If you’ve never experienced a Kwanzaa celebration, the Virgin Islands community is an inspiring place to be initiated in to the culture. From the music, the messages, the creativity and cooperation amongst celebrants, the week-long holiday is a great opportunity to be immersed into African Caribbean and African American culture.
Watch the News TV2 video (at 9 minutes in) to learn about this season’s remaining Kwanzaa community activities:
TODAY – 12 noon at Bordeaux Farmers Market with WE GROW FOOD, INC. during their Las Sunday Farmers Market which starts at 10 am
TOMORROW (DEC 31) – Sunrise & Sunset Community Yoga on Brewers Beach (Get there before sunrise and sunset to do or witness the 7 sun salutations)
JAN 1st – 2pm Community Potluck on Brewers Beach https://www.facebook.com/News2vi/videos/762643364072842/
DECEMBER
-26th 2pm at the Franklin Powell Park, St. John | ALPHA Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Sigma Theta Omega Chapter (only event not on St. Thomas)
-WED 26th 6pm at Wesley Methodist Church Educational Complex in Tutu (East), St. Thomas | African Diaspora Youth Development Foundation, Inc.
-THU 27th 6pm at Arian’s Restaurant (Subbase)
-FRI 28th 6:30pm in Tillett Gardens | Lovelivinvi: music, poetry, live performances & more
-SAT 22nd/29th Radio Shows (WSTA 2-4pm, WUVI 5pm)
-SUN 30th at Kwanzaa Run UVI Track not happening this year
-MON 31st at Brewers Beach Community Yoga (sunrise/sunset)
JANUARY
-TUE 1st at Brewers Beach (midday/early afternoon – sundown)
After the storms (#IrMaria), Kwanzaa activities were held in 2017, now in 2018, I think many of us are still a little tired, but being constantly reminded of the need for cultural education and preservation, activities are already being planned for next year.
Kwanzaa History
Kwanzaa (/ˈkwɑːn.zə/) is a celebration held in the United States and in other nations of the African diaspora in the Americas and lasts a week. The celebration honors African heritage in African-American culture and is observed from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a feast and gift-giving.[1] Kwanzaa has seven core principles (Nguzo Saba). It was created by Maulana Karenga and was first celebrated in 1966–67.
Principles
Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the following principles, as follows:[12]
- Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
- Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves.
- Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems and to solve them together.
- Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
- Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
- Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
- Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
Developed in 1965, a year before Kwanzaa itself, Kwanzaa celebrates the seven principles of Kwanzaa, or Nguzo Saba (originally Nguzu Saba—the seven principles of African Heritage), which Karenga said “is a communitarian African philosophy,” consisting of what Karenga called “the best of African thought and practice in constant exchange with the world.”
Kwanzaa celebratory symbols include a mat (Mkeka) on which other symbols are placed: a Kinara (candle holder), Mishumaa Saba (seven candles), mazao (crops), Muhindi (corn), a Kikombe cha Umoja (unity cup) for commemorating and giving shukrani (thanks) to African Ancestors, and Zawadi (gifts). Supplemental representations include a Nguzo Saba poster,[13] the black, red, and green bendera (flag), and African books and artworks – all to represent values and concepts reflective of African culture and contribution to community building and reinforcement.[14] Corn is the primary symbol for both decoration and celebratory dining.
Families celebrating Kwanzaa decorate their households with objects of art, colorful African cloth such as kente, especially the wearing of kaftans by women, and fresh fruits that represent African idealism. It is customary to include children in Kwanzaa ceremonies and to give respect and gratitude to ancestors. Libations are shared, generally with a common chalice, Kikombe cha Umoja, passed around to all celebrants. Non-African Americans also celebrate Kwanzaa.[15] The holiday greeting is “Joyous Kwanzaa”.[16][17][18]
CEREMONIES
A Kwanzaa ceremony may include drumming and musical selections, libations, a reading of the African Pledge and the Principles of Blackness, reflection on the Pan-African colors, a discussion of the African principle of the day or a chapter in African history, a candle-lighting ritual, artistic performance, and, finally, a feast (karamu). The greeting for each day of Kwanzaa is Habari Gani?[19] which is Swahili for “How are you?”[20]
MIXING WITH OTHER HOLIDAYS
At first, observers of Kwanzaa avoided the mixing of the holiday or its symbols, values, and practice with other holidays, as doing so would violate the principle of kujichagulia (self-determination) and thus violate the integrity of the holiday, which is partially intended as a reclamation of important African values. Today, many African American families celebrate Kwanzaa along with Christmas and New Year’s.[21] Frequently, both Christmas trees and kinaras, the traditional candle holder symbolic of African American roots, share space in Kwanzaa-celebrating households. For people who celebrate both holidays, Kwanzaa is an opportunity to incorporate elements of their particular ethnic heritage into holiday observances and celebrations of Christmas.
Leading up to Kwanzaa, we teach in the schools, showing The Black Candle film by M. K. Asante, Jr. along with drumming, and other interactive games, conversations etc. Details, pictures & video to be updated on: https://www.daramonifah.com/2018/12/12/kwanzaa-eve-usvi-2018/
I personally celebrate Kwanzaa, but you don’t have to celebrate Xmas to appreciate Virgin Islands traditions. As a musician, and someone very concerned with the preservation of our culture, I understand that religion is a BIG part of VI culture. Look for the positive within everything; it’s there, just open your eyes. I don’t try to stop them, I just also invite them to directly celebrate our culture by inviting them to Kwanzaa events. I have absolutely no expectations of the same in return. There are many who just won’t accept, but it’s ok. Happy Holidays to all anyway.
Sources
http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa
