Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is an entire week of honoring African heritage, marked by participants lighting a

"kinara", culminating in a big party and gift giving. It is celebrated every year from December 26
to January 1. It was created by Maulana Karenga and was first celebrated from December 26,
1966 to January 1, 1967.

History
Black American separatist Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 during the Watts riots as
a non-Christian, specifically African-American holiday. Karenga said his aim was to "give black
people an alternative to the existing Christmas holiday and give black people an opportunity to
celebrate themselves and their history rather than simply mimic the practice of the dominant
society ".

Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles)

Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa are dedicated to a principle, for example:

Umoja (Unity): To maintain unity in the family, community, race and nation.

Kujichagulia (Self-determination): To define and name ourselves, and to create and speak for
ourselves.

Ujima (Collective work and responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and
make our brothers and sisters problems our problems and solve them together.

Ujamaa (Cooperative economics): To build and maintain our own shops, stores and other
businesses and profit from them together.

Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation to build and develop our community to restore
our people to their traditional greatness.

Kuumba (Creativity): To always do what we can, in the way we can, to leave our community
more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

Imani (Faith): To believe wholeheartedly in our people, in our parents, in our teachers, in our
leaders, and in the justice and victory of our struggle.