2020-21 Margazhi Festivals Bring All Traditions & Religions Together with 20/20 Divine Vision

 

2020-21 Margazhi Festivals Bring All Traditions & Religions Together with 20/20  Divine Vision

[Importance of Margazhi Month of Tamil Calendar in many traditions and the religions of the World.]

(Compilation for a Discourse by N. R. Srinivasan, Nashville, TN, USA, December 2020)

Margasheersha is named after the Mrigshira Nakshatra - the time when the full moon appears closest to the Orion constellation.

The Tamil Margazhi  Masam, or Margaseersha  Month, is the month of Bhakti and Music. In 2020, Margazhi month begins on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 and ends on Thursday, January 14, 2021. 

In the Deva Lokha, one Human year is equal to one day. The six months from Aadi (mid-July to mid-August) to Margazhi corresponding to the Southern solstice make up the night of the Gods; the six other months make up the day of the Gods. So, the beautiful month of Margazhi is the dawn, the Brahma Muhurtham, when the celestial beings wake up for the day. With the onset of Margasheersha, the weather cools down. According to Ayurveda, the bodily fire recedes within and becomes strong, facilitating digestion and assimilation. Therefore, the body is now perfect for sadhana.

“The Margazhi brings a natural sense of stability into the system. There are any number of spiritual seekers who are constantly one step forward, one step backward. This is happening to too many people because there is not enough sadhana towards stabilizing themselves. If you are pulled upward and you are not stable within yourself, it will lead to imbalances. This month is used for Stability and the next month Thai for Mobility. If you have created enough stability within you, only then would you dare to be mobile. This is a time to create balance and stability” says Jaggi Vasudev of ISHA.

Margasheersha also marks the end of Dakshinayana - the apparent movement of the Sun towards the south and therefore, is the last opportunity to pursuing efforts towards our goals.

It is believed, that in this period, the ozone layer is much closer to the earth and breathing early morning cool, unpolluted air is conducive for maintaining mental and physical stability. This is a time when people wake up at the Brahma-muhurtham (between 3am and 4 am) and engage themselves in spiritual sadhana.

Womenfolk are up at the crack of dawn, with wet hair knotted up, they are absorbed in drawing the most spectacular kolams on their front yards, which are first washed with water and cow dung. Each woman show-cases her geometrical skills in the permutation and combination of the dots, curves and lines of the kolam she draws with rice powder, at the same time secretly vying with that of her neighbor’s. It is unfortunate that this old art form is slowly fading out in the cities, with high-rise buildings displacing houses and front yards.

At the same time, men in groups circumambulate the maada veedhis (streets) around the temples, singing bhajans to the accompaniment of cymbals, kettle drums, dholak, mridangam, and harmonium, which is slung across the men’s shoulders. This bhajan group culminates at the local temple to receive the darshan of the deity and then of course, to relish the delicious prasadam of piping hot Pongal. This is indeed a treat for the soul and for the palate, after hanging out in the nippy cold.

Maargazhi, being an important month for both Vaishnavaties devotees and Shaivates, important festivals are celebrated during this holy month--Gita Jayanti, Vaikuntha Ekadasi, Kalabhairava Ashtami, Thiruvathira or Arudhra Darshan, Dattatreya Jayanti and Andal’s, ‘Katyayani Vrata’, to name a few.

Margazhi Celebrations outside India

Hindus are globally settled. Wherever they are, they bring with them Hindu Culture and traditions, promote them and indulge in  Margazhi/ Margaseersha celebrations, rituals and recitals as is in vogue in India. But its celebration in Thailand has a unique appeal as this is also celebrated by Buddhists in Buddhist temples.

