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Mason Weaver
Commentary
It's time for my annual Kwanzaa article. Kwanzaa is a made-up, anti-Christian holiday celebrated in the black community. It was proposed in the early 1960s by a radical college professor, Ron Karenga. Karenga wrote that Kwanzaa was invented to keep black Americans from worshipping the "white Christ."
It is a myth that Kwanzaa was a traditional African holiday of the first-fruits harvest. I do not know of any African harvest in December, no celebration like Kwanzaa anywhere on the continent and no history of it ever being an African holiday.
However, I have begun to notice some good signs around Oceanside, San Diego County and the nation. There is a cooling off on Kwanzaa. For the past two years there has been a marked decrease in the churches' embrace of Kwanzaa. Even the local press no longer include "Happy Kwanzaa" as part of their season's greetings. This is a good sign that the propaganda around Kwanzaa may be fading.
Perhaps some of you need a little history of Kwanzaa. It is celebrated as an African feast or harvest celebration from Dec. 26 until Jan. 2. When Karenga made up the dates he also changed the spelling of the Swahili word, kwanza.
For those who believe I am not qualified to make such assumptions, I have been black all my life, studied Swahili as my second language and studied Africa intensely in college. Kwanza is a very rough spelling for "first," not "first fruits." The Swahili word for first fruits is limbuko; Karenga apparently overlooked that. Like Kwanzaa, limbuko has seven letters. Karenga needed seven letters because he had seven children. He gave seven principles to be celebrated each day of the festival.
I have no problems with the principles of Kwanzaa, or the recognition of their value. My only problem is the mixture of Kwanzaa with Christmas and the belief that Kwanzaa comes from a traditional African celebration.
Throughout the years I have written and spoken out on this celebration. I have taken a lot of heat for coming down on the "black" celebration, and many people fail to understand why I have taken such a stand.
When I see churches in Oceanside recognizing Karenga's made-up holiday, I shudder with frustration. I understand the difference between traditional holidays representing historical events and made-up, feel-good notions that keep us from our real history.
The Christmas season is not concerned with race or harvest rituals. It is the celebration of the King of Kings redeeming mankind and should not be mixed with a social celebration of race or culture. I do not believe Christ was born in December, but I know he was born.
I have lost some friends in the Christian community because I do not recognize mixing Christian worship with fairy tales. I do not mind Christians having a Christmas tree, since they do not believe it has anything to do with the birth of Christ. I have no problem with saying "season's greetings," since we know it is not the season we are celebrating. Christmas is a Christian celebration, Hanukkah is Jewish and Ramadan is Islam, and I understand this. What I do not understand is the attempt to mix and match our traditions to make something into what it never was.
Despite the Kwanzaa greeting cards, mugs and books, the holiday appears to be drying up. I know of no churches in North County celebrating Kwanzaa. I am sure I will hear of any if I am wrong.
Let us remember the reason for the season is not giving gifts, but the gift given.
North County Times columnist Mason Weaver lives in Oceanside.
Commentary
It's time for my annual Kwanzaa article. Kwanzaa is a made-up, anti-Christian holiday celebrated in the black community. It was proposed in the early 1960s by a radical college professor, Ron Karenga. Karenga wrote that Kwanzaa was invented to keep black Americans from worshipping the "white Christ."
It is a myth that Kwanzaa was a traditional African holiday of the first-fruits harvest. I do not know of any African harvest in December, no celebration like Kwanzaa anywhere on the continent and no history of it ever being an African holiday.
However, I have begun to notice some good signs around Oceanside, San Diego County and the nation. There is a cooling off on Kwanzaa. For the past two years there has been a marked decrease in the churches' embrace of Kwanzaa. Even the local press no longer include "Happy Kwanzaa" as part of their season's greetings. This is a good sign that the propaganda around Kwanzaa may be fading.
Perhaps some of you need a little history of Kwanzaa. It is celebrated as an African feast or harvest celebration from Dec. 26 until Jan. 2. When Karenga made up the dates he also changed the spelling of the Swahili word, kwanza.
For those who believe I am not qualified to make such assumptions, I have been black all my life, studied Swahili as my second language and studied Africa intensely in college. Kwanza is a very rough spelling for "first," not "first fruits." The Swahili word for first fruits is limbuko; Karenga apparently overlooked that. Like Kwanzaa, limbuko has seven letters. Karenga needed seven letters because he had seven children. He gave seven principles to be celebrated each day of the festival.
I have no problems with the principles of Kwanzaa, or the recognition of their value. My only problem is the mixture of Kwanzaa with Christmas and the belief that Kwanzaa comes from a traditional African celebration.
Throughout the years I have written and spoken out on this celebration. I have taken a lot of heat for coming down on the "black" celebration, and many people fail to understand why I have taken such a stand.
When I see churches in Oceanside recognizing Karenga's made-up holiday, I shudder with frustration. I understand the difference between traditional holidays representing historical events and made-up, feel-good notions that keep us from our real history.
The Christmas season is not concerned with race or harvest rituals. It is the celebration of the King of Kings redeeming mankind and should not be mixed with a social celebration of race or culture. I do not believe Christ was born in December, but I know he was born.
I have lost some friends in the Christian community because I do not recognize mixing Christian worship with fairy tales. I do not mind Christians having a Christmas tree, since they do not believe it has anything to do with the birth of Christ. I have no problem with saying "season's greetings," since we know it is not the season we are celebrating. Christmas is a Christian celebration, Hanukkah is Jewish and Ramadan is Islam, and I understand this. What I do not understand is the attempt to mix and match our traditions to make something into what it never was.
Despite the Kwanzaa greeting cards, mugs and books, the holiday appears to be drying up. I know of no churches in North County celebrating Kwanzaa. I am sure I will hear of any if I am wrong.
Let us remember the reason for the season is not giving gifts, but the gift given.
North County Times columnist Mason Weaver lives in Oceanside.
