African-American cultural festival, celebrated from December 26 to January 1.

[Possibly from Swahili kwanzaa, first fruit of the harvest, from kwanza, first.]

Chase's Calendar of Events:

Kwanzaa

Top

45th Anniversary

Dec 26–Jan 1, 2012. African-American family observance created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga in recognition of traditional African harvest festivals. This seven-day festival stresses unity of the Black family, with a harvest feast (karamu) on the first day and a day of meditation on the final one. Kwanzaa means “first fruit” in Swahili.

See more events for Dec 26, 2011.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:

Kwanzaa

Top

African American holiday celebrated from December 26 to January 1 and patterned after African harvest festivals. It was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a black-studies professor at California State University at Long Beach, as a nonreligious celebration of family and community. The name was taken from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanzaa ("first fruits"). Each day is dedicated to one of seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Each evening, family members gather to light one of the candles in the kinara, a seven-branched candelabra; often gifts are exchanged. On December 31 community members gather for a feast, the karamu. Kwanzaa is now observed by more than 15 million people.

For more information on Kwanzaa, visit Britannica.com.

Houghton Mifflin's International Word Origins:

Kwanzaa

Top

from Swahili
This word originated in Tanzania

On the day after Christmas 1966 the Swahili word Kwanzaa entered the English language. It is possible to be so precise because Kwanzaa was no casual borrowing. Instead, it was a well-publicized adoption of a foreign word to designate a new cultural invention: a celebration of African American people, heritage, struggles, and hopes. Not a religious holiday and not intended to compete with Christmas, Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 through January 1. Its inventor, Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga, based Kwanzaa on African harvest celebrations. The name comes from Swahili matunda ya kwanzaa, meaning "first fruits."

Karenga devised seven symbols for Kwanzaa, naming them in Swahili. The symbols are mazao (crops), mkeka (a straw mat), kinara (candle holder), mishumaa saba (seven candles), muhindi (ears of corn), zawadi (gifts), and kikombe cha umoja (unity cup). Kwanzaa also has nguzo saba (seven principles): umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity), and imani (faith).

In the Afrocentric 1960s, Karenga envisioned Kwanzaa as a means of furthering "social revolutionary change for Black America." In the less militant decades that followed, Kwanzaa developed a kinder, gentler image, to the point that beginning in 1997 it was celebrated, along with Christmas and Hanukkah, on a holiday stamp from the U.S. Postal Service.

The official Kwanzaa Song goes like this:

It can be sung "as often as is wished for elevation of the spirits." Kwanzaa yenu iwe na heri (Happy Kwanzaa)!

Karenga's choice of Swahili was no accident. It is a pan-African language, not restricted to one ethnic group or country but widely used for trade and official business throughout East Africa. It is one of the two official languages of Tanzania, where it originated, and also of Kenya. Nowadays it is the first language of more than a million Africans and a second language known by more than thirty million. A few other Swahili words of lesser note have also made their way into English: topi (antelope, 1894), bwana (boss, 1878), and panga (machete, 1925).

The Religion Book:

Kwanzaa

Top

Many people seem to think Kwanzaa is an ancient African holiday-another religious festival trying to get on the "holiday season" bandwagon. But Kwanzaa has only been around since 1966 and is not really African, although its symbols revolve around African motifs and the name is derived from the Swahili word that means "first fruits."

Kwanzaa is the brainchild of Dr. Maulana Karenga, the founder and present chair of the Black Nationalist Organization. He felt that significant advances among African Americans could not occur in the United States unless they happened within the context of a cultural base. If people are going to be moved, they need a sense of, in his words, "identity, purpose, and direction." It is not practical to think that will happen if your heritage and allegiance is to a nation that had enslaved your grandparents. The focus has to be on the future-what can happen instead of what did happen.

Kwanzaa is filled with symbols derived from Africa, but its purpose goes far beyond national remembrance. Through participation of Kwanzaa celebrations, African Americans come to understand their ancestral images, but the idea is to include people everywhere.

First Fruits originally was a holiday when African people would gather to celebrate the coming harvest. Most African Americans are urban dwellers and don't have many crops to harvest. But the joy of the season can be felt just the same. Seven principles are celebrated, and they are applied universally. Beginning on December 26th each year and continuing until January 1st, a candle is lit each day. Each candle symbolizes one of the Nguao Saba, the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

Umoja (Unity). The object of this principle is to strive for wholeness in the family, community, nation, and race.