Thiruppavai, a work by Saint Andal is recited early in the morning in the temples and special poojas are performed throughout the month of Margazhi. The same way for Lord Shiva, the Thiruvembavai, by Saint Manickavasagar, is recited and poojas performed. This recital ceremony has even crossed the seas and is popular with Thais. In Thailand, the same festival is celebrated as “An annual Festival called ” Trivambave –Tribave”  This festival is held for 15 days between December 14 to January 12 during Tamil Marghazhi Month by Brahmin priests, in Thailand, chanting verses in praise of Hindu gods even in Buddhist temples on which I had spoken at length earlier.

Margazhi Musical and Dance Festival

The Tamil Margazhi month is famous for numerous Indian traditional classical music concerts and dance programs especially in Chennai. The entire month is kept apart for music and spiritual activities by many people. Popularly known as Margazhi   Music Festival, more than 3,500 concerts take place during the period in Chennai making it one of the biggest music and dance festival in the world. This is humorously called as Carnatic Christmas vying with Christmas Carole of 12 days!

Holidays and Traditions around the December solstice

“The December solstice is the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. The day has astronomical, cultural and religious significance. In the Northern Hemisphere, the December Solstice is the Winter Solstice and the shortest day of the year.

Although winter is the season of dormancy, darkness and cold, the December Solstice marks the "turning of the Sun" and the days slowly get longer. Celebrations of the lighter days to come and nature’s continuing cycle have been common throughout cultures and history with feasts, festivals and holidays around the December Solstice.

Christmas Celebrations

In modern times Christians all over the world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day, which falls on December 25.

However, it's believed that this date was chosen to offset pagan celebrations of Saturnalia and Natalis Invicti. Some believe that celebrating the birth of the “true light of the world” was set in synchronization with the December solstice because from that point onwards, the days began to have more daylight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Christmas is also referred to as Yule, which is derived from the Norse word jól, referring to the pre-Christian winter solstice festival. Yule is also known as Alban Arthan and was one of the “Lesser Sabbats” of the Wiccan year in a time when ancient believers celebrated the rebirth of the Sun God and days with more light. This took place annually around the time of the December solstice and lasted for 12 days. The Lesser Sabbats fall on the solstices and equinoxes.

The Feast of Juul was a pre-Christian festival observed in Scandinavia at the time of the December solstice. Fires were lit to symbolize the heat, light and life-giving properties of the returning Sun. A Yule or Juul log was brought in and burned on the hearth in honor of the Scandinavian god Thor. Thursday is Thor's day!

A piece of the log was kept as both a token of good luck and as kindling for the following year’s log. In England, Germany, France, and other European countries, the Yule log was burned until nothing, but ash remained. The ashes were then collected and either strewn on the fields as fertilizer every night until Twelfth Night or kept as a charm and or as medicine.

French peasants believed that if the ashes were kept under the bed, they would protect the house against thunder and lightning. The present-day custom of lighting a Yule log at Christmas is believed to have originated in the bonfires associated with the feast of Juul.

Saturnalia in Ancient Rome

In Ancient Rome the Winter Solstice festival Saturnalia began on December 17 and lasted for seven days. Saturday: Day of Saturn

Saturnalia banquets were held from as far back as around 217 BCE. The festival was held to honor Saturn, the father of the gods and was characterized by the suspension of discipline and reversal of the usual order. Grudges and quarrels were forgotten while businesses, courts, and schools were closed. Wars were interrupted or postponed, and slaves were served by their masters. Masquerades often occurred during this time.

It was traditional to offer gifts of imitation fruit (a symbol of fertility), dolls (symbolic of the custom of human sacrifice), and candles (reminiscent of the bonfires traditionally associated with pagan solstice celebrations). A mock king was chosen, usually from a group of slaves or criminals, and although he was permitted to behave in an unrestrained manner for seven days of the festival, he was usually killed at the end. The Saturnalia eventually degenerated into a week-long spree of debauchery and crime – giving rise to the modern use of the tern saturnalia, meaning a period of unrestrained license and revelry.

Modern Day Celebrations

In Poland, the ancient December solstice observance before Christianity involved people showing forgiveness and sharing food. It was a tradition that can still be seen in what is known as Gody.

