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Women of Color Giving Circle to host Kwanzaa Celebration on Dec. 29th

By Berkshires Macaroni Kid December 12, 2022

THE BERKSHIRES — In celebration of Kwanzaa, the Women of Color Giving Circle is hosting its annual Kwanzaa Celebration on Thursday, Dec. 29th, at 6 p.m. at the Tyler Street Lab.

Kwanzaa is an African-Americans 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) speakers include Attorney Aimee Griffin-Joyner of Life & Legacy Counselors, R.O.P.E. scholars in a skit written by Sandra Nunley West, music by Christine Bile and more.

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:

πŸ•―Umoja: Unity - Unity of the family, community, nation, and race

πŸ•―Kujichagulia: Self-Determination - Being responsible for your own conduct and behavior

πŸ•―Ujima: Collective work and responsibility - Working to Help each other and in the community

πŸ•―Ujamaa: Cooperative economics - Working to build shops and businesses

πŸ•―Nia: Purpose - Remembering and restoring African and African American cultures, customs, and history

πŸ•―Kuumba: Creativity - Using creating and your imagination to make communities better

πŸ•―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.