The Origins of Kwanzaa

• Kwanzaa is an African American holiday celebrated from December 26-January 1.



• It was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga.



• Kwanzaa is based on the agricultural celebrations that take place throughout Africa...these are times of harvest, reverence for the earth and ancestors, commemoration, recommitment and celebration.



• Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili phrase 'matunda ya kwanza' which means first fruits.



• Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, not a religious one, making it available to all Africans throughout the world of all religous beliefs.

The greeting during Kwanzaa is "habari gani?" which translates to "what's going on?". The response is the principle for that day.  Today is the first day of Kwanzaa and so the response would be "umoja" which means unity.  I suspect that Dr. Karenga selected Swahili (a creole language) because it is the one language on the continent that crosses borders and ethnic groups and unites the largest body of African people to communicate.

Mo put Seven Principles by Steve Cobb & Chavunduka in the cd player.  I've had this cd at least 10 years so my kids have pretty much grown up with this cd marking the beginning of Kwanzaa.  I play it sometimes during the year to give me a lift as the music and the lyrics are awesome!!!!!!!!

I love Christmas music and its just not Christmas without hearing the bluesy "Merry Christmas, Baby" or the Temptations singing Silent Night or Louis Armstrong's reading of The Night Before Christmas.  But when I want to get my Christmas groove going I pop in The Sounds of Blackness' The Night Before Christmas: A Musical Fantasy.  The songs on this cd are not the sappy sentimental type but more along the lines of keeping it real.  From the woman who catches Santa in the middle of the night in her house and how dangerous it is to be sneaking into people's homes in the middle of the night to the reindeer who didn't get chosen to guide the sleigh and just what they think of Rudolph.

This is the first year we didn't buy a new Christmas cd...I don't think we have Diane Reeves' Handel's Messiah-A Soulful Christmas.  I'll plan on picking this up in the next few days...maybe this will give me the needed incentive to return to the dreaded mall for the returns we have to make.

word for today is "umoja"...have a discussion with your friends and family about what you do that strives for or helps to maintain unity in your family, community, and/or nation.  Read a speech or a brief bio of an African American that you believe whose contributions helped to bring about unity...have fun and enjoy!