What Is Kwanzaa? And How to Celebrate

The seven-day festival of Kwanzaa, which celebrates African-American heritage and culture, starts on Wednesday and ends on New Year's Day. Here are some facts about the weeklong holiday.

• Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, now Chair of California State University, Long Beach's Department of Africana Studies, in what he called "an audacious act of self-determination."
• The name "Kwanzaa" comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," which means "first fruits."
• Kwanzaa's focus is the "Nguzo Saba," or the Seven Principles—unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.
• During the week, a candelabrum called a Kinara is lit, and ears of corn representing each child in the family are placed on a traditional straw mat.
• African foods such as millet, spiced pepper balls and rice are often served. Some people fast during the holiday, and a feast is often held on its final night.
• A flag with three bars—red for the struggle for freedom, black for unity and green for the future—is sometimes displayed during the holiday.
• Kwanzaa is based on the theory of Kawaida, which espouses that social revolutionary change for black America can be achieved by exposing blacks to their cultural heritage.
• A poll commissioned by the National Retail Federation and conducted by BIG Research from Oct. 4 to 11 found that 2 percent of the 8,585 adults surveyed said that they would celebrate Kwanzaa, compared to 90.5 percent who celebrate Christmas and 5.4 percent who celebrate Hanukkah.

This list was compiled with information from City News Service and appeared on the Cerritos-Artesia Patch.

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