Kwanzaa has become a nationally recognized celebration of African culture and community in the United States since its founding in 1966, also celebrated in countries with large African descendant populations.
The holiday, a nationwide communal event that reinforces self-determination and unity amidst oppression, spans seven days from the day after Christmas through New Year’s Day. It is observed through large, city-sponsored events as well as in smaller communities and homes across the nation.
Kwanzaa's popularity has increased over the decades, celebrated by approximately 3% of the U.S. population according to a 2019 AP-NORC survey. Past presidents like Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama have recognized the holiday, which led to the U.S. Postal Service issuing Kwanzaa stamps in 1997—though it is not a federal holiday.
Kwanzaa’s Origins
Kwanzaa emerged from the Black Freedom Movement of the 1960s, aiming to reconnect Black communities in the U.S. with significant African cultural traditions severed by the trans-Atlantic slave trade. It emphasizes unity and liberation.
“It was shaped by fierce struggles for freedom and justice waged by Africans and other people of color around the world during the 1960s,” Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa’s founder, stated. “Kwanzaa is grounded in acts of freedom and serves as a celebration and practice of that freedom.”
Karenga founded Kwanzaa following the Watts Riots in 1965. He conceptualized it as a “political-motivator holiday” to unify people of African descent around family, community, and culture, creating spaces where individuals feel both fully African and fully human.
Many Kwanzaa observers celebrate this secular holiday in conjunction with religious festivities like Christmas, welcoming participation from individuals of all faiths and backgrounds. The term "Kwanzaa" derives from the Swahili phrase “mutanda ya kwanza,” meaning “first fruits.” The extra 'a' in Kwanzaa accommodates the seven children present during its first celebration, each assigned a letter.
The holiday is governed by the Nguzo Saba, or seven principles: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). Each night, one of the seven candles in a kinara (candleholder) is lit, representing the colors of the Kwanzaa flag—Black for the people, red for their struggle, and green for hope.
Annual Kwanzaa celebrations take place in cities such as Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Detroit, featuring storytellers, musicians, and dancers. Observance at home often centers on children, representing cultural survival. Family gatherings include gift-giving and sharing traditional dishes, culminating in a Karamu feast showcasing foods from across the African diaspora—like sweet potato pie from Southern cuisine and jollof rice from Africa.
Daily activities during Kwanzaa reaffirm community bonds and commemorate cultural ideals, encompassing dancing, poetry readings, honoring ancestors, and the daily lighting of the kinara. The intention, as Janine Bell of the Elegba Folklore Society notes, is to retain these values throughout the year, beyond just the days of Kwanzaa.
