By Marina Pitofsky, USA Today | The end of the year brings many holiday traditions and gatherings with loved ones. Some families are already lighting their menorah or spinning a dreidel to celebrate Hanukkah. Some are decorating the Christmas tree and hanging stockings. And some might be preparing to light candles on a kinara during Kwanzaa.
The name Kwanzaa comes from a phrase matunda ya kwanza, which means “first fruits” in Swahili. Though it was started in the United States, the holiday has links to harvest festivals in Africa and communities around the world.
When does Kwanzaa start?
Kwanzaa is an annual 7-day holiday that begins on Monday and ends on Jan. 1.
What is Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa is an “African American celebration that highlights the culture of the entire African diaspora and gives the community a chance to come together to reflect upon important values,” Kelly E. Navies, a museum specialist in oral history at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, told USA TODAY.
There is no specific religion associated with Kwanzaa, so people can celebrate Christmas or other holidays and practice Kwanzaa. That “allows it to unify people rather than divide on religious belief,” Navies explained.
“I know people from all faiths who practice Kwanzaa, and that’s what makes it special,” she said. “It’s a unifying holiday.”
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Other questions answers:
Why is Kwanzaa celebrated?
What do the seven days of Kwanzaa mean? What is a kinara?
The seven principles of Kwanzaa include . . .
How do you greet someone celebrating Kwanzaa?
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Read the full article here:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/chance-come-together-kwanzaa-holiday-080503549.html
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is Kwanzaa? What is Kwanzaa? What to know about the holiday. Contributing: N’dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY; Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal; Abbey Marshall, Akron Beacon Journal
Photo: Kwanzaa candles – kinara
Nesnad – drawn in inkscape (based on public domain image
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa#/media/File:Kwanzaa_Candles-Kinara.svg
‘A chance to come together’: What is Kwanzaa, and When is the Holiday Celebrated? What to Know
