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Kwame Osei is an Afrikan Historian
and Director of East Midlands African-Caribbean Arts (EMACA). He explains what Kwanzaa is all about.
Is Kwanzaa a Black Christmas?
That is the first question one is always asked
in reference to celebrating Kwanzaa.
Kwanzaa is not a Black Christmas 鈥 Kwanzaa is a festival based on a
variety of Afrikan traditions and culture that celebrate and represents
the family as a unit and the community as a whole.
The word Kwanzaa is derived from the Kiswahili Matunda Ya Kwanzaa
meaning 鈥榯he celebration of the first fruits鈥.
The concept is to celebrate Afrikan racial and cultural pride and self-
affirmation based on Afrikan values and belief systems and is observed
for seven days between December 26th to January 1st.
Although Kwanzaa is very close to Christmas it is not a substitute nor is
it the equivalent of Christmas.
It is celebrated at this time because it
coincides with the reaping of crops and harvest celebration in Afrika. Its relative closeness to Christmas is just sheer coincidence.
There are seven principles known as the Nguzosaba that are associated
with Kwanzaa.
December 26th
Umoja - Unity |
December 27th
Kujichagulia - Self-determination |
December 28th
Ujimmaa - Collective work and responsibility |
December 29th
Ujammaa - Co-operative Economics |
December 30th
Nia - Purpose |
December 31st
Kuumba - Creativity |
January 1st
Imani - Faith |
What Kwanzaa means to me
Kwanzaa is important to me because it reaffirms my identity, culture and
heritage as an Afrikan person residing in the UK.
It is also important
because it allows the family and community to come together, which
symbolises oneness, togetherness and unity 鈥 the foundation of
nationhood.
It is also important as it enables me to pause and reflect to see how
well I have applied the aforementioned principles in my life during the
course of the year and to identify areas of improvement for applying
these principles.
Kwanzaa is a significant event in our calendar because it affords the
opportunity for the Afrikan community in England/Nottingham to celebrate
an occasion that is poignant to our cultural heritage, value and belief
systems.
It allows the community as a whole to reflect and focus on
the sacrifices made by our ancestors in order for the current generation
to enjoy the life they have today and to ensure that future generations
never forget those sacrifices as eloquently expressed in the Afrikan
adage 鈥淚 am because we are鈥.
Kwanzaa also allows us to celebrate the achievements of our ancestors and
to use this as a basis to ensure that we, the current generation, learn
from these achievements in order that future generations can have a
brighter and prosperous future.
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| Kwame Osei is proud of the lasting traditions of Kwanzaa |
Personal memories
My fondest memory of Kwanzaa's gone by was when I was a child growing up
in Afrika.
Back home, Kwanzaa is a big thing and all the family,
including extended family, makes every effort to ensure they are there
for the duration of the festival.
Apart from the climate, celebrating Kwanzaa in Afrika is very special
indeed 鈥 maybe it's the whole ambience that is Afrika!
On one Kwanzaa,
I used the principle of Kuumba (creativity) to good effect by preparing a
meal for my parents and extended family, which they enjoyed immensely and
I was extremely proud that I had accomplished such a feat.
Another profound memory of Kwanzaa's gone by was listening intently to
the stories and parables that the elders spoke of.
Not only were the
messages in these parables symbolic but also one acquired a degree of
wisdom and knowledge that one could apply in their own lives and this
value system has remained with me so that when I have children I will be
able to impart that wisdom and knowledge to them for their betterment.
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