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This African American and pan-African holiday is not religious -- it's a cultural holiday patterned after traditional African harvest festivals. Kwanzaa was invented in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chair of the Department of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach. In the midst of the Black Freedom Movement and social upheavals of the '60s, Dr. Karenga strove to reaffirm and preserve African American culture and strengthen African American families and communities through this holiday. The word "kwanzaa" comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," meaning
"first fruits." Dr. Karenga studied first-fruits celebrations throughout African history and gathered common elements and symbols. Kwanzaa begins on December 26 and ends with a communal feast called the Karamu on January 1. Each day is dedicated to one of seven principles that Dr. Karenga believes are basic to African communities. These essential values are called the Nguzo Saba, and they are Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith). A typical Kwanzaa celebration
is a family gathering each night of the holiday. The main activity is lighting a candle for that day's principle in the kinara, seven-branched candelabra. This is accompanied by discussion of the principle's meaning and its application in people's lives. The night's celebration may include prayer, singing, dancing, and story-telling, all of which are centered around the Nguzo Saba for the day. People might also read aloud from the works of African American authors. A communal drink from a unity cup, along with a toast to the ancestors, caps the evening. On either the final day or during each night, children are given small gifts that relate to education and cultural heritage. Unlike many holiday celebrations, gifts are
not the point of Kwanzaa. The focus is on what it means to be African and human.
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