The Pan-African and African American holiday, Kwanzaa, is the celebration of family, community, and culture. In addition, this cultural holiday established in 1965 by Dr. Maulana Karenge, a dominant figure in the Black Power Movement, with the ambition of delivering African Americans with a gateway to their ancestral heritage. The aspiration of this holiday target was to bring together African Americans as a community through combinations of several perspectives from other celebrations such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and African Yam Festivals. Since Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, not religion based, it’s celebrated by any African from all religious settings.
The name “Kwanzaa” inferred from Matunda ya Kwanza, which translates first fruits in Swahili. The customs in Kwanzaa based on the Ashanti and Zulu traditions of first fruits harvest celebration. During the Kwanzaa celebration, seven principles known as Nguzo Saba recognized each day. These comprise the term unity (Umoja), self-determination (Kujichagula), collective work and responsibility (Ujima), economics (Ujamaa), …show more content…
Although, not all African Americans and Pan-Africans celebrate this holiday and should celebrate it for their own desire to do so. African Americans and Pan-Africans shouldn’t have to celebrate it because it’s a nonreligious African holiday but, should celebrate it because they want to. Being an African American isn’t the same as being African, where Africans physically lived in Africa and born there were stripped of their religion, heritage, and language due to slavery and colonialism. African Americans, on the other hand, are basically being a descendant of the Africans probably aren’t going to appreciate the holiday as much of the Africans. Though, African Americans may use the holiday to comprehend or to experience how the Africans way of
The name “Kwanzaa” inferred from Matunda ya Kwanza, which translates first fruits in Swahili. The customs in Kwanzaa based on the Ashanti and Zulu traditions of first fruits harvest celebration. During the Kwanzaa celebration, seven principles known as Nguzo Saba recognized each day. These comprise the term unity (Umoja), self-determination (Kujichagula), collective work and responsibility (Ujima), economics (Ujamaa), …show more content…
Although, not all African Americans and Pan-Africans celebrate this holiday and should celebrate it for their own desire to do so. African Americans and Pan-Africans shouldn’t have to celebrate it because it’s a nonreligious African holiday but, should celebrate it because they want to. Being an African American isn’t the same as being African, where Africans physically lived in Africa and born there were stripped of their religion, heritage, and language due to slavery and colonialism. African Americans, on the other hand, are basically being a descendant of the Africans probably aren’t going to appreciate the holiday as much of the Africans. Though, African Americans may use the holiday to comprehend or to experience how the Africans way of