WEBVTT - How Does Kwanzaa Work?

0:00:01.920 --> 0:00:06.560
<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio Hey

0:00:06.600 --> 0:00:11.239
<v Speaker 1>brain Stuff Lauren Vogabam. Here in late December, there's a

0:00:11.280 --> 0:00:15.680
<v Speaker 1>holiday season that includes four different people around the world Christmas, Yule,

0:00:15.920 --> 0:00:20.560
<v Speaker 1>the Solstice, Hanka, and the Gregorian New Year. These holidays

0:00:20.600 --> 0:00:23.880
<v Speaker 1>are joyful celebrations in which families and friends come together

0:00:24.000 --> 0:00:28.280
<v Speaker 1>to share food and gifts. Kuanza is another such holiday,

0:00:28.400 --> 0:00:31.880
<v Speaker 1>running from December twenty six through January one, during which

0:00:31.960 --> 0:00:34.559
<v Speaker 1>some people of African descent gather with loved ones to

0:00:34.680 --> 0:00:37.320
<v Speaker 1>reaffirm the bonds of family and culture, as well as

0:00:37.320 --> 0:00:41.279
<v Speaker 1>share food and exchange gifts. And It's a relatively new holiday,

0:00:41.520 --> 0:00:44.839
<v Speaker 1>though its roots trace back to ancient African harvest celebrations.

0:00:45.360 --> 0:00:49.640
<v Speaker 1>The name Quanza comes from the Swahili phrase mattunda yakwanza,

0:00:49.960 --> 0:00:54.040
<v Speaker 1>which means first fruits. Many of the first fruit celebrations

0:00:54.040 --> 0:00:59.000
<v Speaker 1>around parts of Africa were also seven days long. Quanza

0:00:59.160 --> 0:01:02.080
<v Speaker 1>is a Pan africa in holiday, meaning that it's meant

0:01:02.120 --> 0:01:05.559
<v Speaker 1>to unite people of African descent wherever they live throughout

0:01:05.600 --> 0:01:09.839
<v Speaker 1>the continent and around the world. Unlike Christmas and Hanukah,

0:01:09.840 --> 0:01:13.759
<v Speaker 1>which are technically religious holidays, though are sometimes celebrated Secularly,

0:01:14.120 --> 0:01:17.720
<v Speaker 1>the Kwanza is a cultural holiday. Many people who celebrate

0:01:17.760 --> 0:01:21.640
<v Speaker 1>it also celebrate Christmas or other December holidays. Over it's

0:01:21.640 --> 0:01:26.120
<v Speaker 1>seven days, celebrants honor family, community, culture, and the bonds

0:01:26.160 --> 0:01:29.319
<v Speaker 1>that tie them together as a people. They also remember

0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:31.880
<v Speaker 1>their heritage, give thanks for the good things that they have,

0:01:32.200 --> 0:01:36.360
<v Speaker 1>and rejoice in the goodness of life. The number seven

0:01:36.480 --> 0:01:40.040
<v Speaker 1>is an important theme of Quanza. The seven days each

0:01:40.080 --> 0:01:43.840
<v Speaker 1>represent one of the holiday's seven guiding principles. There are

0:01:43.880 --> 0:01:47.400
<v Speaker 1>seven basic symbols used in the Quanza ceremony, one of

0:01:47.400 --> 0:01:51.200
<v Speaker 1>which consists of seven candles, and each symbol ties into

0:01:51.240 --> 0:01:56.240
<v Speaker 1>one or more of those guiding principles. Quanza was introduced

0:01:56.240 --> 0:01:59.920
<v Speaker 1>in nineteen sixty six by Dr mal Lana Karenga, up

0:02:00.000 --> 0:02:02.920
<v Speaker 1>Professor in and Chair of the Department of Black Studies

0:02:02.920 --> 0:02:06.200
<v Speaker 1>at California State University and a former civil rights activist.

0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:09.760
<v Speaker 1>He conceived a Quanza during this time when the Civil

0:02:09.800 --> 0:02:12.720
<v Speaker 1>Rights Act of nineteen sixty four was still new and

0:02:12.800 --> 0:02:16.560
<v Speaker 1>the fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments were still years off. In

0:02:16.639 --> 0:02:19.520
<v Speaker 1>this time of great struggle for Black Americans to gain

0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:23.720
<v Speaker 1>equal rights, let alone see those rights respected, Dr Kurengo

0:02:23.919 --> 0:02:27.080
<v Speaker 1>wanted Kwanza to be a means to help them connect

0:02:27.120 --> 0:02:30.240
<v Speaker 1>with African values and traditions, and to serve as a

0:02:30.280 --> 0:02:33.400
<v Speaker 1>bond to unify Black Americans as a community and as

