Word of the Day

: December 26, 2021

Kwanzaa

noun KWAHN-zuh

What It Means

Kwanzaa is an African-American cultural festival held from December 26 to January 1.

// Kwanzaa is celebrated with candle lighting ceremonies.

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Kwanzaa in Context

"[Marilyn Hemingway] said that more and more people have incorporated Kwanzaa in their celebrations. The seven-day holiday was first celebrated in Los Angeles in 1966 and was founded by scholar, author and activist Maulana Karenga as an alternative to the traditional Christmas holiday as a way to bring the African American community together…." — Roger Yale, The Post & Courier (Charleston, South Carolina), 17 Nov. 2021

Did You Know?

In 1966, Maulana Karenga, a Black Studies professor at California State University at Long Beach, created a new holiday patterned after traditional African harvest festivals. He called it Kwanzaa, a name he took from a Swahili term that means "first fruits." The holiday, which takes place from December 26th to January 1st, was originally intended as a nonreligious celebration of family and social values. Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.