You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. 10 Things You Might Not Know About Kwanzaa. There are three green candles, three red, and one black.
I'm always encouraged for the future when I see people taking a stand for what is right and pushing to make it happen." "I don't think there will ever be a time when the principles of Kwanzaa will not be important or timely," Kellie Carter Jackson, PhD, assistant professor in the department of Africana Studies at Wellesley College and co-editor of Reconsidering Roots: Race, Politics, and Memory, tells Reader's Digest. why Black History Month shouldn’t be just a month, Reconsidering Roots: Race, Politics, and Memory, ways you can support Black Lives Matter and become anti-racist, incredible Black artists who have been flying under the radar, beautiful handmade kinara and other Kwanzaa gifts, gifts from Black-owned businesses that are on our wish lists this year, things you didn't know about the holiday season. "You can celebrate both Christmas and Kwanzaa, as the latter is not a religious holiday but a cultural one," explains Anna Nielsen, Marketing Director at Our Good Living Formula.
During the Karamu, or Karamu Ya Imani (feast of feasts), everyone present drinks from the unity cup. The first-ever Kwanzaa-themed postage stamp debuted in 1997. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. The black candle—representing the people, collectively—is lit each day, then an additional candle that coincides with that day's specific principle.
People actively resisted and fought against oppression for change to come. The green candles and green parts of the Kwanzaa flag stand for hope and the future, two appropriate and universal themes for the end of the year. To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. Seven candles are lit during the seven days of Kwanzaa, representing the seven key principles of the holiday. Karenga went on to earn two PhDs and is currently chair of the department of Africana Studies at California State University Long Beach. "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, 'Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.' Festivals like Kwanzaa Fest BK are heading to Instagram Live to present their lineups, so keep an eye out for virtual showcases—all from the comfort of your own home. On the last day of the holiday, people exchange gifts. In actuality, it has American roots—though people in Africa celebrate it today as well. All progress is contingent upon struggle," says Dr. Carter Jackson. Each day of Kwanzaa has a specific principle that participants are meant to talk about, celebrate, and reflect upon: unity (umoja in Swahili), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba), and faith (imani).
Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Seven is an important, even mystical, number in many cultures and traditions. "Kwanzaa was not created to give people an alternative to their own religion or religious holiday," the official Kwanzaa website explains. " You can celebrate Kwanzaa whether you're Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, or if you belong to other religions." Not only does the holiday last for seven days—December 26 through January 1—but there are also seven symbols, including seven candles to be lit, and seven principles. "It's a great time for reflection and now more than ever our country needs to be reminded of unity.". "As such, it doesn't matter what religion you [are].
They are placed in a candle-holder called a kinara. Kwanzaa tends to get lumped together with Hanukkah and Christmas as "the winter holidays"; there's a bit of an assumption that people only celebrate one. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories, Captain 'Sully' Backs Mitch McConnell's Opponent as Polls Show Her Trailing, 6 ways small businesses can boost holiday sales in 2020 amid the pandemic. Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. Maulana Karenga, born Ronald McKinley Everett in Parsonsburg, Maryland, founded the holiday in 1966 during the civil rights movement. In a world where there is so much hate, it can be challenging to feel hopeful for what the future holds, but it’s important to remember that public outrage, loud voices, and most importantly, united people have historically inspired change.
"We give meaningful zawadi (gifts) to encourage growth, self-determination, achievement, and success," writes Dorothy Winbush Riley, author of The Complete Kwanzaa: Celebrating Our Cultural Harvest. But families also buy creative gifts such as books, music, and art, or—in line with the principle of cooperative economics—they are purchased from Black-owned businesses. In fact, according to Karenga himself, the additional "A" in "Kwanzaa," which comes from the Swahili kwanza, was added so that the name would have the symbolic seven letters! Although celebrated in the winter, Kwanzaa is patterned after harvest festivals traditionally celebrated by many African cultures and tribes. Hope is not a strategy on its own. The Kwanzaa Web site explains that Kwanzaa isn’t religious or designed to replace religious holidays. Get a look at the work of some incredible Black artists who have been flying under the radar. After everyone has a sip of water, juice, or wine from the cup, the oldest person at the celebration asks for a blessing from God or from the ancestors of those who are present. BUY BLACK We have compiled some photos that illustrate humans coming together over the years to fight for what’s right that will hopefully inspire you to keep pushing forward. Seven also features prominently in Kwanzaa. Next, check out these other things you didn't know about the holiday season. Alcala and Pippins' stamp continues a long tradition of Kwanzaa stamps. The ceremonial lighting of candles is a rite of focus and remembrance in many traditions around the world. "We exchange the gifts with members of our immediate family, especially the children, to promote or reward accomplishments and commitments kept...Accepting a gift implies a moral obligation to fulfill the promise of the gift; it obliges the recipient to follow the training of the host. But Kwanzaa is not a religious celebration! Kwanzaa, a time for people around the world to celebrate African-American history and culture, lasts from December 26 to January 1 each year.
Find out the gifts from Black-owned businesses that are on our wish lists this year.
The red candles and the red in the Kwanzaa flag represent the struggle of the people. Since Kwanzaa is a pan-African and African-American holiday, some people incorrectly assume it originated in Africa.
"Kwanzaa is based on universal principles that all African Americans and people of African descent can identify and commit to despite their religious background," she explains.
Designed by Antonio Alcala and created by Andrea Pippins, the stamp shows a woman with a lit kinara against a colorful backdrop of blues and greens. At large feasts, rather than family dinners, people may sip from their own small cups, but at the same time. Kwanzaa, annual holiday affirming African family and social values that is celebrated primarily in the United States from December 26 to January 1. Artist Synthia Saint James designed it; it's profiles of four African family members In 2015, the USPS commissioned her to design another one in anticipation of 2016, the 50th anniversary of the holiday. Then just 25 years old, Karenga was a Black nationalist and activist intent on liberating African Americans from racial oppression, in part by building pride and unity around their cultural origins. Accepting a gift makes the receiver part of the family and promotes Umoja." The post 10 Things You Might Not Know About Kwanzaa appeared first on Reader's Digest. For example, many artisans and crafters sell beautiful handmade kinara and other Kwanzaa gifts on Etsy. The gift cements social relationships, allowing the receiver to share the duties and the rights of a family member. This is also a time to honor the elders in the family. Yahoo is part of Verizon Media. To do this yourself, here are some ways you can support Black Lives Matter and become anti-racist. "I tell my students all the time that the abolition of slavery, the right to vote, and even the end of Jim Crow was not inevitable.
“Africans of all faiths can and do celebrate Kwanzaa, i.e., Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists…,” the site says. The word "Kwanzaa" comes from "matunda ya kwanza," which means "first fruits" in Swahili. In line with the principle of creativity, Kwanzaa gifts are traditionally homemade. Like other harvest festivals, Kwanzaa includes a feast called Karamu on day six of the holiday. We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through the use of cookies and similar technologies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Seven was a central number for the Rosicrucians and ancient Egyptians; there are seven deadly sins in Catholicism; there are seven days in a week. Whether you are out in the streets or sending emails to representatives from the privacy of your own home, we have the opportunity to connect with one another in more ways than one. The seven basic symbols of Kwanzaa are: mazao (the crops), mkeka (the mat), kinara (the candle holder), muhindi (the corn), mishumaa saba (the seven candles), kikombe cha umoja (the unity cup), and zawadi (the gifts).
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