Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration honoring African heritage and culture, observed from December 26 to January 1. Created in 1966 by scholar and activist Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga, the holiday was initially a response to the social and political upheaval of the 1960s, and the cultural disconnection experienced by African Americans.
Rooted in African traditions and communal values, Kwanzaa is not a religious observance but rather a cultural celebration that can be celebrated by people of all faiths. The holiday emphasizes family, history, core values, community, and shared responsibility, while fostering pride, reflection, and unity.
The History of Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa gets its name from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning “first fruits.” The holiday is rooted in first fruit celebrations or harvest festivals which are found in cultures throughout Africa in both ancient and modern times.
Dr. Karenga, an active participant in the Black Power movement during the 1960s, created Kwanzaa in the immediate aftermath of the Watts Riots in Oakland, California to reaffirm and restore African heritage and culture, introduce and reinforce shared values, and establish a nationally celebrated communal holiday that centers collective rather than individual achievement. He drew the concepts and symbols of Kwanzaa from traditions and practices found throughout the African diaspora. Karenga recognized that, on the whole, African Americans do not live in an agricultural setting. Nonetheless, he sought to emphasize that the basic principles found in producing the harvest are vital to building and maintaining strong and wholesome communities.
In this-way, Kwanzaa was developed. Kwanzaa is that time when we reflect on our use of the basic principles, share and enjoy the fruits of our labor, and recommit ourselves to the collective achievement of a better life for our family, our community, and our people.
The Nguzo Saba: Seven Principles of Kwanzaa
At the heart of Kwanzaa are the Nguzo Saba, or Seven Principles, which guide daily reflection and activities throughout the week. For each one of the seven days, families light a candle on the Kinara (candle holder) to honor that day’s principle:
- Umoja (Unity)
To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
- Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.
- Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
To build and maintain our community together and make our community’s problems our problems and to solve them together.
- Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.
- Nia (Purpose)
To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
- Kuumba (Creativity)
To do always as much as we can to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
- Imani (Faith)
To believe with all our hearts in our people and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
For suggested songs for reflection, reading, recipes, and activities for each day, visit nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/seven-principles-kwanzaa
A Time of Learning, Family and Celebration of Heritage
The celebration incorporates various cultural practices, including lighting the kinara, sharing stories, and participating in communal feasts. Kwanzaa is a time for families and communities to come together to remember the past and to celebrate African American culture.
During the celebration of Kwanzaa, it is customary to greet friends and family with the Swahili phrase, “Habari gani”, meaning, “What is the news?” To respond, answer with the principle of the day. (Umoja, for example, is the response given on December 26th.)
The candlelighting ceremony, central to the celebration of Kwanzaa, takes place at a time when all members of the family are present. Children are encouraged to take an active role in all activities.
The ceremony begins with the Tambiko (libation), an African form of praise which pays homage to personal and collective ancestors. To begin, the elder of the household pours wine, juice or distilled spirits from the Kikomba Cha Umoja (unity cup) into the earth or an earth-filled vessel. While pouring, the elder makes a statement honoring departed family members for the inspiration and values they have left with descendants. Friends are also remembered.
After the Tambiko, as a gesture of unity, the elder drinks from the Kikombe Cha Umoja and then passes it for all to share. The elder leads the call, “Harambee” (Let’s pull together), and everyone participates in repeating the phrase seven times. Candlelighting, central to the ceremony, reinforces the meaning of the principles. The placement of the mishumaa saba (candles) in the Kinara is as follows: Black, for the color of African peoples everywhere, is located in the center. Three red candles, representing the blood of the ancestors, are placed to the left. Three green candles that symbolize the earth, life, and the ideas and promise of the future, are placed to the right. Beginning December 26 with the black mushumaa, a different candle is lit for each day, alternating from left to right. After the candlelighting, the principle of the day is discussed.
Meal sharing happens throughout the week, as families and communities come together to share a feast to honor the ancestors, and celebrate creativity and culture. The table is decorated with the essential symbols of Kwanzaa, including the Kinara, Muhindi (ears of corn representing children), Mazao (fruits to represent the harvest), and Zawadi (gifts), that are all placed on the Mkeka (woven straw mat representing the foundation on which all else rests). The colors of the Pan-African flag–red to represent the struggle, black to represent the people, and green to represent the future–are used throughout the space and often in the clothing worn by participants. These colors were first popularized and proclaimed by Marcus Garvey to be the colors for all people of the African Diaspora in 1920. Along with the lighting of the candles on the Kinara, the principle of the day is further emphasized by various activities such as reciting the sayings or writings of great Black thinkers and writers, reciting original poetry, African drumming, storytelling, and discussion.
Meals play a large part in the celebration of Kwanzaa. Throughout the week, favorite African-American dishes, as well as traditional African, Caribbean, and South American recipes, are on many menus. On December 31, the sixth day of Kwanzaa, there is a joyous celebration with food, drink, dance, and music called Karamu. It is a time of rejoicing, reassessment and recommitment. The Zawadi, handmade or similarly meaningful gifts for children, may be opened at the Karamu, or on the final day of Kwanzaa, when Imani is observed.
For short educational children’s videos about the seven principles of Kwanzaa – umoja, kujichagulia, ujima, ujamaa, nia, kuumba, and imani – as well as some recipes and celebration suggestions, visit nmaahc.si.edu/explore/moments/kwanzaa
All information compiled from the National Museum of African American History and Culture and Black PR Wire.