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| Something niggers celebrate to be different. | |||
| {{context}} | |||
| {{Not verified}} | |||
| :''Not to be confused with the ] in Angola, or the Angolan currency, ].'' | |||
| ] "Kwanzaa" stamp]] | |||
| '''Kwanzaa''' is a week-long ] observed mostly in the ] from ] to ] honoring ] heritage. Kwanzaa consists of seven days of celebration, featuring activities such as candle-lighting and pouring of ], and culminating in a feast and gift-giving. According to one survey, Kwanzaa is celebrated by 1.6% of all Americans{{ref|survey}}. | |||
| ==Principles of Kwanzaa== | |||
| Kwanzaa is a holiday celebrating "The Seven Principles of Blackness", or ''Nguzo (originally, ''Nguzu'') Saba''; these are principles which comprise Karenga's doctrine of '']'', a ] term for ] and ]. ] is an adjunct of ''Kawaida''. Karenga called on African-Americans to adopt his ] and reject other practices as ] (Karenga 1977, pp. 14, 23, 24, 27, 44-5). Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the following principles. In order, they are: | |||
| *''Umoja'' (]) | |||
| *''Kujichagulia'' (]) | |||
| *''Ujima'' (Collective work and responsibility) | |||
| *''Ujamaa'' (]) | |||
| *''Nia'' (Purpose) | |||
| *''Kuumba'' (]) | |||
| *''Imani'' (]) | |||
| ==Observance== | |||
| Families celebrating Kwanzaa decorate their households with objects of art, colorful African cloth, especially the wearing of the ] 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. Often alcoholic beverages are poured to the ground as ], an ancient custom that has survived in the African-American community to this day. | |||
| At first, observers of Kwanzaa eschewed the mixing of the holiday or its symbols, values and practice with other holidays. They felt that 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 ] and ]. Frequently, both Christmas trees and ]s, the traditional candle holder symbolic of African-American roots, share space in kwanzaa celebrating households. To them, Kwanzaa is an opportunity to incorporate elements of their particular ethnic heritage into holiday observances and celebrations of Christmas. | |||
| ==Origins== | |||
| Kwanzaa was created by political activist ] in ] in ], during his leadership of the ] ] Organization (also known as the "Us Organization"). | |||
| Kwanzaa was originally intended to be an African-American alternative to Christmas. Karenga stated | |||
| "...it was chosen to give a Black 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." p. 21 Kwanzaa: origin, concepts, practice | |||
| In 1997, Karenga moderated his stance, stating that Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday, but can be celebrated by people of any race. | |||
| "...other people can and do celebrate it, just like other people participate in Cinco de Mayo besides Mexicans; Chinese New Year besides Chinese; Native American pow wows besides Native Americans." p. 110, Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture | |||
| ==Etymology== | |||
| The name Kwanzaa derives from the ] phrase "''matunda ya kwanza''", meaning "first fruits". The additional "a" was added to "Kwanza" so that the word would have seven letters, for two reasons. At the time there were seven children in Karenga's United Slaves Organization, each wanted one of the letters in Kwanzaa. The name was also meant to have a letter for each of the Seven Principles of Blackness. Kwanzaa is also sometimes spelled kwaanza, which also has seven letters. | |||
| ==References== | |||
| <div style="font-size: 80%"> | |||
| #{{note|survey}}, 'Survey by BIGresearch, conducted for ]', 14 October 2004. | |||
| </div> | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| * <!-- title is capitalized because this is the actual name of the site --> | |||
| * (The International Kwanzaa Exchange ) | |||
| * ('']'', ], ]) | |||
| * at ] (1996) | |||
| * (] column, ], ]) | |||
| * (Basic Info about Nguzo Saba and Kwanzaa Symbols) | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Revision as of 04:55, 24 December 2005
Something niggers celebrate to be different.