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Kwanzaa: Principles
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Kwanzaa is a cultural celebration to help African-Americans remember their heritage. It is ... a time of joy and sharing. The goal of Kwanzaa is to put the 7 principles into practice in their daily lives. During this week long celebration, families get together and reflect on cultural values. It is a time for reflection, joy and making promises for a better year. The African-Americans wear traditional clothing-a dashiki for the men (a shirt) and dresses for the women adorned with beautiful beads.
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Kwanzaa is a 7-day celebration of Pan African and African American culture that takes place each year from December 26 to January 1. Modeled after the ancient African "first fruits" harvest celebrations, Kwanzaa is centered around 7 principles and celebrates Black family, community, and culture. Kwanzaa developed out of the social and political changes of the 1960s and was first celebrated in Los Angeles in December of 1966.
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At first, observers of Kwanzaa eschewed the mixing of the holiday or its symbols, values and practice with other holidays. They felt that doing so would violate the principle of kujichagulia (self-determination) and ... violate the integrity of the holiday, which is partially intended as a reclamation of important African values. Today, many African-American families celebrate Kwanzaa along with Christmas and New Year's. Frequently, both Christmas trees and kinaras, the traditional candle holder symbolic of African-American roots, share space in kwanzaa celebrating households. To them, Kwanzaa is an opportunity to incorporate elements of their particular ethnic heritage into holiday observances and celebrations of Christmas.
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Each day of Kwanzaa focuses on one of the seven principles, known as Nguzo Saba. Activities and discussions center around the principle of the day and a candle is lit on the kinara. Often an adult will greet a child with the Swahili question, "Habri gani?" meaning "What’s the news?" the child then responds with the name of the principle for the day.
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Kwanzaa is represented by seven symbols. All seven symbols are put on a straw mat. The celebrants use the unity cup to pour libations for the ancestors, and they drink from it to reinforce unity in the family and community. The 7 candles in a kinara (candleholder) are lit alternately from left to right. In the evening, family members light one of the seven candles in a kinara (candleholder) and discuss the principle for the day. On the first night, the black candle in the center, symbolizing the black people, is lit; on the second night, the black one and the first candle to its left, a red one, symbolizing their struggle; on the third night, the first two and the green one to the right of the black one, which symbolizes the future and hope which comes from the struggle; and so on each night, alternating left to right.
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Kwanzaa is celebrated through rituals, dialogue, narratives, poetry, dancing, singing, drumming and other music, and feasting. A central practice is the lighting of the mishumaa (seven candles) of Kwanzaa. A candle is lit each day for each of the Nguzo Saba (Seven Principles). These principles are umoja (unity); kujichagulia (self-determination); ujima (collective work and responsibility); ujamaa (cooperative economics); nia (purpose); kuumba (creativity); and imani (faith). Kwanzaa ends with a day of assessment on which celebrants raise and answer questions of cultural and moral grounding and consider their worthiness in family, community, and culture.
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