As many in our area recover from their traditionally American Thanksgiving Day dinners, a growing number of people are preparing to celebrate their African roots by observing Kwanzaa – a holiday rapidly gaining popuarity in Southeast Queens.

Kwanzaa is celebrated from Dec. 26th through Jan. 1st, by the African American and the Pan-African community.

The holiday was created in 1966 in the midst of the liberation movement by Dr. Maulina Karenga, a professor and chair of the Department of Black Studies at California State University in Long Beach, in an effort to reaffirm and restore African culture in the United States.

The holiday has deeply
seeded roots in African culture in a time when African people celebrated their first harvest.

The name Kwanzaa comes from a Swahilli phrase "matunda ya kwanza" meaning the "first fruits."

Evidence of "matunda ya kwanza" celebration can be found in African history as ancient as Egypt, Nubia, Ashantiland and the Yorubaland and in more recent groups such as the Matabele, Thonga, and Lovedu located in southeastern Africa.

Early celebrations called for the adherance of five activities and ideals that are common in African culture:

• Ingathering – which reaffirms the bonds of community.

• Reverence – where thanks is given to the creator for the beauty and bounty of creation.

• Commemoration – which is given to ancestors who in pursuit of knowledge and honor became the models of human excellence.

• Recommitment – that reaffirms the best values and ideals of African culture.

• Celebration – to commemorate all that is good in life, existence, family, community, culture, awesome, ordinary, and the divine.

To date 17 million people worldwide observe and celebrate Kwanzaa.

According to Laurelton resident James Blake, a professor at Manhattan community college and president of the Queens chapter of the Million Man/Woman March, the Kwanzaa celebration is popular because it is a celebration of culture.

"This is not a celebration of religion, but a celebration of African culture before we were brought into the Americas," Blake said. "This is a celebration of deep rooted African tradition, principals of life and community that we as a people were missing."

"I do a lot of presentations on Kwanzaa," said John Watusi Branch, co-founder and president of the Afrikan Poetry Theater in Jamaica.

"In fact, in the late ‘70s I published a book called A Story of Kwanzaa," he said.

So what is Kwanzaa? According to Branch, it is a cultural celebration as opposed to a religious one.

"It is the celebration of the first fruits of the harvest based on the African harvest celebrations," said Branch.

It represents seven principles. If you go back in agricultural history, people gathered and thanked God and each other for a successful harvest," he explained.

Queens Kwanzaa celebrants observe the holiday with the wearing of traditional African attire.

It represents seven principles and has gained respect as a culturally significant event in the lives of Africans in the Diaspora. It has grown so much in prestige and acceptance that a postage stamp commemorating its importance was issued several years ago.

Kwanzaa has also grown into a multimillion-dollar business with celebrants doing Kwanzaa shopping right along with their Christmas shopping.

For the past several years there has been a Kwanzaa expo at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, in Manhattan.

Every year shoppers also have access to an impressive Kwanzaa card display right along side Christmas and Hanukkah cards in stores all over the borough. Even elementary school children now include Kwanzaa in their rendition of the classic carol "We Wish You A Merry Christmas."

The experts agree that when it comes to celebrating Kwanzaa, the first thing everyone must learn before observing, are the holiday’s symbols of:

Mazao (Crops) – This is the symbol of the African harvest, the rewards of productive and collective labor.

Mkeka (Mat) – A symbol of African tradition and history, the foundation in which the African American community is built on.

Kinara (Candle Holder) – A symbol of African American roots in the continent of Africa, by acknowledging African ancestors.

Muhindi (Corn) – The symbol of children, the future of a people.

Mishumaa Saba (The Seven Candles) – These are the symbols of Nguzo Saba (see above) which are the seven principles that are essential to the African American culture and community.

Kikomba Cha Umoja (Unity Cup) – This symbolizes the practice and principle of unity, which without, nothing is possible.

Zawadi (Gifts) – Is a symbol of the labor and love of parents and the commitments made and kept by their children.

To celebrate Kwanzaa, choose a central place in the household to set its symbols.

A table usually spread with a piece of African cloth. Then, the Mkeka(mat) is placed over the table with the Mishumaa Saba (seven candles) which are placed inside the Kinara (candle holder) over the Mkeka.

There, candles are colored black (for the people), red (for the struggle) and green (for the hope in the future that comes through the struggle).

There is one black candle, three red and three green to represent the seven principles of Nguzo Saba.

The placement of the candles in the Kinara is very important.

First place the black candle in the center of the Kinara.

This candle represents the prinicpal of Umoja.

The red candles are placed to the left of the black candle and represents Kujichagulia, Ujamaa and Kuumba.

The other green candles are placed on the right side of the black candle and represent Ujima, Nia and Imani.

On the first day of Kwanzaa the black candle is lit followed by the rest of the candles from left to right. One candle is lit for each day until the end of the Kwanzaa celebration. This order represents that people came first, then the struggle that was followed by the hope that is brought by the struggle.

Then two ears of corn are placed in the Mkeka to represent Mazao. According to practice, ears of corn are placed regardless if the household has children or not.

In African tradition, every adult is considered an immediate social parent to all the children in his or her community.

Next the Kikombe Cha Umoja is placed on the Mkeka and used to pour Tambiko (libation) to the ancestors who without their sacrifices, the community and its people would not be.

It is important to note that throughout the ceremony, objects of African art and literature should be placed near the Mkeka to symbolize a commitment to heritage and learning.

Throughout the month of December, a host of events are planned to celebrate Kwanzaa in Southeast Queens (see What’s Up? p. 22).

In addition, the Afrikan Poetry Theatre will host its Kwanzaa celebration at August Martin High School on Dec. 30 from 1 to
8 p.m.

For more information, call the Theatre at 523-3312. The Langston Hughes Library In Corona will host a Kwanzaa event on Dec. 9.

The New York Educational Service Team, Inc. will host a celebration celebration at York College on Jan. 6.