Kujichagulia (Self Determination). The goal on this day is to seek definition, to create and speak for yourself rather than to allow others to speak for you.

Ujima (Responsibility). Here the emphasis is on maintaining community, to shoulder the responsibility for the problems of others and work together to solve them.

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics). The object of this day is to work toward building and maintaining local stores, shops, and businesses so the community profits together.

Nia (Purpose). The ultimate purpose of Kwanzaa is now in sight. It is to collectively work toward the development of community in order to restore the community to its traditional greatness.

Kuumba (Creativity). Here the emphasis is on elevating the community, making it greater, more beautiful, and more beneficial each year.

Imani (Faith). The object here is to place trust in parents, teachers, leaders, and others, and also to strive for righteousness and its ultimate victory.

Sources: “Kwanzaa: The First Fruit Celebration.” Afrocentricnews. http: //www.afrocentricnews.com/ html/kwanza.htm. September 15, 2003.

Gale Encyclopedia of US History:

Kwanzaa

Top

Maulana Karenga, a professor and chairman of the Department of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach, created the African American cultural festival of Kwanzaa in 1966. The celebration takes place annually from 26 December through 1 January. Although the American origins of this holiday are found in the struggles for black nationalism that transpired in the 1960s, its African origins are rooted in the historic "first fruits" celebrations that have been associated with successful harvests from time immemorial.

Essential to the celebration are the Nzugo Saba (seven principles), which outline the pan-African origins of African American peoples. The principles are: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity), and imani (faith). One of the seven principles is featured on each day of the week-long celebration.

Millions of African Americans commemorate Kwanzaa annually in either family-centered or community centered celebrations. These events highlight the reaffirmation of community, a special reverence for the Creator and Creation, a respectful commemoration of the past, a recommitment to lofty ideals, and a celebration of all that is inherently good. During these cultural celebrations Kwanzaa candles are lit, children receive heritage gifts, and a commemorative meal takes place.

Bibliography

Karenga, Maulana. Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture. Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press, 1998.

Holidays, Festivals & Celebrations of the World:

Top

December 26-January 1

An African-American celebration of family and black culture, Kwanzaa is thought to be observed by five million Americans and perhaps 10 million others in Africa, Canada, the Caribbean, and parts of Europe. The holiday was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, chairman of the Black Studies Department at California State University in Long Beach.

In Swahili, Kwanzaa means "first fruits of the harvest," and first-fruit practices common throughout Africa were adapted by Karenga for the celebration.

Each day of the seven-day festival is dedicated to one of seven principles: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity), and imani (faith).

Families gather in the evenings to discuss the principle of the day, and then light a black, red, or green candle and place it in a seven-branched candleholder called a kinara to symbolize giving light and life to the principle. On the evening of Dec. 31, families join with other members of the community for a feast called the karamu . Decorations are in the red, black, and green that symbolize Africa, and both adults and children wear African garments.

Increasingly, colleges and museums are holding Kwanzaa events during some of the days. For example, in Chicago, an African Market is held on Dec. 28 by the Ujamma Family, a black self-help group. In New York City, the American Museum of Natural History celebrates Kwanzaa with an African Marketplace, poetry, folktales, and music.

CONTACTS
Kwanzaa, African American Cultural Center
3018 W. 48th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90043
323-299-6124; fax: 323-299-0261
www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org

Columbia Encyclopedia:

Kwanzaa

Top

Kwanzaa or Kwanza (both: kwän'zə), secular seven-day festival in celebration of the African heritage of African Americans, beginning on Dec. 26. Developed by Maulana Karenga and first observed in 1966, Kwanzaa is based in part on traditional African harvest festivals but particularly emphasizes the role of the family and community in African-American culture. Each day is dedicated to a particular principle (unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith), and on each day one of the candles on a seven-branched candelabrum is lighted. The celebration also includes the giving of gifts and a karamu, or African feast.

Gale Encyclopedia of Food & Culture:

Kwanzaa

Top

Unlike December holidays steeped in centuries-old traditions, Kwanzaa, the African American year-end feast, was not established until 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a cultural nationalist. The celebration, which occurs annually from 26 December to 1 January, is based on a compilation of several harvest festivals and celebrations from around the African continent. During the holiday week most Kwanzaa celebrants use a menu of traditional African American dishes, foods from the "mother continent," and foods from the African diaspora. The word "Kwanzaa" comes from the Swahili expression "matunda ya kwanza," meaning 'first fruits of the harvest,' but the American Kwanzaa is distinguished from the African one by the addition of a second "a" in the second syllable.