In the northwestern corner of Pakistan, a festival called Chaomos takes place among the Kalasha or Kalash Kafir people. It lasts for at least seven days, including the day of the December solstice. It involves ritual baths as part of a purification process, as well as singing and chanting, a torchlight procession, dancing, bonfires, and festive eating.

Santo Tomas in Guatemala

Many Christians celebrate St Thomas’ Day in honor of St Thomas the Apostle on December 21. In Guatemala on this day, Mayas honor the sun god they worshipped long before they became Christians with a dangerous ritual known as the Palo Volador, or “flying pole dance”. Three men climb on top of a 50-foot pole. As one of them beats a drum and plays the flute, the other two men wind a rope attached to the pole around one foot and jump. If they land on their feet, it is believed that the sun god will be pleased and that the days will start getting longer. Some churches celebrate St Thomas’ Day on other days in the year.

The ancient Incas celebrated a special festival to honor the sun god Inti at the time of the December solstice. In the 16th century, ceremonies were banned by the Roman Catholics in their bid to convert the Inca people to Christianity. A local group of Quecia Indians in Cusco, Peru, revived the festival in the 1950s. It is now a major festival that begins in Cusco and proceeds to an ancient amphitheater a few miles away.”--  Vigdis Hocken and Aparna Kher

WHILE WINTER SOLSTICE DAY IS CELEBRATED ALL OVER THE WORLD HINDUS DO NOT

 

 In 2018, the winter solstice arrived on Friday, December 21, at 5:23 pm EST. Coincidentally, December’s full Moon—the Full Cold Moonalso appeared on that  night of the 21st, though it was not  at its absolute peak until the next day. The next full Moon to actually peak on the winter solstice won’t be until 2094! What is the Winter Solstice? The word solstice comes from Latin sol “sun” and sistere “to stand still.” In the Northern Hemisphere, as summer advances to winter, the points on the horizon where the Sun rises and sets advance southward each day; the high point in the Sun’s daily path across the sky, which occurs at local noon, also moves southward each day. This day should have been the most auspicious day for Hindus being the actual astronomical Uttarayana Punyakala commencement day! Unfortunately Hindu Astrologers misguide Hindus and say it falls on Makara Sankranti Day in January and also say Bhishma died on this Day but celebrate Bhishma Ekadasi in February, the day on which Bhishma delivered Vishnu Sahasara Nama and gave up his ghost. This confusion between the Astronomical Winter Solstice Day and Astrological Observed Winter Solstice Day with 22 days difference is due to nobody has paid attention or century correction. Who is to bell the cat?  Gregorian Calendar on the other hand makes periodical century correction as well as leap year correction and hence precisely predict Astronomical Winter Solstice Day. Yet we pride that we are following the mandate of Gita “tasamaat saasaram mpramaanm tay” and observing Uttarayana Punyakala correctly while the whole world is wrong! Why don’t we join others in celebrating Astronomical Winter Solstice Day in December in the spirit of “saaghacchadvgam samvadavadavam” like our sages who sat together and prayed together to the Supreme, who is the Universal Light in his manifestation as Sun!

