Kwanzaa beyond the myths

By Akilah Monifa

Many misconceptions persist about Kwanzaa, which runs from Dec. 26 until Jan. 1.

Unlike many other holidays, Kwanzaa is solely cultural, not religious. Founded by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966, it celebrates African-American heritage, family, community and culture based on the rituals of African harvest festivals. The name Kwanzaa means "first fruits" in Swahili. And like most holidays, plenty of talking, singing and eating are involved.

The seven-day holiday has a different principle for each day, which is represented by the Kwanzaa kinara, or candleholder. The first principle is "Umoja," or unity, and the last one is "Imani," or faith.

Many myths still surround the holiday:
Myth 1: Kwanzaa is a "Black Christmas," and folks who celebrate it don't also celebrate Christmas.
Reality: Kwanzaa has nothing to do with Christmas. It's not religious and, as in our family, some folks celebrate Kwanzaa as well as other holidays, including Hanukkah.

Myth 2: Celebrating Kwanzaa is tantamount to supporting black nationalism or separatism.
Reality: None of Kwanzaa's principles calls for nationalism or separatism. This myth probably originated because Karenga, who is a professor and chairman of black studies at California State University at Long Beach, was a militant activist in the 1960s.

Myth 3: Only black people can celebrate Kwanzaa.
Reality: In my experience, I have not seen a Kwanzaa celebration with only black people, and I have never heard of non-black folks being excluded from the celebration. As our society becomes increasingly racially and ethnically diverse, more and more of us have diverse backgrounds and families. The focus of the holiday is to create and respect community among African-Americans, but everyone -- of all backgrounds -- is welcome to share in this celebration.

Myth 4: One has to celebrate all seven days of Kwanzaa.
Reality: Much like Hanukkah, I know of few folks who do full-fledged celebrations of Kwanzaa for all seven days.

My family and I will celebrate several holidays this season, and we hope to embrace the principles of each throughout these next few weeks.

It is not important which holidays we celebrate.

The key is to embody the message of peace, unity and happiness.