The holiday was originally celebrated by cultural nationalists who wished to express pan-African solidarity. In the intervening years, however, it has become a rapidly growing tradition with over 18 million people of all political leanings and in all walks of life celebrating the week following 26 December as a time of feasting, fasting, and self-examination.

The holiday is not designed as a replacement for or alternative to any of the other year-end festivities like the Christian Christmas, the Jewish Hanukkah, or the Hindu Divali (Festival of Lights, celebrating Laksmi, the goddess of wealth; also called "Diwali" or "Dewali"). Rather, it is a time for reflection and self-examination that can replace or be celebrated jointly with any or all of the year-end holidays.

The celebration of Kwanzaa is guided by the Nguzo Saba, the seven principles of self-awareness, so each day of the week-long festival is devoted to the celebration of one of the building blocks of self-awareness.

Umoja—: Unity
Kujichagulia—: Self-Determination
Ujima—: Collective Work and Responsibility
Ujamaa—: Cooperative Economics
Nia—: Purpose
Kuumba—: Creativity (The feast of karamu is held on this day and is a public celebration at which the community gathers to celebrate the holiday.)
Imani—: Faith

The number seven is at the core of the celebration. There are seven days, seven principles, and seven symbols of the holiday. The mazao are the fruits of the harvest that are a part of the celebration table, and the mkeka is the mat on which they are arranged. The kinara, the seven-branched candlestick, holds the mishumaa saba, the seven candles (three red, three green, and one black) that are lit every evening: first the black candle, symbolizing the people, and then, alternating, the red and green candles, symbolizing the principle that without struggle, there is no attainment.

Each Kwanzaa table has a centerpiece. On each centerpiece there are muhindi (also vibunzi), ears of corn, one for each child in the family who is still at home. If there are no children in the family, there is a single ear to remind the celebrants that, in the words of the proverb, "it takes a village to raise a child." The kikombe cha umoja, the chalice of unity, is the cup that is passed around or from which the ceremonial libation is poured. Finally, there are the zawadi, gifts, which should be educational and emphasize growth and self-knowledge.

Bibliography

Copage, Eric V. Kwanzaa: An African-American Celebration of Culture and Cooking. New York: Morrow, 1991.

Harris, Jessica B. A Kwanzaa Keepsake: Celebrating the Holiday with New Traditions and Feasts. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995.

Karenga, Maulana. Kwanzaa: Origin, Concepts, Practice. Inglewood, Calif.: Kawaida, 1977.

Karenga, Maulana. The African-American Holiday of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture. Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press, 1988.

—Jessica B. Harris

Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'Kwanza'

Top

Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier

For a list of words related to Kwanza, see:

Annual National and Religious Holidays - Kwanza: African: December 26 to January 1, harvest festival

Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Kwanzaa

Top

For the river in Angola, see Kwanza River. For the currency, see Angolan kwanza.

Kwanzaa
2003 Kwanzaa celebration with its founder, Maulana Karenga, and others
Observed by	African Americans
Type	Cultural and ethnic
Significance	Celebrates Black heritage, unity and culture.
Date	December 26 to January 1
Celebrations	Unity Self-Determination Collective Work and Responsibility Cooperative Economics Purpose Creativity Faith
Related to	Black History Month, Pan-Africanism

Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration held in the United States honoring universal African-American heritage and culture, observed from December 26 to January 1 each year. It features activities such as lighting a candle holder with seven candles^[1] and culminates in a feast and gift-giving. It was created by Maulana Karenga and was first celebrated in 1966–67.

Contents

1 History and etymology
2 Principles and symbols
3 Observance
4 Popularity
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

History and etymology

Maulana Karenga of the US Organization created Kwanzaa in 1966 as the first specifically African American holiday .^[2] Karenga said his goal was to "give Blacks an 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."^[3] The name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning first fruits of the harvest.^[4] The choice of Swahili, an East African language, reflects its status as a symbol of Pan-Africanism, especially in the 1960s.

Kwanzaa is a celebration that has its roots in the black nationalist movement of the 1960s, and was established as a means to help African Americans reconnect with their African cultural and historical heritage by uniting in meditation and study of African traditions and Nguzu Saba, the "seven principles of African Heritage" which Karenga said "is a communitarian African philosophy".

