Research and Articles
Research & Articles: Learning About
Our World - Celebrating Kwanza
Gretchen May
Extension Educator 4-H Youth and Family Development
University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Cooperative Extension
December brings holidays for many people in our country. Christmas and New
Year's are two celebrations that have long histories. A relatively new celebration
is Kwanzaa, an African-American holiday beginning on December 26 and lasting
seven days. In 1966, Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor at California State University
at Long Beach, planned a celebration to help African Americans be proud of
their past and build stronger families. He felt many African Americans needed
to know more about their history.
In planning this holiday, Dr. Karenga studied many groups of Africans. He found
that in every group there was a harvest or "first fruits" celebration.
(Kwanza is a Swahili word meaning "the first." Dr. Karenga added
the last "a" because there were seven children who each wanted to
hold a letter during the celebration.) During the African celebrations, people
came together, thanked God for food and life, remembered their elders who had
died, judged how they had lived the past year, made plans for the new year,
danced, sang, and ate food together. Dr. Karenga also found that most African
groups were guided by seven principles, called Nguzo (principles) Saba (seven).
He incorporated these principles into the holiday.
Families begin the celebration of Kwanzaa by placing a candle holder (kinara)
with seven candles (mishumaa saba) on a straw mat (mkeka) on a table. The center
candle is black for the color of the African-American people; three red candles
symbolize their struggles; and three green candles symbolize their hopes. Also
on the table the family places a basket of fruit and vegetables, an ear of
corn for each child, a cup, and gifts to be opened on December 31.
Each day a Kwanzaa candle is lit, and one of the seven principles (Nguzo Saba)
is the theme for the gathering.
December 26 is Umoja - being joined together.
December 27 is Kujichagulia - being yourself.
December 28 is Ujima - helping one another.
December 29 is Ujamaa - sharing.
December 30 is Nia - having a purpose or goal.
December 31 is Kuumba - creating.
January 1 is Imani - believing.
During the celebration, there is a feast in which people eat collard greens
for prosperity and black-eyed peas for good luck, along with cornbread,
fried chicken, baked catfish, sweet potato pie, peach cobbler, rice pudding,
and carrot cake. The cup is filled with water or juice and passed around
in memory of ancestors. "Harambee!" which means "Let's pull
together!" is said many times throughout the celebration.
Dr. Karenga celebrated the first Kwanzaa with a few friends. Now millions of
African Americans look forward to the last week of December as a time for learning,
feeling proud, sharing, fun, and joy. In one of his books Dr. Karenga says, "May
the year's end meet us laughing and stronger."
If you would like to share more information on Kwanzaa with your children and
their families, look for *KWANZAA* by Deborah M. Newton Chocolate or *KWANZAA*
by Dorothy Rhodes Freeman and Dianne M. MacMillan in your children's library.
Perhaps there is an African-American art show, a puppet show, or play about
this celebration in your area. Prepare one of the foods for a snack. Any of
these activities will help our children learn about and understand the many
people in our world.
DOCUMENT USE/COPYRIGHT
National
Network for Child Care - NNCC. Part of CYFERNET,
the National Extension Service Children Youth and
Family Educational Research Network. Permission is
granted to reproduce these materials in whole or
in part for educational purposes only (not for profit
beyond the cost of reproduction) provided that the
author and Network receive acknowledgment and this
notice is included:
Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care -
NNCC. (1994). Learning about our world: Celebrating Kwanzaa. In M. Lopes
(Ed.) CareGiver News (December, p.3). Amherst, MA: University of
Massachusetts Cooperative Extension.
Any additions or changes to these materials must be preapproved by the
author.
COPYRIGHT PERMISSION ACCESS
Gretchen May
Draper Hall
Univeristy of Massachusetts
40 Campus Center Way
Amherst, MA 01003-9244
VOICE: 413-577-0332
FAX: 413-545-1002
E-MAIL: gmay@umext.umass.edu
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