Monday, December 26, 2016

Kwanzaa

WORD OF THE DAY

Kwanzaa \ KWAHN-zuh \ noun

Definition
: an African-American cultural festival held from December 26 to January 1

Examples
A joyous family spirit pervaded the Allen family's Kwanzaa celebration as three generations came together for a delightful meal and a beautiful candle-lighting ceremony.

"The dynamic, multicultural Forces of Nature Dance Company celebrates Kwanzaa with dance, music, drumming and audience-engaging activities."
— Jill Schensul, NorthJersey.com, 21 Nov. 2016

Did You Know?
In 1966, Maulana Karenga, a Black Studies professor at California State University at Long Beach, created a new holiday patterned after traditional African harvest festivals. He called it Kwanzaa, a name he took from a Swahili term that means "first fruits."
The holiday, which takes place from December 26th to January 1st, was originally intended as a nonreligious celebration of family and social values. Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

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