Culture : Kwanzaa : African-American culture and heritage
I have grown used to white women following this blog, though I never expected it initially – my target audience was, after all, young Indians. An even bigger surprise was to find a black woman following this blog. And on her blog I found a culture that I did not know about before. She says, ”Kwanzaa celebrates African-American culture and heritage. Seven days of principles that are inspiring, filled with positivism and imagination.”
Source for Image below : http://thoughtprocessseven.com/2011/12/26/first-day-of-kwanzaa/first-day-of-kwanzza/
Just as Makara Sankranthi celebrations are tied to our winter solstice harvest festival, so also Kwanzaa has roots in an African harvest festival close to the winter solstice.
“A non-religious holiday, Kwanzaa celebrates African-American heritage, pride, community, family, and culture. The History of Kwanzaa A non-religious holiday, Kwanzaa celebrates African-American heritage, pride, community, family, and culture. The seven-day festival commences the day after Christmas and culminates on New Year’s Day. Inspired by the civil rights struggles of the 1960s and based on ancient African celebrations, Kwanzaa has become increasingly popular over the last decade. More than 20 million people celebrate in the United States, Canada, England, the Carribean and Africa. Kwanzaa’s ancient roots lie in African first-fruit harvest celebrations, from which it takes its name. The word Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits.” Source