During the early years of Kwanzaa, Karenga said that it was meant to be an alternative to Christmas, that Jesus was psychotic, and that Christianity was a white religion that black people should shun.^[5] However, as Kwanzaa gained mainstream adherents, Karenga altered his position so that practicing Christians would not be alienated, then stating in the 1997 Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture, "Kwanzaa was not created to give people an alternative to their own religion or religious holiday."^[6]

Many Christian African Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa do so in addition to observing Christmas.^[7]

In 2009, Maya Angelou narrated the award-winning^{[citation needed]} documentary The Black Candle, the first film about Kwanzaa.

Principles and symbols

A woman lights kinara candles on a table decorated with Kwanzaa symbols

Kwanzaa celebrates what its founder called the seven principles of Kwanzaa, or Nguzo Saba (originally Nguzu Saba—the seven principles of African Heritage), which Karenga said "is a communitarian African philosophy," consisting of what Karenga called "the best of African thought and practice in constant exchange with the world." These seven principles comprise *Kawaida, a Swahili term for tradition and reason. Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the following principles, as follows:

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 stand up.
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 heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Kwanzaa symbols include a decorative mat on which other symbols are placed, corn and other crops, a candle holder with seven candles, called a kinara, a communal cup for pouring libations, gifts, a poster of the seven principles, and a black, red, and green flag. The symbols were designed to convey the seven principles.^[8]

Observance

Families celebrating Kwanzaa decorate their households with objects of art; colorful African cloth such as kente, especially the wearing of kaftans by women; and fresh fruits that represent African idealism. It is customary to include children in Kwanzaa ceremonies and to give respect and gratitude to ancestors. Libations are shared, generally with a common chalice, Kikombe cha Umoja, passed around to all celebrants. Non-African Americans also celebrate Kwanzaa.^[9] The holiday greeting is "Joyous Kwanzaa".^[10]^[11]^[12]

A Kwanzaa ceremony may include drumming and musical selections, libations, a reading of the African Pledge and the Principles of Blackness, reflection on the Pan-African colors, a discussion of the African principle of the day or a chapter in African history, a candle-lighting ritual, artistic performance, and, finally, a feast (karamu). The greeting for each day of Kwanzaa is Habari Gani?^[13] which is Swahili for "What's the News?"^[14]

At first, observers of Kwanzaa avoided the mixing of the holiday or its symbols, values, and practice with other holidays, as doing so would violate the principle of kujichagulia (self-determination) and thus violate the integrity of the holiday, which is partially intended as a reclamation of important African values. Today, many African American families celebrate Kwanzaa along with Christmas and New Year's.^{[citation needed]} Frequently, both Christmas trees and kinaras, the traditional candle holder symbolic of African American roots, share space in Kwanzaa-celebrating households. For people who celebrate both holidays, Kwanzaa is an opportunity to incorporate elements of their particular ethnic heritage into holiday observances and celebrations of Christmas.

Cultural exhibitions include the Spirit of Kwanzaa, an annual celebration held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts featuring interpretive dance, African dance, song and poetry.^[15]^[16]

The first U.S. postage stamp commemorating Kwanzaa, issued in 1997

The first Kwanzaa stamp was issued by the United States Postal Service on October 22, 1997, with artwork by Synthia Saint James.^[17] In 2004, a second Kwanzaa stamp, designed by Daniel Minter, was issued; this has seven figures in colorful robes symbolizing the seven principles.^[18]

The holiday has also spread to Canada, and is celebrated by Black Canadians in a similar fashion as in America. ^[19]

Popularity

In 2004, BIG Research conducted a marketing survey in the United States for the National Retail Foundation, which found that 1.6% of those surveyed planned to celebrate Kwanzaa. If generalized to the US population as a whole, this would imply that around 4.7 million people planned to celebrate Kwanzaa in that year.^[20] In a 2006 speech, Ron Karenga asserted that 28 million people celebrate Kwanzaa. He has always claimed it is celebrated all over the world.^[1] Lee D. Baker puts the number at 12 million.^[21] The African American Cultural Center claims 30 million.^[4]

According to Keith Mayes, the author of Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African-American Holiday Tradition, the popularity within the US has "leveled off" as the black power movement there has declined, and now between half and two million people celebrate Kwanzaa in the US, or between one and five percent of African Americans. Mayes adds that white institutions now celebrate it.^[9]

The holiday has also spread to Canada, and is celebrated by Black Canadians in a similar fashion as in the United States. ^[22] According to the Language Portal of Canada, "this fairly new tradition has [also] gained in popularity in France, Great Britain, Jamaica and Brazil", although this information has not been confirmed with authoritative sources from these countries. ^[23]

In Brazil, in recent years the term Kwanzaa has been applied by a few institutions as a synonym for the festivities of the Black Awareness Day, commemorated on November 20 in honor of Zumbi dos Palmares,^[24]^[25] having little to do with the celebration as it was originally conceived.

