Kwanzaa

Ok..Like a promised...Kwanzaa! Yay!

So my work at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts--Stalkers stay away--has been holding a "Kwanzaa Celebration" for many years now. Each year the event has grown. The first year we had only about 200 people, and last year we had 1,000. This is proof that our event is the coolest thing around. You should come! We have African dancing, gospel music, art projects for the kids, movies, food, and gifts! It is filled with the spirit of community fun! So...young and old, you should come.

Here is the Link--click on the picture--do it, do it! ^-^:

For those of you in Utah that might not know about Kwanzaa--I am guessing 80% of the population--let me enrich your mind. First of all it has nothing to do with Hanuka. This is a common misconception , because of the similar style of candle holder that is used within a Kwanzaa ceremony. The Kwanzaa candle holder is called Kinara while the Hanuka Candle holder is called Menorah.

MENORAH

KINARA

MENORAH

KINARA

Now that we got that out of the way ^_^.

Kwanzaa was created by Dr. Maulana, a professor. During the 1960's he found that African Americans had a huge disconnect from where they came from--Africa--and wanted to help fill that gap by creating a holiday that would center around African American heritage, and community.

so on 1966 the birth of Kwanzaa came into the world wrapped in the colors of red, green, and yellow.

Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, but is a celebration of African American struggles, history, and preparation for the future. You do not have to be African American to participate in the holiday. You just have to support, and want to learn about, the African American people.

Kwanzaa is celebrated for seven days--Dec 26th-Jan 1st-- Each day there is a different theme in which the family highlights.

Day One: Umoja--Unity
Day Two: Nia--Purpose
Day Three: Kuumba--Creativity
Day Four: Imani--Faith
Day Five: Kujichaguilia--Self Determination
Day Six: Ujima--Collective work and responsibility
Day Seven: Ujamaa--Cooperative economics

In conjunction with the theme of the day, a candle is lit on the Kinara.

To learn more about Kwanzaa you may want to visit ( click the words) these sites below. enjoy!

Documentary: the Black Candle
Book: The Seven Days of Kwanzaa
Book: A world of Holidays : Kwanzaa