THE BERKSHIRES — In celebration of Kwanzaa, the Women of Color Giving Circle is hosting its annual Kwanzaa Celebration on Saturday, Dec. 28th, at 6 p.m. at the Tyler Street Lab.
Kwanzaa is an African-American celebration of life first introduced in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga as a ritual to welcome the first harvests to the home. Dr. Karenga created this festival as a response to the commercialism of Christmas.
All invited - the annual Kwanzaa celebration will highlight the first principle Umoja—Unity in the country, community and youth.
Tyler Street Lab. 741 Tyler Street, Pittsfield MA 01201
One Kwanzaaa tradition is the use of a special candleholder called a kinara. A kinara holds seven candles, three red candles on the left, three green candles on the right and a black candle in the center.
Each night during Kwanzaa a candle is lit. The black, center, candle is lit first and then it alternates between the red and green candles starting with the ones on the outside and moving inwards.
The seven days and candles in Kwanzaa represent the seven principles of Kwanzaa:
🕯Umoja: Unity - Unity of the family, community, nation, and race
🕯Kujichagulia: Self-Determination - Being responsible for your own conduct and behavior
🕯Ujima: Collective work and responsibility - Working to Help each other and in the community
🕯Ujamaa: Cooperative economics - Working to build shops and businesses
🕯Nia: Purpose - Remembering and restoring African and African American cultures, customs, and history
🕯Kuumba: Creativity - Using creating and your imagination to make communities better
🕯Imani: Faith - Believing in people, families, leaders, teachers, and the righteousness of the African American struggle
To read more about Kwanzaa & it's celebrations, click HERE.
