Anyone actually celebrate Kwanzaa?
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Anonymous
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"the Seven Principles of Blackness"
Please, child. |
Anonymous
If you don't believe me, look it up yourself. |
Anonymous
They used to call it the Seven Principles of Blackness. Now they call it the Seven Basic Values of African Culture. No, it's not a religion but it's a religious celebration. |
Anonymous
OK - I looked it up, and you're right on the Seven Principles of Blackness (but that still sounds pretty stupid). But it is not a religious celebration - it's more an observance of values/principles, but there's no diety or faith involved. From the founder: "Kwanzaa was not created to give people an alternative to their own religion or religious holiday. And it is not an alternative to people's religion or faith but a common ground of African culture...Kwanzaa is not a reaction or substitute for anything. In fact, it offers a clear and self-conscious option, opportunity, and chance to make a proactive choice, a self-affirming and positive choice as distinct from a reactive one." I'm not sure what that exactly means and apparently, he has changed the "purpose" of the holiday over the years since it's inception. Personally, I think that if Kwanzaa stopped being grouped together with Christmas/Hannukah by the media, it would die a silent death. |
Anonymous
My husband works with a white woman who told him the other day (out of the blue, he did not ask) that she is "inclusive" and celebrates Christmas, Hanukkah (she's not Jewish), and Kwanzaa. Then she said that she had to look up the dates for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa this year. He told her that Hanukkah is OVER and that he thought Kwanzaa is on the same days every year. She changed the subject. HAHAHAHAHA! |
Anonymous
He was convicted of torturing a woman in his group and then people celebrate he invented? That is pretty sick. |
Anonymous
| I am Black and do not celebrate Kwanzaa and have only known one family who did. Yes, it is a loser holiday. I wouldn't get angry if someone asked me about it but I would be a little annoyed. I mean, come on, Blackness and pseudo-African principles are not the center of my life. The community tolerates and encourages the treatment of women as second-class citizens, IMHO, so I am not tempted to get delve deeper into communal values. |
Anonymous
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One family I know does a great Kwanzaa celebration every year. They pick one of the seven principles and discuss it for a quick bit, then everyone goes around the room to mention something connected to that principle or someone they want remembered in the ceremony. A father and daughter go through a small ritual of water and/or fire (like lighting a candle), which is very sweet. It reminds me of the eldest boy reading at a seder. Then, everybody eats. It's a large potluck.
Thanksgiving in our house was never about Pilgrims and Indians, it was an opportunity to express gratitude for whatever came our way that year----a good grade, a new friend... I think the way this family organized Kwanzaa celebrations accomplished this as well. |
Anonymous
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"I think the way this family organized Kwanzaa celebrations accomplished this as well. "
How much did this family know about the guy who made it up? |
Anonymous
| I'm black and I only know one person who celebrates it. I think it's silly and the fact that it was started by Ron Karenga, who has a pretty shady past, doesn't help much. But I never know what to say when well-meaning co-workers give me Kwaanza cards. Usually I just say "thanks" which I think is the gracious thing to do. While I applaud any effort to connect African Americans with Africa, this one just strikes me as fake. |
Anonymous
Ha, my DH just death stared someone who did that to him. He's of the opinion that Kwanzaa is absurd, among other things. (I'm Caucasian, so I stay out of it either way). |
Anonymous
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What are the Seven Principles of Blackness (or the Seven Basic Values of African Culture)??
Seriously? |
Anonymous
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"Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, 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 heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle." - Wikipedia |
Anonymous
Does this really matter? Really? Does it negate the value of the principles? |
Anonymous
| Sure it does. Why legitimize something started by a creep? |