KWANZAA AT THE SPADY: Preserving, promoting, revitalizing African American culture. PHOTO COURTESY OF SCHM

Staff Report

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – Kwanzaa, an African American and Pan-African holiday that celebrates family, community and culture, arrives again on Dec. 26.

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, author, scholar, activist and professor of Africana Studies at California State University, to address the need to preserve, promote and continually revitalize African American culture.

Celebrated from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1, Kwanzaa’s origins are in the first harvest celebrations of Africa from which it takes its name.

The celebration focuses on seven principles known as the Nguzo Saba. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits" in Swahili, a PanAfrican language which is believed to be the most widely spoken African language.

Kwanzaa builds on the five fundamental activities of Continental African "first fruit" celebrations: in- gathering; reverence; commemoration; recommitment; and celebration.

Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, not a religious one, thus available to and practiced by Africans of varied religious faiths based on the rich, ancient and varied common ground of their Africanness.

Among South Florida’s Kwanzaa observances, The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum will condense the weeklong celebration into an afternoon of community observation, and again will welcome guests to a free Kwanzaa Celebration on the museum grounds at 170 NW 5th Ave. in Delray Beach.

The Spady Kwanzaa Celebration will welcome families to celebrate the holidays by making their own gifts and enjoying live music, art activities, storytelling for children, and food, outside on the museum grounds.

The Spady Kwanzaa Celebration is hosted by museum in collaboration with the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., the Sankofa Study Group, Pyramid Books and Kwanzaa 365 Live.

The five community minded organizations join to infuse the celebration with all of the seven principles for a rich and memorable experience.

For example, Unity, a concept that was kept away from African Americans during the founding of our country, is an important principle to learn, adopt and practice.

Kwanzaa is a Pan-African holiday designed to strengthen and celebrate the best of African culture and heritage.

Learn more about Kwanzaa at nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/seven-principles-kwanzaa.

See the Events Calendar on Page 2B for more Kwanzaa events.