# Kwazy Kwanzaa **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kwazy-kwanzaa/280045 "2004-12-15T22:29:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kwazy-kwanzaa/280045/1 "2004-12-15T22:29:35Z")
I’m working as a consultant for a large shipping company. Someone left candy kanes on our desks with a card wishing us [ul][li]Blissful Deepavali[/li][li]Cheery Diwali[/li][li]Blessed Ramadan[/li][li]Golden Rohatsu[/li][li]Joyous Kwanzaa[/li][li]Happy Hanukkah[/li][li]Merry Christmas[/ul][/li] I know some of those holidays/observances but not all. I expect some are Hindu as we have a very large population of East Indian programmers. Anyone have the SD on the rest? It kind of reminds me of a bit on The Simpsons where Krusty wished everyone “a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwazy Kwanzaa, Tip-Top Tet and a solemn and dignified Ramadan.” I think the only thing missing from both lists is solsice for the Wiccans/Pagans/Druids. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kwazy-kwanzaa/280045/2 "2004-12-15T23:10:31Z")
Ramadan is a Muslim, month-long event. Has nothing to do with Christmas, and as its occurrence is based on a lunar calendar (IIRC) is likely to fall in any particular time of year (really sucks in the summer because you don’t eat while the sun is up) And the Greeting is “Righteous Ramadan.” ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kwazy-kwanzaa/280045/3 "2004-12-15T23:17:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Dīpãvali (also transliterated Deepavali; Sanskrit: row of lights) or Diwãli (contracted spelling) is the Hindu festival of lights, held on the final day of the Vikram calendar, one type of a Hindu calendar that is followed by North Indians. The following day, marking the beginning of a new year, for North Indians, entitled Annakut. > > In South India, Diwali does not coincide with the beginning of a new year as South Indians accordingly follow a different calendar, Shalivahana calendar. In South India, the new year, entitled Ugadi, is followed by persons in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Vishu and Varsha Pirappu are celebrated in Kerala and Tamil Nadu respectively. These festivals occur at about the same time, generally during April. > > Diwali should not be referred as the Hindu New Year as the new year is celebrated at different times.\* > **[Diwali](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepavali)** > > Diwali (English: /dɪˈwɑːliː/; Deepavali (IAST: dīpāvali) or Divali; related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai and Bandna) is a festival of lights and one of the major festivals celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists, notably Newar Buddhists. The festival usually lasts five days and is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar month Kartika (between mid-October and mid-November). One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, Diwali symbolizes the s In the l... > [@](#): > > _Ramadan or Ramadhan (Arabic: رمضان ) is the ninth month of the Islamic year. Siyam or Saum (“fasting” in English) is the fourth of the Five Pillars of Islam and involves fasting during Ramadan._ > **[Ramadan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan)** > > Ramadan (Arabic: رَمَضَان‎, romanized: Ramaḍān \[ra.ma.dˤaːn\]),\[a\] also spelled Ramazan, Ramzan, Ramadhan or Ramathan, is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (sawm), prayer, reflection and community. A commemoration of Muhammad's first revelation, the annual observance of Ramadan is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam and lasts twenty-nine to thirty days, from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next. > Fasting from dawn to s... > [@](#): > > _A day marking the attainment of Nirvana by Buddha; celebrated on the 8th day either of December or of the 12th month of the lunar calendar._ > **[Glossary of Buddhism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_terms_and_concepts)** > > Some Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. Below are given a number of important Buddhist terms, short definitions, and the languages in which they appear. In this list, an attempt has been made to organize terms by their original form and give translations and synonyms in other languages along with the definition. > Languages and traditions dealt with here: > > Ködelüsi ügei, Ülü hödelügci > [@](#): > > \*Kwanzaa is known as a celebration of the life of human-beings loosely based in African culture, but collectively referred with Maoism. > > The name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase ‘matunda ya kwanza’, meaning “first fruits”. The additional “a” was added to “kwanza” so that the word would have seven letters, one for each of the seven principles. Kwanzaa is a week long festival, celebrated between December 26 and January 1.\* > **[Kwanzaa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa)** > > Kwanzaa (/ˈkwɑːn.zə/) is an annual celebration of African-American culture that is held from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually held on the 6th day. It was created by Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of Africa, including West and Southeast Africa. Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966. > American Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 during the aftermath of the Watts riots as a specifically African-Am... > [@](#): > > _Chanukah (חנכה ḥănukkāh, or חנוכה ḥănūkkāh) is a Jewish holiday, also known as the Festival of lights. “Chanukah” is a Hebrew word meaning “dedication”. It is also spelled, amongst other ways, as Chanuka, Hanuka, Hanukka, Hannukah or Hanukkah. The first evening of Chanukah starts after the sunset of the 24th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev. Since in Jewish tradition the calendar date starts at sunset, Chanukah begins on the 25th._ > **[Hanukkah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah)** > > Hanukkah (/ˈhɑːnəkə/; Hebrew: .mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans}חֲנֻכָּה‎, Modern: Ḥanukkáh, Tiberian: Ḥanukkāh; usually sp... > [@](#): > > \*Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a traditional holiday in the Christian calendar which takes place on the twenty-fifth day of December and celebrates the birth of Jesus. According to the Christian gospels, Jesus was born to Mary in Bethlehem, where Mary and her husband Joseph had travelled to register in the Roman census. His birth was said by his followers to fulfill the prophecies of Judaism that a messiah would come, from the house of David. Christmas is also a secular holiday throughout much of the world, including countries with small Christian populations, such as Japan. The precise chronology of Jesus’ birth and death as well as the historicity of Jesus are debated. > > “Christmas” is often abbreviated to Xmas, possibly because the letter X resembles the Greek letter Χ (Chi), which is the first letter of Christ’s name as spelled in Greek.\* > **[Christmas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas)** > > Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25\[a\] as a religious and cultural celebration by billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is preceded by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night. Christmas Day is a public holiday in many countries,\[ The traditional Ch... ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kwazy-kwanzaa/280045/4 "2004-12-15T23:22:42Z")
Solemn Solstice? ok, thats really reaching isn’t it? I’m all out of ideas. I couldn’t think of anything for the Equinox. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kwazy-kwanzaa/280045/5 "2004-12-15T23:35:22Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Solemn Solstice? > ok, thats really reaching isn’t it? > > I’m all out of ideas. I couldn’t think of anything for the Equinox. We usually just say “Happy Solstice” or “Blessed Yule”. Well, before the wassail anyway. After a lot of wassail, we mostly say things like, “I feel this amazing energy between us, we must have shared a past life together. Wanna go snuggle by the firepit?” (Equinox is in autumn and spring. “Happy” works there, too.) ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kwazy-kwanzaa/280045/6 "2004-12-16T00:17:49Z")
This may be TMI. [**Origin of Kwanza**]](chttp://www.funmunch.com/events/kwanzaa/kwanzaa\_history.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kwazy-kwanzaa/280045/7 "2004-12-16T03:25:32Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Solemn Solstice? > ok, thats really reaching isn’t it? > > I’m all out of ideas. I couldn’t think of anything for the Equinox. Equitable Equinox. (Same notion as ‘righteous’ and brings in the balance of the spheres and \ ewwww WAHHHHHH) Peace. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kwazy-kwanzaa/280045/8 "2004-12-16T06:14:15Z")
> [@Padeye](#): > > I think the only thing missing from both lists is solsice for the Wiccans/Pagans/Druids. I think it would be hilarious if you complained about this, seeing as how someone obviously went to such great lengths to be politically correct. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kwazy-kwanzaa/280045/9 "2004-12-16T13:40:30Z")
They forgot Festivus. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kwazy-kwanzaa/280045/10 "2004-12-16T14:06:08Z")
Gladsome Saturnalia. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kwazy-kwanzaa/280045/11 "2004-12-16T14:26:23Z")
Huh. I thought Deepavali is what occured between Bigamountains. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kwazy-kwanzaa/280045/12 "2004-12-16T16:00:55Z")
> [@Padeye](#): > > Cheery Diwali Wasn’t Devali (Diwali) back in October or early November? It’s certainly not in December… ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kwazy-kwanzaa/280045/13 "2004-12-16T16:39:47Z")
> [@Cat Fight](#): > > I think it would be hilarious if you complained about this, seeing as how someone obviously went to such great lengths to be politically correct. I really don’t want to offend anyone’s serious faith but I think I may wrap all these up in a card next year. I’ll have to add heartfelt Aztec human sacrifice day and a Bloody Baaloween (to offend Jack Chick) along with the rest already mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kwazy-kwanzaa/280045/14 "2004-12-16T16:40:21Z")
Ramadan is well over too. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kwazy-kwanzaa/280045/15 "2004-12-16T16:44:20Z")
> [@wevets](#): > > Wasn’t Devali (Diwali) back in October or early November? It’s certainly not in December… It was in the first half of November I believe, though I don’t recall when. My officemate (who’s offsite today, or I’d ask her) was talking with me about her family’s efforts to clean their house and make goodies for the celebration. I googled it and it seems like for this year, Friday, November 12th is listed - but since it’s supposed to be a 5-day festival, I’m not sure if that is the start or the end of the holiday.