Every year after Christmas Day, families all over the country gather to celebrate Kwanzaa, a weeklong observance of African American culture created in 1966 by California State University professor and activist Maulana Ron Karenga.

The name Kwanzaa is derived from a Swahili phrase meaning “first fruits.” The holiday is based on traditional harvest celebrations, and is a time for families and communities to come together, to remember the past and to celebrate unity and pride.

The holiday is the subject of “A Kwanzaa Keepsake: Celebrating the Holiday with New Traditions and Feasts” by American culinary historian, cookbook author and journalist, Dr. Jessica B. Harris — our December pick for Bookmarked: the Under the Radar book club.

The book — originally released in 1995 but now available in an updated version — includes proverbs, ceremonies, family projects, inspirational biographies, blessings and recipes for families to celebrate Kwanzaa.

Although it’s an annual celebration for Harris now, the author said she did not observe Kwanzaa until later in life.

“Kwanzaa was very much about families, and I don’t have kids,” Harris said. “But when I came to it, I realized that much of what I was doing at the end of the year really was my own variant on Kwanzaa.”

Harris said she didn’t realize she was living out the essence of Kwanzaa in her yearly celebrations, particularly with her “open-house” dinners to cultivate community and introduce her friends and family to each other.

“I’m not claiming to celebrate all of those building blocks of self-awareness every day,” she said. “But I try to stay in the realm of the Nguzo Saba.”

The Nguzo Saba are the seven principles, one celebrated each night, beginning on Dec. 26 and ending on Jan. 1: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity) and Imani (faith.)

During Kwanzaa, there is time for reflection, music, cultural offerings, dance, poetry and, most importantly, food.

Harris said “A Kwanzaa Keepsake” is different than her other books that focus on a particular style of cooking or place. This book instead takes notes from different locations, various recipes from friends and from Harris’ own culinary practices, including a hot sauce from Benin, sweet potato fritters from South Africa, a classic rum punch and a Senegalese chicken yassa — which Harris said may end up on her Kwanzaa table this year.

Ultimately, Harris said Kwanzaa is a time for friends and family to center themselves and their history.

“Kwanzaa allows us to come together to celebrate,” she said. “And celebrating us is important.”

Guest

  • Dr. Jessica B. Harris, American culinary historian, cookbook author, journalist