Let's celebrate Kwanzaa

I usually forget to wish the forum a spiritual and festive Kwanzaa, but this year I was lucky.

Today, Dec 26, marks the first day of Kwanzaa, a week long festival to honor African heritage and culture. As much as I might partake in an Octoberfest or Saint Patrick's Day celebration, I hope I would feel welcome to celebrate Kwanzaa as well.

Day 1 of Kwanzaa honors the principle of Umoja (Unity). According to Wikipedia, today we should "strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race."

That is a touchy one for me. I'm not against celebrating things like Chinese New Year, but what trumps that, in my opinion, is celebrating the whole human race. That may explain why I am directing attention to Kwanzaa to begin with. You would never hear me saying that I'm celebrating the white race. They say that with the ease of traveling and migration, we will all be of one mixed race eventually. That is if we don't kill each other by then. That is something I think we should look forward to and pray for. One less thing to fight about.

As to unity, I have mixed feelings about that. If I were, say, on a basketball team, I would be all in favor of unity, doing my best to help the team, as opposed to being a ball hog and playing for my own glory. However, I'm not going to compromise my opinions to be unified with any broader group. For example, if I were in the House or Senate, I'd like to think I could cast votes on what are normally party-line issues like impeachment based on my own moral compass. However, I recognize I might serve only one term if I didn't have the blessing of the powers that be. Tough one.

I've gone on long enough. What are your thoughts on Kwanzaa and the concept of Umoja?

The question for the poll is how do you feel about Kwanzaa?

I have to say I have never heard of anyone celebrating Kwanza. Nobody even heard of it until the late 1990s. To call it the “Black Christmas” is incorrect as most Blacks are Christian though now with a growing Muslim minority, those often converts during prison.

My “thought” on it is Kwanza is maybe the most synthetic “holiday” we have. Blacks celebrating it likely do because “the media said they should.”

Happy Boxing Day.

Quote: Wizard

I usually forget to wish the forum a spiritual and festive Kwanzaa, but this year I was lucky.

Today, Dec 26, marks the first day of Kwanzaa, a week long festival to honor African heritage and culture. As much as I might partake in an Octoberfest or Saint Patrick's Day celebration, I hope I would feel welcome to celebrate Kwanzaa as well.

Day 1 of Kwanzaa honors the principle of Umoja (Unity). According to Wikipedia, today we should "strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race."

That is a touchy one for me. I'm not against celebrating things like Chinese New Year, but what trumps that, in my opinion, is celebrating the whole human race. That may explain why I am directing attention to Kwanzaa to begin with. You would never hear me saying that I'm celebrating the white race. They say that with the ease of traveling and migration, we will all be of one mixed race eventually. That is if we don't kill each other by then. That is something I think we should look forward to and pray for. One less thing to fight about.

As to unity, I have mixed feelings about that. If I were, say, on a basketball team, I would be all in favor of unity, doing my best to help the team, as opposed to being a ball hog and playing for my own glory. However, I'm not going to compromise my opinions to be unified with any broader group. For example, if I were in the House or Senate, I'd like to think I could cast votes on what are normally party-line issues like impeachment based on my own moral compass. However, I recognize I might serve only one term if I didn't have the blessing of the powers that be. Tough one.

I've gone on long enough. What are your thoughts on Kwanzaa and the concept of Umoja?

The question for the poll is how do you feel about Kwanzaa?

"That is if we don't kill each other by then. That is something I think we should look forward to and pray for." Your wording was possibly a little convoluted. Given that Europeans were basically white for centuries and found plenty of things to fight over or African tribes having been fighting each other for millennium I am not sure the lack of colour is going to reduce fighting.

Quote: kenarman

"That is if we don't kill each other by then. That is something I think we should look forward to and pray for." Your wording was possibly a little convoluted. Given that Europeans were basically white for centuries and found plenty of things to fight over or African tribes having been fighting each other for millennium I am not sure the lack of colour is going to reduce fighting.

That's a very good point. I think they called the Great War (aka World War I) the "war to end all wars." Ha! So, you're probably right.

The way best to reduce violence and war, is perhaps through a good economy.

Quote: Wizard

That's a very good point. I think they called the Great War (aka World War I) the "war to end all wars." Ha! So, you're probably right.

The way best to reduce violence and war, is perhaps through a good economy.

Or more McDonalds. Isn’t there a thing where countries both with MCD have never gone to war?

Quote: AZDuffman

Or more McDonalds. Isn’t there a thing where countries both with MCD have never gone to war?

I had to look that one up. It seems to be debunked.

A bit off topic, but as many know, I grew up during the cold war. Everyone got instructions on nearby bomb shelters to use in case of attack. Ours was always the McDonalds on Katella and Los Alamitos Blvd., which was about five miles away in about an 80% residential area of Orange County. I tend to think tens of thousands of people were advised to use that shelter.

To be perfectly honest, I kind of hoped there would be an attack, so I could eat nothing but McDonalds food until radiation levels dropped to safe levels.

Nobody celebrates Kwanza, especially Black
people. Most don't even know what it is.

Quote: Evenbob

Nobody celebrates Kwanza, especially Black
people. Most don't even know what it is.

I'm hoping the black members of the forum will address that comment.

Imagine if there was a White holiday that the first tenant was calling for the "Unity of the Race"....

Quote: Wizard

I usually forget to wish the forum a spiritual and festive Kwanzaa, but this year I was lucky.
Today, Dec 26, marks the first day of Kwanzaa, a week long festival to honor African heritage and culture.

Your post is immoral, though it is neither illegal nor fattening.

Kwanzaa is an utterly fictitious holiday constructed solely for political purposes.

Just as the Jews seized upon a minor holiday and elevated it for political purposes, blacks want their own 'holiday' to assert a 'black identity' as a counter-measure to white culture.

This goes well beyond The Science Guy's contention that teaching Creationism as a possible alternative is an absurdity that should be prosecuted as we would prosecute child abuse.

Anyone accepting Kwanzaa is perpetuating a scientific and historical fraud. White or black, young or old,utterly absurd lies should be countered at every opportunity, not embraced as historically accurate.