Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Our Blackness
December 26th - January 1st As an African American, I have never actually celebrated Kwanzaa, and damnit, I have been missing out! With so many members of the black community coming together this year to fight injustices and stand up for the rights of all, I made a vow to learn more about this holiday and participate in a historical, yearly celebration of my heritage. So, of course, I decided to share the background on my blog as a step (trying to cross off my Kujichagulia and Kuumba...see below) . Kwanzaa is a holiday that honors our African heritage (here in the US, and across the world) with a week-long celebration after Christmas. The name " Kwa n zaa " is derived from the Swahili phrase " matunda ya kwanza ", meaning "first fruits". This represents the origination of the celebration as the first harvest to the home, celebrating the bonding, appreciation, gifts, and values of our people. The holiday consists of: The Seven Principles (The N...