References

^ ^a ^b "Why Kwanzaa Video". "Ron Karenga". http://www.africanholocaust.net/news_ah/kwanzaa.html.
^ Alexander, Ron (1983-12-30). "The Evening Hours". New York Times". http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F00B1EFD395C0C738FDDAB0994DB484D81. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
^ Kwanzaa celebrates culture, principles
^ ^a ^b Megan K. Scott, "Kwanzaa celebrations continue, but boom is over", Buffalo News, 17 December 2009. Accessed 25 December 2009.
^ Karenga, Maulana (1967). "Religion". In Clyde Halisi, James Mtume. The quotable Karenga. Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press. pp. 25. 23769.8. http://www.piratepundit.com/karenga6.html. ^{[dead link]}
^ J. Lawrence Scholer, "The story of Kwanzaa", Dartmouth Review, 15 January 2001.
^ Williams, Lena (1990-12-20). "In Blacks' Homes, the Christmas and Kwanzaa Spirits Meet". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/20/garden/in-blacks-homes-the-christmas-and-kwanzaa-spirits-meet.html?pagewanted=1. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
^ "The Symbols of Kwanzaa". http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/symbols.shtml. Retrieved 2010-12-24.
^ ^a ^b Keith Mayes, cited by Megan K. Scott, "Kwanzaa celebrations continue, but boom is over", Buffalo News, 17 December 2009. Accessed 25 December 2009.
^ Bush, George W. (2004-12-23). "Presidential Kwanzaa Message, 2004". Office of the Press Secretary. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2004/12/20041223-2.html. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
^ "Clinton offers holiday messages". CNN. 1997-12-23. http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/12/23/message/. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
^ Gale, Elaine (1998-12-26). "Appeal of Kwanzaa continues to grow; holidays: today marks start of the seven-day celebration of African culture, which began in Watts 32 years ago and is now observed by millions.". Los Angeles Times. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/37610058.html?dids=37610058:37610058&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Dec+26%2C+1998&author=ELAINE+GALE&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Appeal+of+Kwanzaa+Continues+to+Grow%3B+Holidays%3A+Today+marks+start+of+the+seven-day+celebration+of+African+culture%2C+which+began+in+Watts+32+years+ago+and+is+now+observed+by+millions.&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
^ Kwanzaa Greeting
^ A Model Kwanzaa Ceremony
^ The Spirit of Kwanzaa
^ The Dance Institute of Washington
^ Bringing Good Into the World
^ Kwanzaa featured on this year's holiday U.S. postage stamp
^ "The principles of Kwanzaa". CBC. Broadcast Date: Dec. 28, 1993. http://archives.cbc.ca/society/celebrations/clips/16226/. Retrieved 2011-12-16.
^ "2004 Holiday Spending by Region", 'Survey by BIGresearch, conducted for National Retail Foundation', 14 October 2004
^ Manning Marable, Dispatches from the Ebony Tower, p. 224.
^ "The principles of Kwanzaa". CBC. Broadcast Date: Dec. 28, 1993. http://archives.cbc.ca/society/celebrations/clips/16226/. Retrieved 2011-12-16.
^ "Celebrate Kwanzaa!". Government of Canada. Date Modified: 2011-02-21. http://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/bien-well/fra-eng/vocabulaire-vocabulary/clbrt-kwanzaa-eng.html. Retrieved 2011-12-16.
^ Celebration of Kwanzaa on Black Awareness Day in São Paulo.
^ Celebration of Kwanzaa on the 28th anniversary of Olodum School in Salvador, Bahia.

