Naturalist's Almanac

Most of our celebrations are so old and have such highly evolved traditions that it's difficult to remember exactly why we do what we do. The African American celebration called Kwanzaa offers us an opportunity to observe a new tradition in the making. In the year 2000, it is only 34 years old.

Back in 1966, Maulana Karenga, a professor of Black Studies, felt the need for a distinctively African American celebration. He decided it should derive from African harvest festivals but be uniquely American. Therefore, he named it Kwanzaa — with two "a"'s. Kwanza with one "a" is the existing Swahili word for "first" as in "first fruits of the harvest," but Kwanzaa with two "a"'s would be a new word for the new celebration.

Inventing a celebration from scratch isn't the easiest thing to do, but Karenga apparently did a good job. Thirty-four years later, more than 18 million people are observing Kwanzaa. The elements are quite simple: seven days, seven symbols, and seven principles.

The seven days are strategically located between Christmas and the New Year — December 26 to January 1 — enabling African Americans to add Kwanzaa to what they already do or offering them a clear and positive alternative to what everyone else is doing.

The seven symbols include fruits and vegetables to represent the harvest, an African placemat to represent history, a communal cup to represent unity, a candle holder to represent ancestors, seven candles (one black to represent unity, three red to represent struggle, and three green to represent hope), ears of dry corn to represent children, and simple handmade or educational gifts to represent rewards for having lived according to Kwanzaa principles throughout the year.

The seven Kwanzaa principles are unity, self-determination, collective work/responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Each evening, the family gathers to light a new candle and focus together on the day's principle. All the principles work together to strengthen both the family and the African American community.

Anyone who feels stressed by the excesses of Christmas and the New Year can learn from the values emphasized during Kwanzaa. Perhaps in inventing a new tradition, Maulana Karenga has invited all of us to rethink the old.

MORE INFORMATION

OFFICIAL KWANZAA WEB SITE

This Web site includes messages directly from the founder of Kwanzaa, Dr. Maulana Karenga. There’s his Welcome plus eight sections of history and explanations of Kwanzaa practices, answers to Frequently Asked Questions, the text of a speech he delivered when the U.S. Postal Service issued the Kwanzaa commemorative in 1997, and a bookstore/gift shop offering Kwanzaa-related items. It’s the most authoritative of the various Kwanzaa sites that have sprung up on the Web.

HISTORY CHANNEL

Brief and graphically attractive explanation of Kwanzaa, its history, the seven symbols, and the seven principles.