[PDF]✔ Kwanzaa Gets an A

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Kwanzaa Gets an A
Sinopsis :
What does Kwanzaa has two a's? My daughter, Kennedy I.
Thedford, inspired me to write about why the African American
holiday of Kwanzaa has two A s when the Swahili word has
only one. She asked the question because all other holidays,
such as Christmas and Hanukkah, have a story behind them.
What was the story of Kwanzaa? I didn't have an answer, so I
began researching the holiday. In conducting that research, I
ran across different stories of why Kwanzaa has that extra A.
One explanation said that an extra A was added to the end of
the word Kwanzaa to distinguish the American celebration of
the holiday from the African word of Kwanza. Another author
said the extra letter was added to the Swahili word to give the
word seven letters to match the seven principles and symbols
of the holiday. Yet, after reading a couple of Dr. Karenga s
books, I learned that Kwanzaa has two A's because he added
an extra to the word kwanza at the first celebration so that all

seven children present could participate, an African tradition.
Also, this research inspired me to write the picture book titled,
Kwanzaa Gets an A and this is the first picture book that tells
the story of Kwanzaa.