As millions across America save up their extra pennies, personal work days, and long awaited proposals to celebrate the worldwide holiday designed for lovers and better known as Valentines Day, another similar holiday is taking place in many African-American communities that recognizes not only the nurturing of romantic love, but love from a communal and cultural perspective as well. Enter in Akoma Day.
Akoma Day is a seven day holiday celebration of love between individuals within the African-American community. Observed during February in place of Valentines Day, the focus of this fairly new holiday is to ” …restore ‘ Black Love ‘ as the primordial example of love personified,” says founders Montsho & Nwasha Edu. Although officially celebrated for one week from February 14th to February 20th, Akoma Day is designed to be celebrated throughout the year as a tool to help cultivate and reflect the highest level of love in all relationships.