0:02:33.400 --> 0:02:36.880
<v Speaker 1>a people. He chose the dates December twenty six through

0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:40.680
<v Speaker 1>January one to coincide with the Judeo Christian holiday season,

0:02:40.960 --> 0:02:44.240
<v Speaker 1>which was already a time of celebration, and he chose

0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:47.480
<v Speaker 1>a name that comes from the Swahili language, because Swahili

0:02:47.639 --> 0:02:52.400
<v Speaker 1>spoken by many different African peoples. There is a story

0:02:52.600 --> 0:02:56.160
<v Speaker 1>about how the Swahili word spelled k w A n

0:02:56.360 --> 0:02:59.440
<v Speaker 1>z a gained an extra a at the end to

0:02:59.639 --> 0:03:03.000
<v Speaker 1>desert ain't the holiday. The story goes that during one

0:03:03.040 --> 0:03:06.440
<v Speaker 1>of the first Quansa celebrations, there was a children's pageant.

0:03:07.000 --> 0:03:09.560
<v Speaker 1>Each of six children held up one of the letters

0:03:09.600 --> 0:03:13.280
<v Speaker 1>of the word Quanza, but a seventh child, with no

0:03:13.360 --> 0:03:16.760
<v Speaker 1>letter to hold, was left in tears. Someone at the

0:03:16.760 --> 0:03:19.960
<v Speaker 1>event gave the child an extra A, and the holiday

0:03:20.080 --> 0:03:23.040
<v Speaker 1>was thus renamed k w A n z A. A.

0:03:25.240 --> 0:03:28.400
<v Speaker 1>Dr Karenga developed the seven principles of Quanza based on

0:03:28.480 --> 0:03:32.360
<v Speaker 1>the ideals of those first fruit harvests. They might be

0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:37.360
<v Speaker 1>summarized as unity joining together as a family, community and race.

0:03:37.880 --> 0:03:41.840
<v Speaker 1>Self determination that is responsibility for one's own future, a

0:03:41.880 --> 0:03:45.840
<v Speaker 1>collective work and responsibility or building the community together and

0:03:45.880 --> 0:03:49.680
<v Speaker 1>solving any problems as a group. Cooperative economics meaning that

0:03:49.720 --> 0:03:53.800
<v Speaker 1>the community builds and profits from its own businesses. Purpose

0:03:54.200 --> 0:03:57.000
<v Speaker 1>or the goal of working together to build community and

0:03:57.040 --> 0:04:01.520
<v Speaker 1>further the African culture. Creativity that is using new ideas

0:04:01.560 --> 0:04:05.640
<v Speaker 1>to create a more beautiful and successful community. And faith

0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:10.640
<v Speaker 1>meaning honoring African ancestors, traditions, and leaders, and celebrating past

0:04:10.720 --> 0:04:16.040
<v Speaker 1>triumphs over adversity. Each day of Quanza focuses on one

0:04:16.160 --> 0:04:19.520
<v Speaker 1>of the seven principles. Participants may tell a story or

0:04:19.600 --> 0:04:22.239
<v Speaker 1>sing a song related to that principle, or the group

0:04:22.279 --> 0:04:25.800
<v Speaker 1>may discuss them together or both. The seven principles are

0:04:25.839 --> 0:04:31.279
<v Speaker 1>also illustrated during the festivities by the seven symbols. First,

0:04:31.480 --> 0:04:34.080
<v Speaker 1>there's the mat, which is usually made of straw, but

0:04:34.120 --> 0:04:36.960
<v Speaker 1>can also be made of fabric or paper, upon which

0:04:37.000 --> 0:04:40.040
<v Speaker 1>all of the other Quansa symbols are placed. The mat

0:04:40.120 --> 0:04:45.279
<v Speaker 1>represents the foundation of African traditions and history. Then there's

0:04:45.320 --> 0:04:48.920
<v Speaker 1>the crops or fruits and vegetables, which represent traditional harvest

0:04:48.960 --> 0:04:51.919
<v Speaker 1>celebrations and show respect for the people who labored to

0:04:51.960 --> 0:04:56.200
<v Speaker 1>grow them. There's also the corn, which represents children and

0:04:56.200 --> 0:04:59.240
<v Speaker 1>the promise of their future. One ear of corn is

0:04:59.240 --> 0:05:01.719
<v Speaker 1>set out for each child in the family. In a

0:05:01.760 --> 0:05:05.279
<v Speaker 1>family without children, and ears set out symbolically to represent

0:05:05.400 --> 0:05:09.760
<v Speaker 1>the children of the community. Next, there's the candle holder,

0:05:09.880 --> 0:05:13.760
<v Speaker 1>which represents the original stock from which all African ancestors came.

