Finally, the scoop on this mysterious holiday.
Many people - myself included until now - believe that Kwanzaa is an Africa holiday transported to the U.S.
Not true.
Not even close.
Malcolm A. Kline, in yesterday's USA Today, reported on his investigation into the origin of the holiday, which began when he asked his wife, who's from Zambia, about it.
She replied, "Kwanzaa? What is that?"
That's all he needed.
Turns out that though the "official" Kwanzaa website states it is a "Pan-African holiday celebrated by millions throughout the world," all the Africans Kline asked - including natives of Kenya, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Tanzania - thought it was from some other African country, because theirs didn't celebrate it.
The first Kwanzaa took place in Los Angeles, California in 1965, when one Maulena Karenga decided to celebrate it with family and friends.
He arbitrarily set the range of dates for observing it between Christmas and New Year's Day (it's on December 26 this year).
A spokeswoman at the Black History Museum in Alexandria, Virginia, told Kline, "I would say you would find no African nations and one American nation celebrating Kwanzaa."
Here's a link to the full USA Today story.
Of course, the new new thing, gathering strength as you read these words, is Chrismukkah, featuring the wearing of a hybrid Santa hat/yarmulke called a "Yarmuclaus."
Last night the goofy hat made its debut on "The O.C."
So it must be significant.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - RJ
If we are to be simply making up holidays here, how about the Seinfeld-inspired Festivus?
2 - Andrew Ian Dodge
Nah just back to the original...Saturnalia.
3 - Eric Berlin
That's very interesting regarding Kwanzaa. I don't think I'm the only one that just sort of accepted it as another "thing" and moved on.
As for Festivus, count me in: I'm ready for the Feats of Strength.
Eric Berlin
Dumpster Bust: Miracles from Mind Trash
http://dumpsterbust.blogspot.com
4 - bhw
Kwanzaa is as real as any other holiday. All holidays are "made up." None of them is a part of nature. They are created by people to celebrate what's important to them: certain secular people or events, religious people or events, or cultural heritage.
Kwanzaa just happens to be newer than most of the other made up holidays.
And the people who created it are black and are celebrating cultures from which their ancestors came and were unwillingly taken from.
How dare they?
5 - Walter
Of course the birth of Christ isn,t made up.
As for the rest I would agree, they're a made up conscience choice like being gay.
Have you ever heard the Kwanzaa song. The funny one done by those African Americans guys led me to beleive that Kwanzaa was about smash n' go robberies as well as alcohol and nicotine binges courtesy of Old English and Kool Filter Kings.
6 - Michael Walsh
There is no time like the present for a good Holiday, In fact every day can be a Holiday, lets sing!
7 - Walter
Why hasn't the gay community came up with a holiday during December? Gayzaa, or something. Decorate a large phalic shaped tree with different colored butt beads. Sing Jingle balls and transform the chimney in to a poop chute.
8 - bhw
Of course the birth of Christ isn,t made up.
To some people, the birth of *Christ* is indeed made up. Most people seem to believe that the historical Jesus was a real person. The Christ part is fiction to some, fact to others.
Of course, the *holiday* celebrating Jesus' birth is made up. Somebody had to decide to start celebrating it. And December 25 is definitely made up, in the sense that nobody knows the day on which Jesus was actually born. Of course, late December was chosen so that it could overtake the pagan celebrations that had been ocurring at that time of year for far longer than Christianity even existed.
9 - Walter
Why do you like to whin and challenge everything. Are you upset or have a lot of resentment? Prove your theory.
10 - bhw
I'm not "whinning," although I'm winning.
What I'm talking about is not a theory. It's a fact. If you don't know the history of your own religious holiday, that's your problem.
11 - P6
bhw, don't you know better than to interupt trolls when they're masturbating?
12 - El Bicho
Walter, your satire is in poor taste. It's not funny perpetuating the sterotype that homophobic Christians are dumb and ignorant. To pretend to have no knowledge of punctuation, spelling and grammar is too easy. Having no knowledge of history is good, but if you had pretended not to know that two months were added to the calendar, I think that would have gotten more of a laugh. Expecting other people to disprove points you never proved is done every day on Fox, so that's boring. You need to bring a unique slant if you want to stand out and get your message heard.
13 - randy
There is a commercial running now that has a line in it, "Happy Christmahanukwanzakah".
How bad is it in the Western World when we can no longer wish people Merry Christmas without potentially offending them?
14 - Tim Hall
I'm reminded of an episode of the British radio comedy "The Men from the Ministry" from the 1970s.
The characters (British civil servants) were given the task of creating some additional public holidays, only a typing error added an extra zero to the number, so they had to come up with more than a hundred of them. They ended up with things like "Tom Jones Day" and "St Pancras Day".
I'm not sure what you'd do to celebrate Tom Jones Day.
15 - P6
You see that as being defensive rather than inclusive?
Interesting perspective.
16 - bhw
A little narcissistic, isn't it?
17 - P6
Hm.
Christmakwanzaa?
Christmanukah?
Oh. Lose both.
I'm joking. Like you.
18 - Walter
"Walter, your satire is in poor taste".
No I'm only kidding and just having fun. Some people are filled with too much hate. Why label a group of people as homophobic just because they actually have some values and a strong set of beliefs. There is a reason why homosexualaity is still not accepted as a traditional relationship and still scrutinized. Even the majotity of the so-called supporters are not they're just showing tolerance. Now that's two faced. Those are the ones to worry about. At least you know how I really feel.
When all you do is set around and moan and constantly try to disprove everything like Christmas etc, you become an easy target for some bullshit. Quit crying.
19 - P6
If this:
is representative of the group's humor, it's appropriate.
20 - P6
Walter, where did El Bicho speak about a "group of people?" I saw a comment about your comment specifically.
21 - Walter
You don't even know the definition of the word hate. Should I label you as a hater if you don't beleive in some of the same things as I do, even if you crack jokes about it?
22 - Temple Stark
All holidays are made up. Agreed. Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ - but the time is completely off and based on the timing of a pagan holiday in celebration of the feast of Sol and Victus.
But it remans a celebration of Christ. Hallelujiah
Saying that, I'm sick and tired of hearing people say "You can't even say "Happy / Merry Christmas" anymore.
Shut up and try it. Arrested yet? Frowned at? Reprimanded at work? Unless you work in a synagogue, I doubt it.
I say it all the damn time to everyone at work, to people walking down the same street. There a few isolated cases around the country where people get stupid (although many of these are misrepresented as "bannings" by people with agendas) - they get the big headlines. And they end up meaning and changing absolutely nothing for those who want to say "Merry Christmas."
Quite whining. Keep on wishing people a Merry Christmas, keep on putting your "Jesus is the reason for the season" placards and bumper stickers up and just enjoy the holiday and what it means to you instead of being whining bitches.
A holiday is a celebration of X, often people, occassionally the country. Veterans Day? could have been any day. Memorial Day? President's Day. etc etc etc.
Kwanzaa - well, why disparage it? Because it's "new?" It's not even a refutation of Christmas - both can be celebrated without conflict.
Stop feeling threatened. (And I'm not talking to the original poster, though "Scoop" and USA Today "investigation" are ill-used here IMHO.)
23 - P6
Walter, you're the only one discussing hate.
24 - Andrew Ian Dodge
For those of you interested, there is an interesting discussion of Kwanzaa and its founder over at Catallarchy.
25 - andy marsh
I asked this question on another thread not to long ago...what exactly is Kwanzaa...I'm still looking for the answer.