If you haven’t celebrated Kwanzaa or know anyone who does — estimates vary, but have shown that as many as 12 million Americans participate in this holiday, according to Public Policy Polling (PDF) — you may not be familiar with some of the traditions associated with it. It was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a professor of African studies at California State University in Long Beach, according to Britannica. A secular holiday, it is seen as a way for African American families to unify, empower, and reconnect to the roots of their community, and is observed annually from December 26 to January 1. The name “Kwanzaa” comes from a Swahili phrase meaning “first fruits,” a reference to the beginning of the African harvest season. First fruits festivals are common in South Africa. Kwanzaa culminates with a communal feast called Karamu. Kwanzaa was created to be an alternate holiday celebration, rather than to replace religious holidays. Although I grew up celebrating Christmas and still do today, I also participate in Kwanzaa with family, friends, and even some guests who become like family before the end of the evening. As someone of African American descent, and a Southerner through and through, with roots in the traditional South and Cajun country, I find that the food at these celebrations is deeply intertwined with family, legacy, and identity. As an RD, however, I realize that more than two weeks of food-related celebrating can be a bit overwhelming and may not leave me feeling my best, so I try to keep my portions to sampling or tasting size so I can enjoy all the flavors I associate with this time without overdoing it.
What Are Some Kwanzaa Traditions?
When celebrating Kwanzaa, I typically start with a community event that kicks off the seven-day event by defining the holiday’s purpose and includes a variety of the holiday’s traditional rituals such as decor, drumming, storytelling, and traditional foods. It’s the perfect way to experience Kwanzaa’s spirit of community, drawing from African American heritage to empower, unify, and remember. Celebrants use a candle holder called a kinara, to celebrate the seven days of Kwanzaa. The kinara holds three red candles representing the struggle, one black candle representing the people of African descent, and three green candles representing the future. One might also see the colors of the Pan-African flag — also referred to as colors for all people of the African diaspora — represented throughout the space, dishes, and in the celebrants’ clothing or decor. Each candle is lit individually on each day to highlight each of the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa, which are as follows, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture:
Umoja (unity)Kujichagulia (self-determination)Ujima (collective work and responsibility)Ujamaa (cooperative economics)Nia (purpose)Kuumba (creativity)Imani (faith)
In addition to lighting the candle, one might play music, sing songs, recite poetry, dance, drum, or do other activities to bring life and meaning to the cultural heritage.
What Is the Role of Food During Kwanzaa?
Food is integral to Kwanzaa, since the celebration itself was inspired by the first fruits or harvest festivals in Africa, celebrations that occurred when people collectively harvested fruit and vegetable crops and gave thanks for their efforts and for one another. For me, this tradition lived on in my great-grandparents, who owned a farm where they raised and grew everything they consumed (a representation of ujima, collective work and responsibility). Many of Kwanzaa’s ritualistic foods of the harvest are interspersed throughout our holiday gatherings, but on the sixth night of Kwanzaa, December 31, the Karamu feast is held. Participants decorate the table with ears of corn (one for each child in the family) and seasonal fruits, and drink from the unity cup (kikombe cha umoja) to honor their ancestors. The main dish may center around a one-pot stew like gumbo, with plenty of portions to go around. Starches can include candied yams, buttermilk biscuits and spoonbread, plantains, rice or couscous, fritters, hoppin’ John (a rice dish) and injera (an Ethiopian flatbread), maafe or mafe (a West African peanut soup), and jollof rice. The key is shared meals, given that Kwanzaa is at its heart a holiday about community. Since the holiday is only once a year, we go all-in with flavor, using bacon or its drippings, salt meat, buttermilk, and plenty of sugar. The foods are typically rich, using milk, butter, or cheeses for sides and desserts; bread-based dressings, an assortment of sweet treats, and punch or alcoholic beverages can be taboo for those who steer clear of carbs. Healthier substitutions, like seasoning greens with turkey necks or liquid smoke instead of bacon, replacing salt with herbs and spices, and using whole-grain substitutes, can help people avoid veering too far off track with their health goals. But honestly, on occasions such as these, I give myself permission to enjoy my favorite dishes and just keep an eye on portion sizes. I may fill up half my plate with nonstarchy veggies, then one quarter with starches and the last quarter with protein sources. Gathering around food can be nourishing to our minds and souls as well as our bellies, and that is true at Kwanzaa as well as the rest of the year. Mealtime is filled with storytelling reflecting on the past, colored with a mix of experiences down through the years, harkening back to times when the living and provisions were much different. Telling stories brings about connections across the generations, young and old. Pausing to remember from whence we’ve come reminds us of who we are and the obligation we have to our ancestors to carry forward (nia, purpose and kujichagulia, self-determination). It unifies us and fills us with pride to know all our ancestors endured to bring us to this point in time (umoja, unify). There’s a feeling of gratitude in the midst of celebration that empowers us as a whole to uplift ourselves and others (kujichagulia, self-determination and ujamaa, cooperative economics). The Kwanzaa holiday amplifies many traditions inherent to African Americans and our community. Warm wishes for a joyful Kwanzaa!
