During the endless debate of whether saying happy holidays to someone is ruining Christmas or whether wishing a Jewish person a merry Christmas will offend that person, we have totally forgotten about the most important question:
Why the hell do we have to wish people a happy Kwanzaa during this time of year?
Every network now has to say, "Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and Happy Kwanzaa to all of our listeners."
Why is Kwanzaa included there? Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday that is celebrated during the holiday season. Kwanzaa is a fabricated holiday with no religion affiliation. There are now Kwanaaneese.
"But Mullows, it's an African holiday."
WRONG.
One of my best friends was born in South Africa and lived there until he was 17. He never heard of Kwanzaa until he came here.
And have you ever met anyone that has ever celebrated it? Serously. I sure haven't.
Because here's the thing, since it's not a religious holiday, it does not get celebrated instead of Christmas or Hanukah. If a black person is Jewish, that black person is going to celebrate, as Adam Sandler put it, those eight crazy nights. And if a black person is Christian, that person is going to celebrate the birth of Christ. Therefore, why does Kwanzaa need to exist?
Well, it actually
does have a purpose.
Dr. Maulana Karenga, the creator of Kwanzaa and the Chair of the Organization Us and The National Association of Kawaida Organizations, actually, honestly, wrote this, which is on the homepage of the official Kwanzaa website:
"The holiday, then will of necessity, be engaged as an ancient and living cultural tradition which reflects the best of African thought and practice in its reaffirmation of the dignity of the human person in community and culture, the well-being of family and community, the integrity of the environment and our kinship with it, and the rich resource and meaning of a people's culture."
Yes, a doctor and double chair actually wrote, "The holiday, then will of necessity, be engaged as an ancient and living cultural tradition..." as if that were an appropriate sentence.
But that's not the point. The point is the message.
According to the website, which is
http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org, by the way, a man, not a faith, created Kwanzaa to:
-Reaffirm the communitarian vision and values of African culture and to contribute to its restoration among African peoples in the Diaspora, beginning with Africans in America and expanding to include the world African community.
-Introduce and reinforce the Nguzo Saba, the Seven Principles and through this, introduce and reaffirm communitarian values and practices which strengthen and celebrate family, community and culture. These seven communitarian African values are: Umoja (Unity), Kuji-chagulia (Self-determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).
-Serve as a regular communal celebration which reaffirmed and reinforced the bonds between us as a people in the U.S., in the Diaspora and on the African continent, in a word, as a world African community. It was designed to unite and to strengthen African communities.
-Be an act of cultural self-determination, as a self-conscious statement of our own unique cultural truth as an African people. That is to say, it is an important way and expression of being African in a multicultural context.
See, now that is actually really nice. It has absolutely nothing to do with the holiday season, and should thus not be included in the happy holidays talk with Christmas and Hanukka, but it is very nice.
But here's the thing.
Actual Africans, meaning the people who live in Africa, are totally different from black Americans.
I say black Americans because, in my opinion, as a small white guy might I add, that is exactly what they are.
Yes, maybe they're great ancestors came from Africa, but the people who were born in America, and whose parents were born in America, are just Americans.
How can I possibly say this? Because that friend I mentioned from South Africa is an African-American. When he first met a black guy who called himself African-American, my friend said, "Oh, what part of Africa are you from?" The guy responded, "Huh? I'm from Chicago."
This was offensive to my friend. This guy from Chicago is not African-American. He is American. When Dr. Karenga writes that Kwanzaa is to "reflect the best of African thought and practice" is he taking into account that the way most Americans live is not anything like African thought and practice?
There isn't a holiday to "serve as a regular communal celebration which reaffirmed and reinforced the bonds between us as a people in the U.S., in the Italian country, in a word, as a world Italian community." Why? Because real Italians that hear Americans call spagetti and marinara sauce "macaroni and gravy" think they are are "stupid Americans." Real Italians don't think Americans and them are one in the same. They think that they believe and behave very, very differently from Americans, even if those Americans can consider themselves Italian-Americans.
There is no Irish holiday to celebrate how Americans with Irish ancestors are the same people as those who currently live in Ireland. Or how the Japanese guy who lives in the nice house next to you is exactly the same as the Japanese fisherman living on a houseboat in Japan. Why? Because they are nothing alike. Their cultures are totally different in every possible way. The only thing that is similar about them is that their great, great ancestors came from the same country. But now one is Japanese and one is American.
And still, all that being said, I understand a black American's desire to be familiar with his or her roots. I understand the need to feel connected to Africa. Even though the poor starving children with AIDS who are suffering in Africa probably feel no connection to you whatsoever, I understand you wanting to feel a connection to them.
And therefore, I think the principles of Kwanzaa are actually quite wonderful.
But it is not an alternative to Christmas or Hanukah. I'm sorry but it just isn't. If you are a black person and you were baptized and you regularly attend church, then you should be (and most likely are) celebrating Christmas.
So how did it happen that we have to say Happy Kwanzaa as if it were the same type of holiday as Christmas and Hanakuh, except that it was celebrated by those who practice the Kwanzni religion?
No such religion exists, and the holiday should not be treated as if it does.
god
