For many people, the holiday season truly begins the day after Christmas, for that is when the seven days of Kwanzaa begin. Kwanzaa is the first African-American holiday and it was created so that African-Americans could have an alternative to the usual holiday proceedings if they should desire one. Created by Ron Karenga in 1966, Kwanzaa has gained popularity within the African-American community and beyond as a time to express the richness of the culture and history of the Pan-African tradition. Throughout the seven days of celebrations, people are encouraged to light candles, pour libations, give gifts, and enjoy a feast, making the time period one of great joy and togetherness. Kwanzaa is celebrated not only in the United States, but also by millions of members of the world African community, making it one of the most widely-spreading celebrations in existence today.

When Dr. Ron Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966, he was trying to create a time for African-Americans to celebrate themselves and their culture and history in a way that separates itself from the rest of the global community. The word “Kwanzaa” itself means “first fruits” in Swahili, a word that was chosen in order to attest to the global level of celebration that Karenga wanted. Kwanzaa is associated with the black nationalist movement of the 1960s, a move that sought to establish a racial identity unique to blacks in the global community rather than to work into the fold of multiculturalism. This was to be accomplished, according to Karenga’s vision, by helping African-Americans reconnect with their cultural roots through the practicing of African traditions and a larger sense of togetherness within the African-American community. Since then, Kwanzaa has received a large amount of acceptance within the global community, with the United States Post Office adopting its first Kwanzaa stamp in 1997 and another one in 2004. Since his creation of the holiday, Dr. Karenga has dedicated much of his life to raising awareness of Kwanzaa and establishing the practicing of traditions that make the holiday what it is today.

In the words of Dr. Karenga, Kwanzaa should be thought of “as an ancient and living cultural tradition which reflects the best of African thought and practice in its reaffirmation of the dignity of the human person in community and in culture, the well-being of family and community, the integrity of the environment and our kinship with it, and the rich resource and meaning of a people’s culture.” The celebration of Kwanzaa means the awareness of seven principles: Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba, and Imani, which are the Swahili words for Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith, respectively.

Unity is described as striving to maintain unity within the family, community, nation, and race. Although much of Kwanzaa involves establishing a distinct cultural identity for Africans in the global community, it does not call for complete separation from members of other races, nations, communities, or families. Rather, Kwanzaa is a time to establish a unique racial identity in order to come to terms with oneself and to appreciate one’s part in the global community. On this note, the second principle, Self-Determination, involves the definition of one’s identity. Those who celebrate Kwanzaa are encouraged to make a name for themselves, to establish their own identity, and to speak for themselves, rather than allowing society to speak for them. Self-Determination is an important principle of Kwanzaa because much of the celebration involves reflection on the essence of identity and the importance that each individual holds within the community.

The third principle, Collective Work and Responsibility, means that we should build our community together and take on each other’s problems as our own. Rather than to let other members of one’s community suffer, the idea of Kwanzaa is to treat everyone as we treat our family in order to enhance the life of the community. The fourth principle, Cooperative Economics, is similar in that everyone’s stores, shops, and other business should work together so that everyone profits, rather than creating a completely competitive atmosphere in which everybody loses. In the spirit of Kwanzaa, the whole community is in the game of life together, rather than living in a way in which every individual member of the community is out to get one another in order to achieve some level of personal gain.

The fifth principle of Kwanzaa is Purpose, which dictates that every member of the global African community should contribute to the task of restoring the African identity to its traditional greatness. In order to do this, the practice of Kwanzaa stresses the strengthening of the community. The sixth principle of Creativity says that everybody should strive to do whatever they can to make the community better, using creativity in order to fill in all the possible gaps of help that exist. Although it may be difficult to figure out some way to help the community, the idea of Creativity means that one should always be doing as much as he or she can, in whatever way possible, to help the community. Finally, the seventh principle of Faith holds that one should always have faith in the community, the family, the leaders, and the teachers in order to help restore the global African people to a better state.

The actual celebration of Kwanzaa involves the wholehearted embracing of the African tradition. Families that celebrate Kwanzaa usually decorate their households with all sorts of African art, cloth, and the fresh fruits from which the holiday derives its name. Fresh fruits are a symbol of idealism, and as such, they are very important to the greater significance of the celebration of Kwanzaa. During the Kwanzaa celebrations, giving thanks and acknowledging one’s ancestors is significant, as is the taking of libations, usually from a common chalice passed around to everyone taking part in the ceremony. As far as special Kwanzaa ceremonies go, traditional African music often sets the stage for reflections of the Pan-African experience. There may also be recitations of African history, candle-lighting rituals, displays of traditional African dance or song, or other artistic performances. The culmination of Kwanzaa is the feast, called Karumu, that ties together the rest of the ceremony in one joyous occasion.

Modern Kwanzaa celebrations in many households take place right alongside Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, with the traditional kinara, or Kwanzaa candle holder, sitting alongside the Christmas tree. For many of these households, Kwanzaa is celebrated as a subset of Christmas celebrations that incorporate the spirit with the principles set forth in the practice and celebration of Kwanzaa. Over the time that Kwanzaa has been celebrated, it has evolved significantly, growing from an exclusively African-American holiday to a holiday that stands aside the other holidays of the season as a choice for African-Americans and others. Kwanzaa is not a religious observance; rather, it is a time for people to celebrate the uniqueness and distinct identity of the African-American experience as well as its importance within the global framework. Kwanzaa is also a time to bring awareness to everyone in the world that may feel marginalized because of race, as much of Kwanzaa involves feeling a sense of togetherness and community with everyone in the world.