Kwanzaa is not just a holiday. It is the culture of an African Diaspora, the will to remember. It can be represented in three shades by the flag of Kwanzaa whose stripes of black, red and green root themselves in the honorary color bestowed upon the African American world by Marcus Carvey, the Pen African Philosopher root though to Rastafarians as the redeemer then it one who was successful movements of African American descent, The Back to Africa Movement.
As with the colors, black stands for pride, red for struggle and green for future full of growth and promise.
Kwanzaa is a Pan-African tribute to the civil rights movement on the 1960’s. Kwanzaa was created to introduce the marine force in Nguzo Saba or seven principles claim from successful African agricultural communities, this according to Dr. Maulana Karenga, the founder of Kwanzaa.
These seven principles are unity, self determination, collective work, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. Each of seven days is supposed to represents symbolically one of those seven principles.
Kwanzaa also has seven basic symbols, props, a straw mat, a candle holder known as the kinara, years of corn and seven candles, the unity cup and the gifts.
Celebration proceeds as following, first the straw mat is placed down on the table on top of which is the kinara or candle holder, seven candles are placed in the kinara, one black candle, three red and three green candles. The order of the candles is essential and they are lit from left to right. Although the black candle, mediator between red and green is lit on the first day of celebration.
According to Dr. Karenga, these procedures to indicate that the people come first then the struggle and then the hope that comes from struggle. African art objects, the books on life and the culture of African people are place on the mat because education comes first and foremost to celebrate there is a Kwanzaa.
Kwanzaa was not intended to replace Christmas, in many African-American families celebrate both holidays. Writes carol and beach of slit magazine, the holiday is celebrated from December 26 to January 1st. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the swahili phrase Matunda Ya Kwanzaa or first fruits of the harvest.
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