~ December Issue ~
 

KWANZAA
By James Chow, Staff Writer

        A celebration of family, community, and culture defines a Swahili saying "matunda ya kwanzaa" otherwise known as Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is a non religious holiday that was created by a Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University Long Beach in 1966. He created this holiday one year after the Watts riots in 1965 as a way to bring the African-American communities together.
        After the riots Dr. Maulana Karenga soon founded several organizations that researched "fresh fruit" or harvest festivals. The organizations and Maulana put together several different tribes' harvest celebrations, such as those of the Ashanti and those of the Zulu, to form the basis of Kwanzaa.
        The end result is a holiday that lasts a week long and is celebrated December 26 through January 1. The holiday is celebrated differently by each family but most include celebrations often include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading, and a large traditional meal that includes peanut soup, pumpkin stew and Hoppin John. On every night the children of the family light a candle on the Kinara (candleholder), similer to Chanukah. Followed by the seven principles: 

Mazao: Fruits, Nuts, and Vegetables, which symbolizes the work and the harvest is the basis of the holiday.

Mkeka: Place Mat, The mkeka, made from straw or cloth and comes directly from Africa and expresses the history, culture, and tradition of Africa.  

Vibunzi: Ear of Corn, the corn represents fertility and that through reproduction the family will prosper. 

Mishumaa Saba: The Seven Candles, represents the sun's power, the candles colors are three red, three green, and one black, one is lit each of the seven days.

Kinara: The Candleholder, is the center of the Kwanzaa setting and represents the original stalk from which we came. 

Kikombe Cha Umoja: The Unity Cup, is a special cup that is used to perform the libation (tambiko) ritual during the Karamu feast on the sixth day of Kwanzaa. 

Zawadi: Gifts, is given the seventh day to promote self determination and achievement.  

        Kwanzaa is topped off with a exchanging of the gifts and a lighting of the final candle among the children to bring together the family in a festive time of year.