Celebrating Kwanzaa
By Frances Chamberlain

Kwanzaa, a seven-day holiday between Christmas and New Year's Day, has become a part of African-American heritage within the past forty years, not because it's an alternative to traditional holiday celebrations, but rather as another way to celebrate the African heritage of Black people in this country.

Patricia A. Trotman of East Morris remembers Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga, who first conceived and developed the holiday, as a Black activist of the 1960's. "I don't know if he created all of it, but his name comes to mind as the beginning idea," she wrote recently. "I do not believe that all Blacks celebrate, but some do. I light the candles."

Kwanzaa, which can be as simple as lighting seven candles, has turned into a gala affair in the Waterbury neighborhood of Kay Wyrick. She has been a volunteer advisor at Pride Cultural Center in the WOW Neighborhood Council of the North End for 40 years. PRIDE (Preserving Racial Identity Through the Development of Education) will host its annual affair for one evening, pre-Christmas, because Mrs. Wyrick finds that too many families are just not willing to come out for seven nights in a row between Christmas and New Year's. Some of those families will go on to celebrate Kwanzaa in their own homes for the full week, but the neighborhood celebrates together and enjoys a special time before everyone takes their separate path through the holidays.

This year's Kwanzaa at PRIDE will include the Kwanzaa tradition of having each child recite a poem before they are presented with a gift. There will be African dances, African drumming and singers. And there will also be a Soul Dinner, Mrs. Wyrick added, including turkey, fried chicken, collard greens, lots of pork, potato salad, sweet potato pie, peach cobbler with ice cream, pig's feet and cornbread.

"And we make it all ourselves," she proudly added.

Each day of Kwanzaa focuses on Nguzo Saba or the seven principles. It is rooted in the first harvest celebrations practiced in various cultures in Africa. Although it is a spiritual and joyous celebration, it is not based in any religion.

The Nguzo Saba are:

1. Umoja or Unity -- to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.
2. Kujichagulia or Self Determination -- to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.
3. Ujima or Collective Work and Responsibility -- to build and maintain our community together and to make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems, and to solve them together.
4. Ujamaa or Cooperative Economics -- to build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit together from them.
5. Nia or Purpose -- to make as our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
6. Kuumba or Creativity -- to do always as much as we can, in the way that we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than when we inherited it, and
7. Imani or Faith -- to believe with all our hearts in our parents, our teachers, our leaders, our people, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

In a traditional celebration the home is decorated with red, black and green and family and friends gather for drumming, dancing, singing, storytelling and presents. The seven candles, each representing one of the principles of Kwanzaa are red, green and black. A unity cup is passed at the end of the celebration, and everyone makes a ceremonial gesture of drinking from it. This symbolizes unity and harmony in the group.

The children are given presents and the adults call out the name of a favorite heroine or hero and the storytelling begins.

It doesn't matter if the Kwanzaa celebration follows this exact pattern; the purpose is all the same. It unites the people and reinforces a sense of pride.

A popular song, It's Kwanzaa Time, explains it all:

Call your Father!
Call your Mother!
Call your Sister!
Call your Brother!

It's Kwanzaa time. Family time.
It's Kwanzaa time. Family time.

Black people pulling together - Harambee
Trying to make things better - Harambee
Seven days and seven nights
Seven candles we will light
Seven candles we will light
Green is for the land.
Red is for the blood
Black is for the people
Whom we love.

It's Kwanzaa time. Family time.
It's Kwanzaa time. Family time.

The first fruits mean Kwanzaa
We'll say the Nguzo Saba
From Umoja to Imani
Love! Joy! And Harmony!
Love! Joy! And Harmony!
Gather Mkeka!
Gather Kinara!
Gather Kikombe
Gather Mishumaa!

It's Kwanzaa time. Family time.
It's Kwanzaa time. Family time.

Mazao, Muhindi we will take.
Zawadi, the gifts we will make
We'll see you at the Karamu
Habari gani to all of you
Habari gani to all of you.

It's Kwanzaa time. Family time.
It's Kwanzaa time. Family time.

Some of the traditions of Kwanzaa make it a uniquely Black holiday. But the values and goals make it a tradition that almost anyone could relate to, or even embrace as their own. Harambee! Harambee! Harambee!

We are pulling together.
We are pulling together.
We are pulling together.
Oh yes we are.

***

Editor's Note: Frances Chamberlain is a freelance journalist from Connecticut