What African Holiday Is Celebrated in December?

Every year in December we see hundreds of nativity scenes and menorahs decorating lawns and religious places of worship, but an African holiday is also celebrated in December to celebrate the Black culture.

Kwanzaa is an African holiday which is celebrated for a week each year starting on December 26 and ending on January 1. Many people have at least heard of Kwanzaa; however, most of them may not know what it is celebrating.

What Is Kwanzaa

Holiday Created in 1966

Kwanzaa is a relatively new holiday, as it was not created until 1966. It was created by Maulana Karenga who said that the purpose was to:

"give Blacks an alternative to the existing holiday and give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society."

As you can see, Kwanzaa does not necessarily have the religious implications of Christianity and Judaism. However, since people are celebrating their heritage, they might also be celebrating their uniquely African religious beliefs. On the other side of the coin, you could have a Christian person from African celebrating both Christmas and Kwanzaa.

Foundations of Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa lasts for seven nights and each one is dedicated to a different principle for which people strive. The principles are:

• Umoja (unity)
• Kujichagulia (self determination)
• Ujima (collective work and responsibility)
• Ujamaa (cooperative economics)
• Nia (purpose)
• Kuumba (creativity)
• Imani (faith)

As you can see, these are some great tenets for all people to live by, regardless of faith or culture.

Celebration of Kwanzaa

There are really several ways in which people celebrate the holiday.

In the beginning of Kwanzaa's history, people avoided mixing this secular celebration with the religious holidays; however, people now see it as a change to celebrate both their religious beliefs and cultural practices during the same time.

Whether you or someone you know celebrates Kwanzaa with or without religion, here are some of the practices in which you might participate:

• Passing around a drink in a shared cup
• Wearing kente and kaftans
• Decorating the house with art
• Decorating the house with bowls of fresh fruit
• Children giving thanks and gratitude to their ancestors
• Drumming and other music
• Reading of the African Pledge
• Reading of the Principles of Blackness
• Discussion of the principle of the day
• Readings
• Reflections
• Candle lighting
• Performances
• Feasting known as "Karamu"

If you do not celebrate Kwanzaa, maybe you are thinking about starting to do so. Certainly you can begin by adding some or all of these elements to your holiday.

If you are not African American, you can still celebrate this holiday. Think about the principles of the celebration. They are based around ideals that anyone can believe in, so you might want to celebrate in honor of those reasons.