External links

The Official Kwanzaa Web Site
The Black Candle: a Kwanzaa film narrated by Maya Angelou
Why Kwanzaa was created by Karenga
The History Channel: Kwanzaa
Interview: Kwanzaa creator Ron Karenga discusses the evolution of the holiday and its meaning in 2003, conducted by Tony Cox. Tavis Smiley (NPR), 26 December 2003
Camille Jackson, "Kwanzaa: A threat to Christmas?", Nigeria Daily News, 23 December 2005.

v d e Pan-Africanism

Proponents	Politicians: Nnamdi Azikiwe · Amílcar Cabral · Muammar Gaddafi · Marcus Garvey · David Comissiong · Kenneth Kaunda · Jomo Kenyatta · Patrice Lumumba · Thabo Mbeki · Abdias do Nascimento · Gamal Abdel Nasser · Kwame Nkrumah · Julius Nyerere · John Nyathi Pokela · Thomas Sankara · Haile Selassie · Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe · Ahmed Sékou Touré · I. T. A. Wallace-Johnson Others: Marimba Ani · Molefi Kete Asante · Steve Biko · Edward Wilmot Blyden · John Henrik Clarke · Cheikh Anta Diop · W. E. B. Du Bois · Frantz Fanon · John G. Jackson · Leonard Jeffries · Yosef Ben-Jochannan · Maulana Karenga · Fela Kuti · Bob Marley · Malcolm X · Zephania Mothopeng · George Padmore · Motsoko Pheko · Runoko Rashidi · Paul Robeson · Walter Rodney · Burning Spear · Henry Sylvester-Williams · Stokely Carmichael · Omali Yeshitela

Concepts	United States of Africa · Afrocentrism · Kwanzaa · Pan-African colours · Pan-African flag · Négritude · African nationalism · African socialism · African Century · Africanization · Kawaida · Ujamaa · Harambee · Ubuntu · Zikism · Black nationalism

Organizations	African Union · Organization of African Unity · Uhuru Movement · UNIA-ACL · African Unification Front · International African Service Bureau

v d e African American topics

African American history	Atlantic slave trade · Maafa · Slavery in the United States · Reconstruction Era · Military history of African Americans · Jim Crow laws · Redlining · Great Migration · Civil Rights Movements 1896–1954 and · 1955–1968 · Second Great Migration · Afrocentrism · Post-Civil Rights era · Inauguration of Barack Obama

African American culture	African American studies · Neighborhoods · Juneteenth · Black colleges and universities · Kwanzaa · Art · Museums · Dance · Literature · Music · LGBT topics

Religion	Black church · Black liberation theology · Black theology · Doctrine of Father Divine · American Society of Muslims · Nation of Islam · Black Hebrew Israelites

Political movements	Pan-Africanism · Nationalism · Black Power · Black fist · Capitalism · Conservatism · Populism · Leftism · Black Panther Party · Garveyism

Civic and economic groups	National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) · Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) · Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) · Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) · National Urban League (NUL) · Rights organizations · Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) · Thurgood Marshall College Fund · United Negro College Fund (UNCF) · National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) · National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) · The Links · National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)

Sports	Negro league baseball (Baseball color line) · Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) · Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) · Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) · Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) · African Americans in the NFL · African Americans in the CFL

Ethnic sub-divisions	Black Indians · Gullah · Igbo

Languages	English · Gullah · Louisiana Creole French · African American Vernacular English

Diaspora	Liberia · Nova Scotia · Sierra Leone · France

Lists	African Americans · African-American firsts · First mayors · U.S. state firsts · Landmark African-American legislation · African-American-related articles · Topics related to the Black Diaspora · African-American visual artists

Category · Portal

v d e Holidays, observances, and celebrations in the United States

Federal holidays	Christmas Day Columbus Day Independence Day Labor Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Memorial Day New Year's Day Thanksgiving Veterans Day Washington's Birthday (Presidents Day)

