What is Kwanzaa and why is it celebrated? These are the 7 core principles of the holiday

Dina Kaur, Arizona Republic
·4 min read
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During the week between Christmas and New Year, Kwanzaa takes place this year from Tuesday, Dec. 26, to Monday, Jan. 1, and includes seven nights of celebrations.

The holiday was created by a professor and department chair of Africana Studies at California State University Long Beach, Maulana Ron Karenga, in 1966 during the Black Freedom Movement as a celebration of culture meant to unify the Black diaspora.

The holiday highlights seven principles: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperation), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity) and Imani (faith), with a focus on one principle each day.

The holiday is cultural, not religious, and can be celebrated along with other major religious and secular holidays. Kwanzaa is celebrated by roughly 12.5 million Americans and 30 million people worldwide.

What is Kwanzaa and why is it celebrated?

As created by Karenga, Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday that celebrates shared history, values, family, community and culture.

The holiday was created in an effort to restore and reaffirm African heritage and culture in the United States and to introduce and reinforce Nguzo Saba or the Seven Principles.

The ideas and concepts of Kwanzaa are shared in the Swahili language, which is one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa, according to the National Museum of African American History & Culture.

Kwanzaa is named after the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means first fruits. The holiday itself has roots in first fruit celebrations found in ancient and modern cultures throughout Africa.

When is Kwanzaa?

Kwanzaa starts on Tuesday, Dec. 26, and is celebrated for seven nights until Monday, Jan. 1.

Who celebrates Kwanzaa?

Although Kwanzaa is primarily an African American holiday, it has also been celebrated outside the United States, specifically in the Caribbean and other countries where there are large African diasporas.

What are the 7 principles of Kwanzaa?

The seven principles of Kwanzaa drawn from values found throughout the African continent are:

  • Umoja or unity

  • Kujichagulia or self-determination

  • Ujima or collective work and responsibility

  • Ujamaa or cooperative economics

  • Nia or purpose

  • Kuumba or creativity

  • Imani or faith

What are the seven symbols of Kwanzaa?

Kwanzaa has seven basic symbols and two supplemental ones, according to the official Kwanzaa website:

  • Kinara: A candle holder symbolic of continental African roots.

  • Mushumaa Saba: Seven candles symbolic of the Nguzo Saba, the seven principles — a set of values that African people are urged to live by as they reconstruct their lives in their own image and according to their own needs.

  • Mkeka: Mat that is a symbol of tradition and foundation.

  • Mazao: Crops to represent the African harvest celebrations and rewards of productive and collective labor.

  • Muhindi: Corn to represent the children and the future they embody.

  • Kikombe Cha Umoja: Unity cup that symbolizes the foundational principle and practice of unity, which makes everything else possible.

  • Zawadi: Gifts are symbols of labor and love of parents and the commitments made and kept by children.

The supplemental symbols are:

  • Bendera: The colors of the Kwanzaa flag are black, red and green: black for the people, red for their struggle and green for the future.

  • Nguzo Saba Poster or art: Some written form of the Nguzo Saba should always be a part of the Kwanzaa set, because it is the seven principles that give Kwanzaa its core and cultural focus.

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What food do people eat during Kwanzaa?

The largest meal is eaten during the sixth night of Kwanzaa, which begins with the lighting of the black candle to symbolize the sixth principle of Kuumba. This night features the Kwanzaa feast known as the Kwanzaa Karamu.

Many of the foods eaten during the feast come from the African Diaspora, traditions of the people who were a part of the mass forced movement from the African continent during the Transatlantic Slave Trade between the 1500s and 1800s. This food can include hybridized cuisines such as Afro-Caribbean dishes like salt-fish, guava and red beans and pigeon peas or Southern soul food like okra, collard greens, tomatoes and shrimp.

Reach the reporter at dina.kaur@arizonarepublic.com. Follow @dina_kaur on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What is Kwanzaa and why is it celebrated? The 7 principles and feast