0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:17.360
<v Speaker 1>It holds the seven candles, each of which represents one

0:05:17.440 --> 0:05:20.839
<v Speaker 1>of the seven principles. They're lit starting with just the

0:05:20.839 --> 0:05:23.680
<v Speaker 1>center candle on the first day, usually by the youngest

0:05:23.800 --> 0:05:27.719
<v Speaker 1>child present, with one additional candle lit each day, culminating

0:05:27.720 --> 0:05:30.880
<v Speaker 1>in all seven being lit together on the final day.

0:05:31.640 --> 0:05:34.479
<v Speaker 1>And then there's the Unity cup, which symbolizes the first

0:05:34.480 --> 0:05:37.320
<v Speaker 1>principle of Quanza, the unity of family and of the

0:05:37.360 --> 0:05:41.400
<v Speaker 1>African people. The cup is used to pour the libation, water,

0:05:41.560 --> 0:05:45.880
<v Speaker 1>juiceror wine for family and friends. And then there are

0:05:45.920 --> 0:05:49.159
<v Speaker 1>the gifts, which represent the labors of the parents and

0:05:49.160 --> 0:05:52.760
<v Speaker 1>the rewards of their children. Gifts are given to educate

0:05:52.839 --> 0:05:55.680
<v Speaker 1>and enrich. They may include a book, a piece of art,

0:05:55.760 --> 0:05:58.520
<v Speaker 1>or an educational toy. At least one of the gifts

0:05:58.560 --> 0:06:01.200
<v Speaker 1>is usually a symbol of heritage. They may be given

0:06:01.200 --> 0:06:03.640
<v Speaker 1>out one per day or all exchanged. On the last

0:06:03.760 --> 0:06:07.960
<v Speaker 1>day of celebration, the Quansa Feast is held on the

0:06:08.040 --> 0:06:11.920
<v Speaker 1>evening of December thirty one. The feast isn't just about food.

0:06:12.120 --> 0:06:15.600
<v Speaker 1>It's also a time to sing, pray, play music, perform

0:06:15.640 --> 0:06:20.000
<v Speaker 1>speeches or poetry, dance, and otherwise celebrate Black and African

0:06:20.040 --> 0:06:25.000
<v Speaker 1>histories and cultures. January one, the final day of Quanza,

0:06:25.240 --> 0:06:28.560
<v Speaker 1>is a time for reflection, both individually and as a group.

0:06:29.080 --> 0:06:32.240
<v Speaker 1>Participants may ask themselves who am I am I really?

0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:34.520
<v Speaker 1>Who I say I am? And am I all I

0:06:34.560 --> 0:06:38.000
<v Speaker 1>ought to be? The final candle is lit, and then

0:06:38.040 --> 0:06:41.440
<v Speaker 1>all the candles are extinguished, signaling the end of the holiday.

0:06:42.920 --> 0:06:46.440
<v Speaker 1>Those candles are in red, green, and black, the colors

0:06:46.440 --> 0:06:50.719
<v Speaker 1>that were put forth by Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican born activist, publisher, journalist,

0:06:50.760 --> 0:06:53.360
<v Speaker 1>and black nationalist who worked during the first few decades

0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:57.240
<v Speaker 1>of the twentieth century. He designed the Pan African flag

0:06:57.320 --> 0:07:01.120
<v Speaker 1>with these colors. Black stands for the African people, red

0:07:01.200 --> 0:07:04.599
<v Speaker 1>represents their struggle or blood, and green is a symbol

0:07:04.640 --> 0:07:08.560
<v Speaker 1>of their future. Quansa decorations and outfits are often made

0:07:08.600 --> 0:07:12.680
<v Speaker 1>in the holidays. Symbolic colors, though Of course, this is

0:07:12.720 --> 0:07:16.080
<v Speaker 1>all just a summary. As with every holiday, there are

0:07:16.080 --> 0:07:19.760
<v Speaker 1>as many celebrations of kwanza as there are celebrants. If

0:07:19.760 --> 0:07:22.120
<v Speaker 1>you are celebrating right now, we hope that you're having

0:07:22.160 --> 0:07:29.920
<v Speaker 1>a bright one. Today's episode was written by Stephanie Watson

0:07:29.960 --> 0:07:32.120
<v Speaker 1>and produced by Tyler Klang. For more on this and

0:07:32.200 --> 0:07:34.760
<v Speaker 1>lots of other topics, visit how stuff works dot com.

0:07:34.880 --> 0:07:37.560
<v Speaker 1>Brain Stuff is production of I Heart Radio or more podcasts.

0:07:37.680 --> 0:07:40.600
<v Speaker 1>My heart Radio visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

0:07:40.680 --> 0:07:42.440
<v Speaker 1>or wherever you listen to your favorite shows