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Kwanzaa
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Kwanzaa is a 7 day African-American celebration that begins on December 26. This holiday was created in 1966 in the United States by Maulana Karenga. Kwanzaa combines traditional African practices with African American goals and ideals. The word Kwanzaa means first fruits in Swahili. Kwanzaa centers on 7 principals with one principal being celebrated each day. Each night a candle is lit in a Kinara.
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Kwanzaa, pronounced KWAHN zuh, is an Afro-American holiday based on the traditional African festival of the harvest of the first crops. Celebrated around the world by millions of people of African descent, the week-long holiday of Kwanzaa was developed by the American scholar, a professor of Pan-African studies, black cultural leader and activist. Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966. It takes place from December 26 to January 1, a time that some African cultures called "the edges of the time when the year meet" and is traditionally spent in celebration, focus and assessment. The word Kwanzaa, sometimes , spelled Kwanza and means "first fruits of harvest" in Swahili. It combines traditional African practices with Afro-American aspirations and ideals.
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Each Kwanzaa table has a centerpiece. On each centerpiece there are muhindi (... vibunzi), ears of corn, one for each child in the family who is still at home. If there are no children in the family, there is a single ear to remind the celebrants that, in the words of the proverb, "it takes a village to raise a child." The kikombe cha umoja, the chalice of unity, is the cup that is passed around or from which the ceremonial libation is poured. Finally, there are the zawadi, gifts, which should be educational and emphasize growth and self-knowledge.
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Kwanzaa has seven basic symbols and two supplemental ones. Each represents values and concepts reflective of African culture and contributive to community building and reinforcement. The basic symbols in Swahili and then in English are:
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On the day after Christmas 1966 the Swahili word Kwanzaa entered the English language. It is possible to be so precise because Kwanzaa was no casual borrowing. Instead, it was a well-publicized adoption of a foreign word to designate a new cultural invention: a celebration of African American people, heritage, struggles, and hopes. Not a religious holiday and not intended to compete with Christmas, Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 through January 1. Its inventor, Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga, based Kwanzaa on African harvest celebrations. The name comes from Swahili matunda ya kwanzaa, meaning "first fruits."
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In 1966 Kwanzaa became the first African-American holiday. Its founder, Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga, believed that African Americans needed a holiday that celebrated their roots from Africa and their future in America. Kwanzaa, is a seven day celebration from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, established to coincide with harvest time in Africa. It is intended to bond African Americans together and encourage the practice of seven principles for meaningful living.
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