Isn't it called Hanukkanzaa?

By Camlyn Giddens

For some reason, the African American Kwanzaa holiday is commonly confused with Hanukkah--which is Jewish. To set the record straight, Hanukkah is way more closely related to Christmas than it is to Kwanzaa. They are completely different and separate things. Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday; it is a cultural one.

Kwanzaa is a type of remembrance of African American heritage. The word Kwanzaa actually means "first fruits" in Swahili. It is celebrated during a period of seven days immediately after Christmas from Dec. 26 through Jan 1. On each day, a candle from the Kinara (candle holder) is lit. The Kinara symbolizes our roots, our ancestors, and where we came from. Each candle stands for a certain word. Umoja (unity) is the first, then Kujichagulia (self-determination),Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity) and Imani (faith).

There are other symbols and set pieces that are used for this ceremony, but how and if they are used is subjective to the family. My father, Kevin Giddins, explained, "There are specific rituals that each family adopts, but it is different. It's based on the family's needs and the family's values."

In fact, many African Americans choose not to go into detail or celebrate it every year because, in actuality, we celebrate our culture everyday. My family doesn't every year, but we enjoy it when we do. My sister Grayson Giddins remembers quite a bit from the last time we had Kwanzaa. "I remember turning on the music, and we'd dance around the living room. I remember creating sequences about the music and making different shapes, and we'd do them over and over again. I remember the candles and how each candle has a meaning. I remember we'd do it at night, so it would be dark and the light would be bright. . . and the food."

My mom, Lita Giddins, wouldn't make just any food. "Cultural food," she said, "like sweet potatoes and corn bread." I asked my mom what her favorite part about Kwanzaa was, and she answered, "I like the principles and what they teach and the chance it gives to celebrate your culture."

My dad gave roughly the same comment. "I like the fact that it teaches children a little more about their culture and that their culture has purpose and substance."

The first fruits of such African American celebrations date back to ancient Egypt and Nubia, but the official Kwanzaa holiday wasn't established until a little later: thousands of years later, actually, in 1966 during the Black Freedom Movement. So although the holiday is young, the tradition of honoring our dark skin is age-old.