At the winter solstice, the Sun’s path has reached its southernmost position. The next day, the path will advance northward. However, a few days before and after the winter solstice, the change is so slight that the Sun’s path seems to stay the same, or stand still. The Sun is directly overhead at “high-noon” on Winter Solstice at the latitude called the Tropic of Capricorn. Perhaps Hindu Astrologers took advantage of this phenomenon and so postponed Uttarayana Day to Makara Sankranti to make it exclusive sacred Day and not to mix up with the belief a day to honor and perhaps spiritually connect with distant ancestors as believed by some in Western world looking at the historic 5000 years old Stonehenge worshiped by Tribal on Winter Solstice Day! Is such a Day not an ideal Day to spend time in the Hindu American temples worshiping the Lord offering Him hot kichadi or Pongal being the month of Marghazhi that is celebrated as holy month in the South? Purnima in Shukla Paksha of Margashirsha month is called Margashirsha Purnima. It is also known as Battisi Purnima as well as Dattatreya (his birthday) Purnima.it is the sacred day for Satyanarayana Vrata.  According to Hindu religion, it is the month for performing charity, religious activities and worshipping the Gods and Goddesses. In Shrimad Bhagvad Gita, Lord Krishna himself has said, I am the auspicious month of Margashirsha among months. It is also believed that Satyuga Era began from this month.  It is unfortunate that this day goes as lame-duck routine worship day directed by Religious pundits and Sectarian trained priests. Particularly this year’s Winter Solstice day is very significant for reasons described for 2020 Winter Solstice at several place

“Early nightfall. Crisp mornings; the sharp silhouette of leaf-bare branches; Orion marching across the evening sky--These are some familiar signs of winter. We often speak of turning inward during these darker months, becoming quiet and introspective, staying home more often, and sleeping longer.   For people throughout the ages—from the ancient Egyptians and Celts to the Hopi—midwinter has been a significant time of ritual, reflection, and renewal. 

While we don’t know how long people have been celebrating the solstice, we know that ancient cultures built huge stone structures designed to align perfectly with the sun at specific times, such as dawn or high noon (Stone Hinge of England). And some ancient peoples performed sacred rituals and made offerings when the sun dipped below the horizon to ensure its daily return, especially during the darkest days.

Many of the traditions now associated with Christmas are believed to have originated centuries earlier with nature-based communities and indigenous peoples. For example, the idea of Santa Claus may have come from the story of the first shamans who were said to climb high into the upper worlds and return with gifts of wisdom and prophecies, postulates Tony Van Renterghem in When Santa Was a Shaman (Llewellyn, 1995). The word “yule” may derive from an Anglo-Saxon term that means “wheel,” and in pagan Scandinavia, village people sat around bonfires of burning yule logs throughout the night while drinking mead and listening to the stories of minstrel-poets.

Richaeinberg, author of Celebrate the Solstice: Honoring the Earth’s Seasonal Rhythms through Festival and Ceremony (Quest Books, 1993) describes the solstices as “times of danger and opportunity; times for special alertness and aliveness.” In Iran, families often kept fires burning all night to assist the battle between the light and dark forces. In ancient Rome, where it was called Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, or the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun, masters even celebrated as equals with their slaves. Throughout history, celebrating the solstice has been a way to renew our connection with each other and with the numinous through acts of goodwill, special rituals, and heightened awareness”--Deena Wade.

 Hanukkah 2020

Hanukkah Dates, Traditions, History, and More

 Hanukkah begins on Thursday, December 10, at sundown.  Hanukkah (also spelled “Chanukah”) is an eight-day winter “festival of lights,” which begins each year on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev.  The dates may vary every year. Depending on varying Jewish calendar like Hindu calendar it may fall in November, closer to Diwali or December in the month of Tamil Margazhi, closer to Christmas.

In 2020, Hanukkah begins at sundown on Thursday, December 10, and continues through Friday, December 18. The first candle is lit on the Chanukiah (menorah) on this date. This festival commemorates events that took place in Judea more than 2,000 years ago, when the Syrian king Antiochus ordered the Jews to abandon the Torah and publicly worship the Greek gods. This act provoked a rebellion led by Judas Maccabeus, climaxed by the retaking of the Temple in Jerusalem, which had been desecrated by the Syrians. The army of Jews won, despite their small numbers. In an eight-day celebration, the “Maccabees” (as the rebels came to be known) cleansed and rededicated the Temple.  According to the Talmud, there was only enough consecrated oil to re-light the candelabra for one day, yet, miraculously, it remained lit for eight days. The word Chanukah means “inauguration” or “dedication.” After the rebellion, the Temple was in ruin, including the o    alter. The Maccabees buried the stones of the altar and built a new one. Thus, Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple and the altar.

