IGNIS Young Reporter
Kwanzaa, another winter holiday around the
time of the solstice, is observed by West Africans
in the USA, beginning on December 26th and
ending on January 1st. It was created in 1966 as
a celebration of family, community and culture
and is celebrated with flags, music and candles
culminating in a feast and gift giving. Its name
means ‘first fruits’ in Swahili (the most widely
spoken pan-African language) which refers to the
ancient first fruits tradition of a religious off ering
of the first agricultural produce of the harvest.
Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, open to all religions
and builds on the five core activities of the first
fruit celebrations:
➽ Ingathering of the people
➽ Reverence for God
➽ Commemoration of the past
➽ Celebration of all things good
(i.e. existence itself, family and the
divine, natural and social)
These activities then promote the seven
principles of African heritage:
➽ Umoja (unity)
➽ Kujichagulia (self-determination)
➽ Ujima (collective work and
responsibility)
➽ Ujamaa (cooperative economics)
➽ Nia (purpose)
➽ Kuumba (creativity)
➽ Imani (faith)
➽ Recommitment to cultural ideals
IGNIS
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