Since its inception in 1966, Kwanzaa has become a widely recognized celebration of African culture and community in the United States and other nations with significant African descendant populations.
This nationwide communal observance, emphasizing self-determination and unity against oppression, runs for seven days, from December 26th to January 1st. It’s marked by large, city-sponsored events as well as smaller community and family gatherings across the country.
Kwanzaa’s popularity has grown steadily since its founding, currently celebrated by 3% of the U.S. population (according to a 2019 AP-NORC survey). Former Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama have all issued Kwanzaa proclamations, and the U.S. Postal Service began issuing commemorative stamps in 1997. However, it remains an unofficial federal holiday.
Kwanzaa’s origins
Kwanzaa emerged during the 1960s Black Freedom Movement, aiming to reconnect Black communities in the U.S. with vital African cultural traditions disrupted by the transatlantic slave trade. It also champions unity and liberation.
“It was profoundly shaped by that transformative decade of intense struggles for freedom, justice, and equality waged by Africans and other people of color globally in the 1960s,” Maulana Karenga, the holiday’s founder, stated in his 2023 Kwanzaa address. “Kwanzaa, therefore, originated, established itself, and flourished as an act of freedom, a tool for freedom, a celebration of freedom, and an embodiment of freedom.”
Karenga, an African American author, activist, and professor, established Kwanzaa following the 1965 Watts Riots (Watts Rebellion) in Los Angeles.
Karenga described Kwanzaa as a “politically motivated holiday” in an interview with Henry Lewis Gates Jr. for PBS.
“The goal is for African and African-descended people to gather around family, community, and culture, creating spaces where, in Dr. Karenga’s words, we feel fully African and fully human simultaneously,” explained Janine Bell, president and artistic director at the Elegba Folklore Society in Richmond, Virginia.
The basics
Many who observe Kwanzaa, a secular holiday, celebrate it alongside religious festivals like Christmas. Individuals of any faith, race, or ethnicity can participate.
The name Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” meaning “first fruits” or “first harvest.” The final “a” was added to represent the seven children present at the first Kwanzaa celebration, each receiving a letter.
The holiday is guided by seven principles, known as the Nguzo Saba, each highlighted daily: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).
The Nguzo Saba are symbolized by a kinara, a seven-candle holder. Each night, a candle is lit. The candle colors match the Kwanzaa flag: black for the people, red for their struggle, and green for their hope.
Large Kwanzaa celebrations take place annually across the U.S., including cities like Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Detroit. These events often include storytelling, music, and dance.
Bell noted that this year’s Capital City Kwanzaa Festival in Richmond focuses on “knowledge of self,” with a randomly selected African descendant receiving a free DNA test to discover their ancestry.
The holiday is also observed in homes, often centering on children, seen as crucial to cultural preservation and community development. Corn frequently represents this focus on children and the future.
“The intention is for it to be a year-round practice,” Bell stated. “The need for these principles and their strengthening values don’t disappear on January 2nd.”
Family celebrations involve gift-giving and sharing African American and Pan-African foods, culminating in the Karamu, a feast showcasing dishes from the African diaspora. This might include Southern staples like sweet potato pie or African dishes such as jollof rice.
Activities throughout the seven days aim to strengthen community ties, remember the past, and recommit to key African cultural ideals. This can include dance, poetry readings, ancestor veneration, and the daily kinara lighting.
