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Community Corner

Local Kwanzaa Celebrations Focus on Family, Community

Up to 30 million people worldwide celebrate the December holiday, which celebrates and honors African-American heritage.

Every year between and New Year’s Day, African-Americans celebrate Kwanzaa, an observance designed to focus on personal, family and community values.

Dayna Snell, director of the Queen Ann Nzinga Center in New Britain, said Kwanzaa is an opportunity to celebrate positive values.

“I think everything we do that celebrates working together and families is good,” Snell said. “There’s too much negativity in our culture, in our songs and in our politics. We spend all our time chasing negativity.”

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Two Kwanza observances that are open to the public are the “Rekindling Kwanzaa Principles” event on Dec. 27 from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at the Wilson Library, 303 Washington Ave, New Haven, and the 22nd Annual Kwanzaa Celebration on Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. at Trinity-on-Main, 69 Main Street, New Britain.

The New Haven event is free.

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“It’s a nice, comfortable environment,” said Elaine Peters, one of the organizers. “All drummers are welcome, because we might have a drum circle afterward.”

The New Britain event charges $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and children, but Snell said no one is turned away. She hopes to fill the 300-seat theater.

Kwanzaa was created by civil rights advocate Maulana Karenga in 1966 as an African-American heritage observance. The name is derived from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “fruit of the harvest.”

Nowadays, up to 30 million people worldwide celebrate the holiday, according to some figures.

Participants light a candle on each of the seven days of Kwanzaa for each of seven principles that represent Karenga’s view of traditional African culture, centered around the family and the village.

The principles are unity, self-determination, community responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

The candle-lighting ceremony is accompanied by the placement of symbolic objects around the candleholder.

The Kwanzaa celebrations in New Haven and New Britain will also feature entertainment and cultural presentations.

Although the celebration focuses on African-American culture, the organizers of the events say people of all races are invited.

“It’s not a religious holiday,” said Peters. “It’s to keep the village together.”

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