Kwanzaa and Kanga

I was delighted to spot the bright and colorful pattern of these Kwanzaa stamps in the post office. Kwanzaa is a seven day festival celebrated to honor African heritage. Here is the Official Kwanzaa Website.

From Wiki: The name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza", meaning "first fruits". The choice of Swahili, an East African language, reflects its status as a symbol of Pan-Africanism, especially in the 1960s. The first Kwanzaa stamp was issued in by the USPS in 1997.

I decided to do some research on what the women in the stamp were wearing and found it hard to locate a good guide to Ethnic African Wear. It appears that the Kaftan (also called Boubou, the French word for robe) and the head-tie combine to form the formal attire for ladies in West Africa. The Kanga is the wrapper worn in East Africa (perhaps this is the garment the women on the stamp are wearing?). I like the Sengalese Kaftan and think it looks rather grand.