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Kawanzaa African American Culture
By Jan Green of Jaz Live Cash Culture
Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning first fruits of the harvest. This holiday was first introduced to African decendants in the USA as an alternative to the traditional Christmas holiday in the mid 60s.
For seven days, December 26th through January 1st, each day is dedicated to one of the following principles, as follows: Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.
Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems, and to solve them together.
Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
Imani (Faith): To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. Kwanzaa bonds all family members for a week long celebraion of the past, present and cultivates the yougest family members ~ the future. Affirmations regarding the seven principals are exchanged; then there is food and fun. This is a great week of celebration because it also includes handmade gifts. This is interesting for hand-made gifts are more precious because of the time and attention to detail of the crafter and it does not matter if the crafter is 2 years old or 99 years of age. |
Umoja
| Kujichagulia
| Ujima
| Ujamaa
| Nia
| Kuumba
| Imani
Kwanzaa
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EXCELLENT intel Jan. Makes me want to study up and learn more. I am a lover of the Old Egyptian Culture and there seems to be a lot of similarities. I sometimes wish I had a time machine, but if I did, I would miss out on what's CURRENTLY happening. Decisions, decisions ... *smiles*
ADDITIONAL FOOTNOTE: Qondio began as Qassia - VERY similar name and feel to Kwanzaa. Coincidence? *smiles*
Good information. I learned a little bit about Kawanzaa a few years ago in a cultural "diversity" course I took, I had of course heard of it, but didn't understand it's purpose etc.
Thank you for sharing Jan. It's always great to learn of other cultures and their principals. When I was a young boy, back in the 40's, hand made gifts were the norm. How soon we forget.
Frederick
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This intel was contributed by JazLive
JazLive
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May, 2012
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