12/26/2025
Happy Kwanzaa!
Today marks the beginning of Kwanzaa, an annual celebration of African-American culture that runs from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu.
🔴What does Kwanzaa mean?
The name of the holiday comes directly from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza" meaning "first fruits." Celebrations surrounding "first fruits" have a deep history in African culture and major religions, although Kwanzaa itself is not a religious holiday.
🔴What do the colors red, green and black symbolize?
Black symbolizes the people, red for their struggle, and green for the future and hope that comes from their struggle. Black, red and green candles are lit on the Kinara, a candle holder, during the holiday.
🔴How is Kwanzaa celebrated?
Each night, families light the Kinara while discussing one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa, called the Nguzo Saba. There are also seven symbols that are utilized each night of Kwanzaa.
An African feast known as Karamu also takes place on New Year's Eve. Parents, who celebrate Kwanzaa give children gifts during the holiday, which are encouraged to be educational in nature and promote African heritage.
🔴 What are the seven symbols of Kwanzaa?
The seven symbols of Kwanzaa are the Kinara (candle holder), Mishumaa Saba (seven candles), Mkeka (the mat) Mazao (crops), Muhindi (ears of corn), Kikombe Cha Umoja (unity cup) and Zawadi (gifts). The mat is laid out at the beginning of the holiday on a table in a central location in the home. Then the candle holder is set up on the mat along with the crops, corn, and unity cup.
🔴 What are the seven principles of Kwanzaa?
The seven principles are:
◽ (Unity)
To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.
◽ (Self-Determination)
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.
◽ (Collective Work and Responsibility)
To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers and sisters' problems our problems and to solve them together.
◽ (Cooperative Economics)
To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.
◽ (Purpose)
To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
◽ (Creativity)
To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited.
◽ (Faith)
To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
🔴 Who can celebrate Kwanzaa?
While the holiday honors both African American and Pan-African culture, anyone can celebrate Kwanzaa. Additionally, because Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday in nature, it can be celebrated alongside other major religious and secular holidays.
