What is Kwanzaa?

Dear friends,

*The word “Kwanza” refers to the first fruits of harvest. Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga and members of his organization held the first Kwanza Celebration in the mid sixties. There were seven children in the group. They decided to change the spelling to Kwanzaa to give each child a special place in the ceremony. So if there is an official spelling it would be Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa is not a black Christmas. Rather, it is an African American holiday period that gives us a special time to reflect upon our personal, family, and community circumstances at the present, and our commitment to both maintain the worthiness of our cultural experience, while designing a vision for African Americans as a people to continue progressing, as it regards to many relationships in which human beings involved themselves, as we prepare for those who will follow us, as well as those who have yet to come.

While there is a small amount of symbolism through rituals, at least for me, my now grown children, as well as my siblings, family and community discussion is the most important part of honoring this special period. Gift-giving, on the other hand, is not an essential element of Kwanzaa. When it was originally celebrated, the idea was that any gifts that were to be given would be made by hand, as opposed to going to a department store and buying something. However, it was the experience in my household, while raising my children that we took care of all the gift-giving on Christmas Day. That way, with Kwanzaa always starting on December 26, we could spend our total focus on Nguzo Saba or The Seven Principles.

The Bumpus family
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Compiled by Eshu Bumpus below:
http://eshu.folktales.net/resources/kwanzaa/kwanzaa_toc.pdf