Legal state holidays	Alabama Day (AL) Alaska Day (AK) Arbor Day (NE) Bennington Battle Day (VT) Casimir Pulaski Day (IL) César Chávez Day (CA, TX) Christmas Eve (KY, NC) Confederate Heroes Day (TX) Confederate Memorial Day (AL, FL, GA, MS, SC) Day After Thanksgiving (DE) Election Day (CA, DE, HI, KY, MT, NJ, NY, OH, WV) Emancipation Day In Texas / Juneteenth (TX) Emancipation Day (DC) Evacuation Day (MA) Family Day (NV) Flag Day (FL, PA) Georgia Day (GA) Good Friday (CT, NC) Harvey Milk Day (CA) Hawaii Admission Day / Statehood Day (HI) Idaho Human Rights Day (ID) Indiana Day (IN) Jefferson's Birthday (AL) Jefferson Davis Day (AL, FL) Kamehameha Day (HI) Lee–Jackson Day (VA) Lincoln's Birthday (CA, CT, IL, MO, NJ, NY, IN, WV) Lyndon Baines Johnson Day (TX) Mardi Gras (FL, LA) Maryland Day (MD) Missouri Day (MO) Native American Day (SD) Native American Heritage Day (MD) Nevada Day (NV) New Jersey Day (NJ) New Year's Eve (KY) Pascua Florida Day (FL) Patriots' Day (ME, MA) Pioneer Day (UT) Primary Election Day (WI) Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day (HI) Robert E. Lee Day (FL, GA) Ronald Reagan Day (CA) Rosa Parks Day (CA,OH) Rosh Hashanah (TX) San Jacinto Day (TX) Service Reduction Day (MD) Seward's Day (AK) Susan B. Anthony Day (FL, WI, WV) Texas Independence Day (TX) Town Meeting Day (VT) Truman Day (MO) Victory Day (RI) West Virginia Day (WV) Yom Kippur (TX)

Municipal holidays with national significance	Malcolm X Day (Berkeley, CA) Obama Day (Perry County, AL)

Observances and Ceremonies (Title 36)	Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day Child Health Day Constitution Day Father's Day Gold Star Mothers Day Law Day Loyalty Day Leif Erikson Day Mother's Day National Aviation Day National Day of Prayer National Defense Transportation Day National Freedom Day National Grandparents Day National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day National Maritime Day Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Pan American Aviation Day Parents' Day Patriot Day Peace Officers Memorial Day Stephen Foster Memorial Day White Cane Safety Day Women's Equality Day Wright Brothers Day

Holidays with religious significance	Ash Wednesday Christmas Day Courir de Mardi Gras Diwali Easter Monday Easter Sunday Good Friday Hanukkah Kwanzaa Mardi Gras Palm Sunday Passover Ramadan Rosh Hashanah Saint Joseph's Day Saint Patrick's Day Valentine's Day Yom Kippur

Other holidays (includes Commercial holidays)	Cinco de Mayo Earth Day Festivus Four Chaplains Day Free Comic Book Day General Pulaski Memorial Day Groundhog Day Halloween May Day New Year's Eve Sweetest Day Walpurgis Night

Weeks (or multiple weeks)	Chinese New Year Constitution Week Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust Hanukkah Honor America Days Kwanzaa National Payroll Week National Poison Prevention Week Passover

Months	American Heart Month Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Black History Month Confederate History Month Gay and Lesbian Pride Month Jewish American Heritage Month LGBT History Month National Breast Cancer Awareness Month National Hispanic Heritage Month Ramadan Women's History Month

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Donate to Wikimedia

		Holidays Guide by Answers.com. © 1999-present by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved. Read more
		American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
		Chase's Calendar of Events. Chase's Calendar of Events 2011. Copyright © 2010 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
		Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
		Houghton Mifflin's International Word Origins. The World in So Many Words, by Allan A. Metcalf. Copyright © 1999 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
		The Religion Book. The Religion Book. 2004 ©Visible Ink Press (VisibleInkPress.com). All rights reserved. Read more
		Gale Encyclopedia of US History. Encyclopedia of American History Copyright © 2006 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
		Holidays, Festivals & Celebrations of the World. Holidays, Festivals, and Celebration of the World Dictionary. Copyright © 2010 by Omnigraphics, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
		Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more
		Gale Encyclopedia of Food & Culture. Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Copyright © 2003 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
		Random House Word Menu. © 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier. Write Brothers Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
		Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Kwanzaa. Read more

	Dance Traxx, Vol. 1 (1995 Album by Various Artists)
	Let's Celebrate Kwanzaa Sing-Along (2000 Album by Various Artists)
	The Black Candle (2008 Film)

	Why was Kwanzaa created? Read answer...
	Is there school on Kwanzaa? Read answer...
	What is the origin of Kwanzaa? Read answer...

	Where did Kwanzaa start?
	What is Kwanzaa and when do you celebrate it and why?
	When is kwanzaas originate?

Kwanzaa

Kwan·zaa

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa

categories related to 'Kwanza'

Kwanzaa

History and etymology

Principles and symbols

Observance

Popularity

See also

References

External links