What is Kwanzaa? In order to answer this question, I might as well quote [1] the description of the You Tube video of the same name, which you can see further below.
“The celebrations of Kwanzaa are relatively recent. The holiday was founded by Dr. Malauna Karenga in 1966 as an African equivalent to Christmas and Hanukkah. There are many different reasons for celebration incorporated into this holiday. Reconnecting to life, community, and culture are a large part of what this holiday embodies. Freedom, justice, and equality also play an enormous role in the meaning behind the festivities. The holiday lasts one week and is celebrated between December 26th and January 1st. The actual celebrations include lighting candles on the kinara [2], feasts, gift giving, and traditional African dress. The central meaning behind Kwanzaa is to reconnect to ones African roots and meditate on the world and the joys of life. Appropriately the official greeting of this festive holiday is Joyous Kwanzaa.”
The kinara, the festival candelabra, holds seven candles, one for each night of Kwanzaa. Each candle symbolizes a different principle. They are unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Below is a song about the first night of Kwanzaa, called Umoja, which means unity in the Swahili language. The video has subtitles, so you can follow along.
[1] bien podría citar, [2] candelabro especial por esta fiesta.
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