Kwanzaa Brings Unity, Heritage to Family
African-American "First Fruit" Celebration Reflects Values
Oct 18, 2008
In an effort to bring back the values behind those traditions to the daily lives of African-Americans during the 1960s' rebirth of interest in their African history, Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga of Organization US created Kwanzaa in 1966 to facilitate this reclamation process through the medium of one African tradition in particular: the first-fruits, or harvest festival.
Kwanzaa Combines Harvest Festivals of Many African Ethnic Groups
The act of pouring a libation to one's ancestors and invoking their blessings and praising their exemplary lives is central to every Kwanzaa ceremony. A candle-lighting ceremony is performed each of the seven nights of the holiday, to commemorate the Seven Principles, or Nguza Sabd, of Kwanzaa:
- Umoja or Unity;
- Kujichagulia or Self-Determination;
- Ujima or Collective Work and Responsibility;
- Ujamaa or Cooperative Economics;
- Nia or Purpose;
- Kuumba or Creativity; and
- Imani or Faith.
Kwanzaa also builds upon the five fundamental activities of Continental African first-fruits rituals, which are as follows:
- Ingathering: A time of ingathering of the people...of family, friends and community...in order to reaffirm the bonds between them.
- Reverence: A time of special reverence for the creator and creation in thanks and respect for the blessings, bountifulness and beauty of creation.
- Commemoration: A time for commemoration of the past in pursuit of its lessons and in honor of its models of human excellence...the ancestors...all the people and actions that have come before.
- Recommitment: A time of recommitment to the highest cultural ideals...both personal and communal...in an ongoing effort to always bring forth the best of African cultural thought and practice.
- Celebration: A time for celebration of the good...the good life and of existence itself...the good of family, community and culture...the good of the awesome and the ordinary...in other words, a celebration of the good in all its manifestations on the Earth. [Novareinna.com]
Seven Basic Symbols Used in Observing Each Night's Celebration
- Mazao or Crops (Fruits, Nuts and Vegetables)
- Mkeka or Mat
- Kinara or Candle Holder
- Muhindi or Ear of Corn
- Mishumaa Saba or Seven Candles
- Kikombe cha Umoja or Unity Cup
- Zawadi or Gifts
The two supplemental symbols are:
- Bendera or The Flag
- Nguzo Saba Poster or The Poster of The Seven Principles
Family Activities and Gatherings are Central
All generations actively take part in appreciation of each one's contributions to the well-being of the family and to the greater community. MelaNet has a schedule of the days and instructions for performing the ceremony. (This site is a valuable resource for African-American families and individuals who are looking for a forum hosted by and for the black community.)
MelaNet describes Kwanzaa as "...a family affair [which] seeks to reinforce the bonds between parents and children, ... to teach parents and children new views and values that will aid them in self-consciousness and providing support and defense for our people...Kwanzaa is the time when Black Americans get together to give thanks, and to enjoy the blessings of living and acting together as a family."
Kwanzaa has been celebrated by African-American families for over 40 years, and enough time has now passed for traditions and memories to accumulate, to be passed on from grandparent to grandchild. As part of the passing on of these traditions, the gifts, ceremonial tools, decorations, and artwork contribute to the educational and enjoyable nature of this holiday. Sharing them with young couples just starting their families is a wonderful way to spread the custom.