Seasonal celebrations of X-Mas fall in the month of Margaseershaa

The Season of Festival of Lights starts immediately after Halloween in USA,   but the true Christmas season actually starts on Christmas Day itself.   December 25 marks the official start of the 12 days of Christmas, the Christian tradition that shares its name with Christmas Carol. The 12 days of Christmas is the period in Christian theology that marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men. It begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6 (the Epiphany, sometimes also called Three Kings’ Day). The four weeks preceding Christmas are collectively known   as Advent, which begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on December 24.

The 12 Days of Christmas start on Christmas Day and last until the evening of the 5th January - also known as Twelfth Night. The 12 Days have been celebrated in Europe since before the middle-ages and were a time of celebration. The 12 Days each traditionally celebrate a feast day for a saint and/or have different celebrations. Day 7 (31st December): New Year's Eve (known as Hogmanay in Scotland). Pope Sylvester I is traditionally celebrated on this day. He was one of the earliest popes (in the 4th Century). In many central and eastern European countries (including Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland and Slovenia) New Year's Eve is still sometimes called 'Silvester'. 

Twelfth Night was a big time of celebration with people holding large parties. During these parties, often the roles in society were reversed with the servants being served by the rich people. This dated back to medieval and Tudor times when Twelfth Night marked the end of 'winter' which had started on 31st October with All Hallows Eve (Halloween).

In Christian tradition, the true 12 days of Christmas is a holy time of celebration. The period begins Christmas Day and concludes Jan. 6 with Epiphany. Each of the feasts that are celebrated during this period deepens the real meaning of Christmas itself. 

The first day of Christmas is, of course, Christmas Day, the Nativity of Jesus Christ. 

On the second day of Christmas,   the feast of Saint Stephen, deacon and martyr, the first Christian to die for his faith in Christ is celebrated.

The third day celebrates the life of Saint John the Evangelist, called "the disciple whom Christ loved" and the only one of the Apostles not to die a martyr's death.  

The fourth day of Christmas honors the memory of the Holy Innocents, all of the young boys slaughtered at the command of King Herod when he hoped to kill the newborn Jesus.

The fifth day celebrates the faith of Thomas Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury, who was martyred for his defense of the rights of the church against King Henry II.

 On the sixth day, the faithful celebrate the Holy Family: the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus; Saint Joseph, his foster father; and Christ himself. Together, they form the model for all Christian families.

 The seventh day of Christmas celebrates the life of Saint Silvester, the pope who reigned during the incredibly tumultuous times of the Donatist schism and the Arian heresy in the fourth century.

The eighth day falls on Jan. 1, and it honors the solemnity of Mary, mother of God. 

 On the ninth day of Christmas, the faithful celebrate two of the original Eastern Doctors of the Church: Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen. 

On the 10th day, Christians venerate the holy name of Jesus, at which "every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:10–11).

 The 11th day honors Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774–1821), or Mother Seton as she is often known, who was the first native-born American saint.

 On the final day of Christmas, the faithful celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, the day on which Christ's divinity was revealed to the Gentiles in the form of the Three Wise Men. It also commemorates the life of John Neumann (1811–1860), the first nonnative-born American saint.

Eastern Orthodox Churches use a different religious calendar (the Julian calendar as opposed to the Gregorian calendar used by Western churches), so their 12 days of Christmas start on January 7 and runs through the Epiphany on January 19.

Rare ‘Christmas Star’ will light up the sky on winter solstice

[NASA officials say this “great conjunction” won’t be seen again until 2080]

We can see Saturn and Jupiter nearly align on Dec. 21, forming what appears to be a Christmas star. As Christmas nears, astronomers are urging citizens to look to the sky in a few weeks to witness something not seen in almost 800 years.

