and a big feast. Although the holiday is a joyful one it also incorporates several important traditions and symbols that people expand their cultural identity and strengthen relationships with loved ones and communities. To understand what makes Kwanzaa such a meaningful holiday learn more about how it started and how people celebrate today.What Is the History of Kwanzaa?Kwanzaa was officially created in 1966. During the 1960s Dr. Maulana Karenga an activist and professor at California State University Long Beach wanted to come up with new ways for.
Black people to celebrate African heritage and culture and come together as a Belize WhatsApp Number community. Dr. Karenga also wanted to create a non-religious holiday that people of all faiths and those who didn’t follow any religion could enjoy together during the winter season.Photo Courtesy Cultura Creativestock.adobeTo get started he began researching traditional African holidays and learned about First Fruits festivals. In some areas in Southern Africa people celebrated the first farming harvest of the season with feasts offerings and ceremonies.
First Fruits festivals ed draw communities together to celebrate a successful planting season and the efforts of everyone involved. Dr. Karenga decided to model the new holiday after these festivals. He named it Kwanzaa after the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in the Swahili language. Every year Kwanzaa takes place from December 26 to January 1.How Do People Celebrate Kwanzaa?Different families celebrate Kwanzaa in their own unique ways but many people gather to exchange gifts and enjoy meals together. It’s also common for groups to read stories and poems sing songs and play African drums. On each of the seven nights people.