Kwanzaa, created by Maulana Ron Karenga in 1966, is a week-long celebration of African American heritage and culture. Families gather to honor their roots through traditional meals, readings, and the lighting of candles on a kinara, a seven-branched candelabra. The holiday's colors – red, black, and green – symbolize the past struggles, present identity, and hopeful future of Black people.
Kwanzaa was created by activist and author Maulana Ron Karenga in 1966. In establishing the holiday, Karenga hoped to introduce a nationally celebrated holiday that would bring Black Americans together and reaffirm and restore African heritage and culture. The holiday gained popularity in the 1980s and 90s with the rise of the Black Power movement.
Karenga drew on practices and celebrations used in harvest festivals all across Africa. In fact, the word Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase"matunda ya kwanza," which means"first fruits.
The colors, which can also be found in the clothing worn by families and decorations they put out for the holiday, honor the three-striped Pan-African flag. The red of the top stripe represents the historical struggle Black people have faced across the globe, while the bottom green stripe represents a hopeful future. In the middle, the black stripe embodies African American people.
Families also decorate with other symbols inspired by African culture, such as a woven mat called a Mkeka, an ear of corn for each child in the house , fruit to represent the harvest and gifts .Each day of Kwanzaa, families light a candle on the kinara, a seven-branched candelabra, representing one of the seven principles celebrated during the holiday.
Kwanzaa African American Heritage Culture History Celebration
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