The holiday season is in full swing in Western New York, the United States, and all over the planet as bills of people prepare to honor all sorts of cultural celebrations. This time of year is particularly festive in nations like America because we have many cultures in the country that have brought their heritage with them or created new cultural celebrations to incorporate into the traditions of America.
As December rolls towards the end, millions of Americans and Canadians are getting ready to celebrate Pan-African history and culture this year, as the Kwanzaa season is upon us. The historically African American celebration is open to all, and if you’re interested in finding out what’s happening in Buffalo and Western New York and how you can celebrate, we have everything you need to know below.
What Is Kwanzaa and How Do You Celebrate It?
Kwanzaa, created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, is a non-religious celebration of black and African-American culture. The celebration that Karenga developed, which is currently celebrated by millions of people, was created with the intent of allowing people from any religious practices to have a way to connect with various historical traditions that come from various parts of the continent of Africa.
Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili phrase for first fruits or matunda ya kwanza. Several cultures in Southern Africa celebrate a festival of the first fruits of the year, which occurs in late December/ early January annually. Those celebrations coincide with the southern hemisphere’s spring solstice, giving Karenga inspiration to form this celebration, which runs from December 26th through January 1st…