Happy Kwanzaa! December 26th is the first day of Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration of family, community, and culture. It's an African American holiday; born of the first harvest celebrations of Africa. In a custom similar to Hanukkah, Kwanzaa is marked by candle-lighting and gift giving.

This Kwanzaa opening ceremony was held at Youth Uprising in Oakland in 2009:



Greg Hodge, who ran for Oakland's District Three City Council seat in 2008, is also Minister Greg Hodge of Wo'se Church in Oakland. In this video, he talks about the importance of language and names in Kwanzaa. Greg, as usual, offers great words of wisdom:



If you're looking for a good guide for the preparation of Kwanzaa-related cuisine, check out the new website Cuisine Noir.

Stay tuned and Happy Kwanzaa!