From Earth’s viewpoint, Jupiter and Saturn are getting very close to one another and will look like a double planet when they appear to nearly collide on Dec. 21 — the date of the winter solstice — forming a rare phenomenon known as a “Christmas star.” “Alignments between these two planets are rather rare, occurring once every 20 years or so, but this conjunction is exceptionally rare because of how close the planets will appear to be to one another,” Patrick Hartigan, an astronomer at Rice University, told Forbes. Forbes reported that Jupiter and Saturn will look like a “double planet” for the first time since the middle Ages.

“You’d have to go all the way back to just before dawn on March 4, 1226, to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky,” Hartigan told Forbes. You’ll be able to witness the event in the sky through binoculars or a small telescope, according to NASA.

Both Jupiter and Saturn have been traveling across the sky together all year and during the first three weeks of December, the planets will continue to move closer after each sunset, NASA officials said. On Dec. 21, the planets will appear just a tenth of a degree apart, which is equivalent to the thickness of a dime held at arm’s length, according to NASA. This happens every 20 years this century; however, NASA officials said this event is “the greatest great conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn” and won’t happen again until the year 2080.

In astronomical terms, conjunction is when two objects line up in the sky. Some astronomers believe that the “star of Bethlehem” was a conjunction between Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. I will talk about it in another discourse.

 Dhanvantri seems to have  listened to our prayers and descended on earth as the rare star of Bethlehem in 2020, not experienced in past 800 years, which has been predicted  by Vedic astrology earlier when  Sarvari, the year of darkness started. Star of Bethlehem 2020 is our beacon of hope to pull through tumultuous Corona virus pandemic. It is heartening to learn the first dose of most effective Pfizer vaccine has been given to Margaret Keenan in England who turns 91 next week!

 

Kwanzaa 2020 celebrations

December 26, 2020 to January 1, 2021

Created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach in 1966, Kwanzaa is an annual week-long celebration that is observed from December 26 to January 1, a fascinating, humbling and thought provoking celebration. He founded in US, a cultural organization, and started to research African first fruit (harvest) celebrations. Karenga combined aspects of several different harvest celebrations, such as those of the Ashanti and those of the Zulu, to form the basis of Kwanzaa. This celebration is based around seven major principles which are, according to Karenga, a communitarian African philosophy: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. On each of the seven nights of the week-long celebration, families gather together and light one of the seven candles of the Kara. Usually a discussion about the one specific principles takes place. Kwanzaa also has its own symbols which include: a decorative mat, an ear of corn, crops, the Unity Cup, gifts, the seven candles and candleholder. All the symbols are designed to convey the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Many African-Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa observe it as ad additional celebration to Christmas.

In Bhagvadgeeta,  Bhagawan  says: “maasanaam margazhi sheershoaham ritunaam kusumakarah “Among the months, I am Margasheersha!” Lord Krishna, Himself steers the spiritual seeker during Margazhi, that is indeed a gift from the Heavens. Thus    Bhagawan, the Supreme Lord of   The Universe has declared the Margaseersha as the most sacred month that follows Aswija and Kartika the other two holy months known for theirveneration of Light. These three months run parallel to the Western Season of Festival of lights. Both the Western Season of Festival Lights and Hh Hindu Season of Festival  of Lights culminate as Makara Vilakku on Makara Sankranti Day on  Sabari Malai.  Margaseersha of 2020 has come out with flying colors to show us how it leads the rest of the months being the emanation of GOD himself!

