The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa Teach Us About the Holiday Spirit
Everything you wanted to know about this unique celebration
The holiday season is a silver lining during the harsh cloud of winter. People celebrate by attending family gatherings, engaging in acts of kindness, and enjoying festive meals. While each family has a unique way of commemorating the holiday season, people share something in common — a desire to cultivate the holiday spirit.
Our people gathered together to celebrate the good harvest, to give thanks for the good earth and the abundant blessings from it, and to recommit themselves to protect, preserve and care for the earth in life-affirming and world-respecting ways (Karenga, 2017).
Since the early Neolithic period, humans celebrated the winter solstice, marking our earliest rendition of the holiday season. In the Northern hemisphere, this event marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. While many Americans observe the Christmas season, the Kwanzaa Holiday remains shrouded in mystery. Nevertheless, this holiday holds seven gems that teach us about the enduring holiday spirit.
Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love— Hamilton Wright Mabie (Williamson, 2015).
