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Kwanzaa History and Facts
Kwanzaa is a festival celebrated by the African American communities to relive their traditional values. Some people consider this festival to be a substitute for Christmas, which is a misconception. This festival is the time to celebrate the values of family, community, responsibility, commerce as well as self improvement. The word Kwanzaa means “The First Fruit of The Harvest.” This festival has gained a lot of acceptance from the people throughout US.
The festival, Kwanzaa, was founded in the year 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga. In one of the most famous newspapers, New York Times, it is being reported that there are about 18 million people throughout the world who celebrate this amazing event. Kwanzaa is based on the seven principles and is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st. The seven principles that are observed through the seven days include Unity, Self Determination, Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity and Focus.
Kwanzaa is not only a festival, it is a way of sharing an understanding as to how we can live as a strong close bonded society where we care and share our feelings and understand each other in an intelligent way. In order to celebrate Kwanzaa, it is important that you start working on in the first week of December. For the party arrangements, you will need a Kinara, which is a candle holder to hold seven candles that represent the seven principles, Mikekaw, which is a mat made of straw, Mazao, which means fruits and vegetables, and Zawadi, which are gifts. Kwanzaa is a must to celebrate by all to share happiness.
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