The Elementary Forms of Religious Life by Durkheim - Essay Example

The Elementary Forms of Religious Life Kwanzaa is a holiday that is cherished by the African Americans and it is of great value and significance to them and America at large. Kwanza celebrations begin in 26th December and end in 1st January. Kwanzaa is not only celebrated in homes but also in schools and public establishments and has a spiritual element even though it is not a religious event. The spiritual aspect is seen in the time in which it is takes place. The holiday’s themes, concepts and values speak for the highest values which people seek to achieve. From religious life, the values in social life are not individual, but are shared by a group which is the case in the Kwanzaa holiday (Emile 3). Kwanza is important to my African American friends because it gives them a chance to commemorate their heritage and the struggle that frames their futures. Religious Life, religion is described as being about how sacred things are (Emile, 12). The holiday has different functions which elaborate more of its sacred nature of the holiday. According to Durkheim, transfiguration is seen as a change of behavior during the religious celebrations. In Kwanzaa the get more into thanks giving and they change the way they do things during the seven days of Kwanzaa. During the celebrations, the people give thanks for the successful life and well being of the family. Prayer and worship in the society is seen as a way of improving the quality of life and as service to others. Accomplishments of individuals in a family are recognized during the holiday, which includes honoring children’s school performance, the good work of individuals and recognizing the accomplishments of the community as a whole. Other concepts of the Kwanza festival include paying respect to the ancestors, celebrating harvest and dedication to practicing life affirming principles. Kwanza serves to strengthen behavior, success in school and encourage positive behavior transformation. There are rituals of kwanza activities are carried out from the first day of the holiday to the last. The ritual activities include family gathering whereby all members of a family gather in one place to celebrate. According to Durkheim, totems are rites performed aiming to connect the people with their traditions. In Kwanzaa, there are several rites performed to connect the African Americans with their motherland traditions. (Emile, 57) One of these rites is the candle lighting ritual called “Lifting up the Light that lasts”. The significance of this ritual is to illuminate the path that brings good into the world. Seven candles are lit, to represent the Seven Principles of the Kwanzaa holiday. These principles are creativity, unity, communal work and responsibility, supportive economics, purpose, and faith. Other rituals of the kwanza ceremony include respect for the creation and the cerebration of the common. These are some of the collective practices that people engage in during Kwanzaa celebrations. Kwanzaa can be made special by decorating the home with kwanza symbols, practicing kwanza greetings which are “habari gani” which is Swahili for “what is the news?” the Swahili greetings and other Swahili words spoken in the rituals are a part of the positive rites that are aimed at giving meaning to the Kwanzaa ceremony. (Emile, 87) Another way of making Kwanza special is by recognizing accomplishments of individuals in a family which includes honoring children’s school performance, the good work of individuals and recognizing the accomplishments of the community as a whole. Institutions can make kwanza by holding fashion shows, presentations of art and poetry that are all based on the African culture. Collective presentation in Kwanzaa is seen in the way the people celebrating come together as one to plan for celebration. The Kwanzaa ceremony has seven fundamental symbols and two enhancement symbols. These symbols embody the values and perceptions that are reflective of the African culture and put in to reinforcement and community building. One of the symbols is the crops that symbolize the African harvest festivals and the recompense of communal and reproductive labor. The mat represents the African tradition on which the Kwanza ceremony is built. The candle stand serves to symbolize the continental Africans, who are the roots of the African American. The children are represented by the com. The unity cup signifies the practice of unison and the base principle that makes everything possible and the gifts stand for promises made and delivered by children and the effort and love of children. The supplemental symbols are the poster of the principles and the Kwanzaa flag whose colors are red (their struggle), black (the people) and green (the future and hope). From rites and symbols, the symbols help the people’s minds to get together and commune even if the group is not present (Emile 16). These symbols are seen as sacred and they are the totemic items of Kwanzaa. These are true as seen in the case of Kwanzaa, whereby the symbols have meanings that are universal to all African Americans and they are a part of the positive rites. Durkheim’s analysis of what shapes human analysis is basically true because most people’s understanding is shaped by religious practice (Emile 3). Religion is created by the people whereby they define objects and various symbols. In my opinion this is true because as seen in Kwanzaa, the society gives meaning to the symbols and rituals done during the ceremony. The negative rites that Durkheim states in rites and symbols are not necessarily negative because people choose what they want to practice depending on their religion (Emile, 8). The rites are dictated by one’s religion and since they are accepted in the religion, they cannot be termed as negative. Durkheim’s insinuation that religion dies away as science goes forward is practical because the two originate from the society. The two are a way in which people try categorize realities in order to understand them (Emile 324). With time people tend to believe more in religion and they forget about what religion is more about. Research done in science pulls people away from religion and makes them to believe in science. In conclusion, religion if upheld thrives to high levels. Religious holidays that are celebrated among the people in various societies and communities serve as a way of celebrating different religious traditions. Religion has its basis in reality and if the facts about religion are not reinforced, the religion faces extinction. In conclusion, Durkheim’s analysis of what shapes human analysis is basically true because most people’s understanding is shaped by religious practice. The negative rites that Durkheim states in rites and symbols are not necessarily negative because people choose what they want to practice depending on their religion and dictated by one’s religion and since they are accepted in the religion, they cannot be termed as negative. Kwanzaa celebrations in USA support Durkheim’s analysis. These celebrations are not only celebrated in homes but also in schools and public establishments. Works Cited Durkheim, Émile. The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life. New York: Free Press, 1965. Print. Read More