 

These Margazhi festivals of all religions and traditions are mainly directed to the Veneration of Supreme Light who is the Creator of the universe who sustains creation in many ways and who witnesses all our thoughts and deeds.  You should have by now realized that all important Winter Festivals are clustered around the month of Margaseersha that Bhagawan declared as Himself! Bhagawan is often addressed as Time (Kaalah) that includes Samvatsara (year), Ritu (season), Masa (month), Paksha c(fortnight) and Dina (day)--MNU.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 

This discourse is a compilation based on my e-Mails sent to you in the past, from various authors indicate in the text and Internet sources that is gratefully acknowledged for delivering lecture to the students of Vedanta Class at Sri Ganesha Temple, Nashville, USA

 APPENDIX

GRAND COMMENCEMENT OF KWANZAA ON DECEMBER 26 

[Christmas might be over, but Kwanzaa is just getting started IN THE Month of Margazhi]--African candles leading through darkness ]

The two things that touched the heart and influenced all people for the first time in my American life of 30 and odd years in 2020  are: 

Black Lives Matter Awareness (BLMA) was formed as a response to recent events of police brutality towards Blacks across the country in 2020. In order to symbolize the struggle, Black Lives Matter Awareness created an awareness ribbon and bracelet. Rooted in the experiences of Black people in this country who actively resist our de-humanization, #BlackLivesMatter is a call to action and a response to the virulent anti-Black racism that permeates our society.  We have seen its effect on the election and politics in 2020 that will have a lasting impression for a long time. 

The worst pandemic in a century shut down large parts of the economy in March, with employers shuttering their offices and schools closing their campuses. That forced millions of workers and students to hop on to Zoom and other video conferencing services to get their jobs and schoolwork done. Zoom quickly emerged as the most accessible video-conferencing service, cementing itself as the pandemic’s most popular place to connect remotely for everything from virtual cocktail parties to complex court hearings, in addition to the daily grind of work.  Zoom and WEBINAR are very popular with our Urban Monks who are successfully employing them to educate us during this period of social distancing and are also avoiding travelling for participating in seminars and guest lectures. 

Had we paid attention to seven principles of Kwanzaa after   Merry  Christmas where we also lost our focus on Universal light  (earlier focused on celebrating Winter Solstice on December 25) Sun, the country would not have been shaken with the movement--Black Lives Matter! Disrespecting the true meaning of Islam- submission to the Will of God, has resulted in the powerful Movement--Awesome without Allah! 

 

December 26,  marks the start of Kwanzaa, also spelled Kwanza (with one 'a' at the end). It's a seven-day non-religious holiday observed in the US, meant to honor African Americans' ancestral roots. The celebration lasts until January  First.  

 

The name comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," which means "first fruits." 

 

Created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a black nationalist and professor of Pan-African studies at California State University at Long Beach, Kwanzaa became popular in the 1980s and 1990s in tandem with the black power movement -- making up the trio of winter holidays along with Hanukkah and Christmas. 

 

The holiday is defined by Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles. Each day of the festival is dedicated to a specific principle, marked by lighting a new candle on the kinara, a seven-branched candelabra. (You have seen the waving lamp with seven wicks to Lord Jaganntha--sapta sapta the sacred seven) 

 

Even though Kwanzaa isn't as widely celebrated as it used to be, its seven principles still hold true for some. Here's a look at what those principles are, and what they mean. 

Umoja 

Umoja means unity in Swahili. 

Karenga defines this on his Kwanzaa website as: "To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race." 

Kujichagulia 

Or self-determination. This principle refers to defining, naming, creating and speaking for oneself. 

Ujima 

Translated as "collective work and responsibility," ujima refers to uplifting your community. 

"To build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together," Karenga writes. 

Ujamaa 

Cooperative economics. Similar to ujima, this principle refers to uplifting your community economically. "To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together," he writes. 

Nia 

Nia means purpose.  

Karenga expands on this principle with, "To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness." 

Kuumba 

Meaning "creativity," Karenga defines this principle as "To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it." 

Imani 

The final principle translates to "faith." 

 

Karenga defines this as faith in community, writing, "To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle."-- Matru devo bhava, Pitrudevo bhava, Acharya devo bhava, Athiti devo bhava, dharmo rakshati rakshitaha, veetaraghabhayakrodhah yudhyasva vigata jvarah and finally realize satyameva jayate!