The Pasadena Public Library is hosting a Kwanzaa celebration virtually on Tuesday, December 28, as an annual commemoration in honor of the first fruits of the harvest, which in most parts of the African continent have been observed as a thanksgiving festival.
In the United States, Kwanzaa was started in 1966 by African American professor Maulana Karenga, who wanted African-American communities to look back at their heritage and start a cultural revolution by having an alternative to celebrating Christmas. Karenga later altered his position and said Kwanzaa can be celebrated in addition to observing Christmas.
The Kwanzaa celebration started in California and soon spread throughout the United States and worldwide.
This year, Kwanzaa, which is Swahili for “first fruits,” will be celebrated beginning on Sunday, December 26, up to Saturday, January 1, 2022.
With the Pasadena Public Library’s Zoom event, everyone in the community can join the celebration and learn about Kwanzaa, as well as enjoy music and stories about the African American heritage. A Kwanzaa “kinara” children’s craft project will be available for pick-up at the La Pintoresca Branch Library on December 27 through December 30.
The kinara is a seven-space candle holder, representing the original stalk from which the African people originated. The “mishumaa saba,” or seven candles, stand for the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa: “umoja,” or unity; “kujichagulia” or self-determination; “ujima” or collective work and responsibility; “ujamaa” or cooperative economics; “nia” or purpose; “kuumba” or creativity; and “imani” or faith.
To sign up the event that’s open for all ages, visit www.cityofpasadena.net/
