‘What’s the news?’: A guide to Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa starts today and over the years it has become an internationally recognized celebration of African culture and community – not only in the United States but in all countries with large African descendant populations.

The holiday is a week-long celebration of family, community and culture marking African American heritage, as well as an event reinforcing self-determination and unity in the face of oppression. Each year it is celebrated from 26 December to 1 January.

Each day, observers greet each other with “Habri Gani”, which means “What’s the news?”

The origins of Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa was founded by Black nationalist, author and professor Maulana Karenga in 1966 as a way to reconnect Black communities in the US with important African cultural traditions that were severed by the transatlantic slave trade. 

“It was shaped by that defining decade of fierce strivings and struggles for freedom, justice and associated goods waged by Africans and other peoples of color all over the world in the 1960s,” Karenga wrote in his annual Kwanzaa address last year. “Kwanzaa thus came into being, grounded itself and grew as an act of freedom, an instrument of freedom, a celebration of freedom and a practice of freedom.” 

The name Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili phrase, “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” or “first harvest.”  

The final “a” was added to the name to accommodate the seven children present at the first Kwanzaa, each of whom was given a letter to represent. 

The principles of Kwanzaa

The holiday is governed by seven principles, known collectively as the Nguzo Saba, and a different principle is celebrated each day:

Umoja (Unity)
Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
Nia (Purpose)
Kuumba (Creativity)
Imani (Faith)

The Nguzo Saba is represented by a candleholder with seven candles called a kinara.

Each night, one of those candles is lit – with the candles being the same colours as the Kwanzaa flag: three red (on the left – representing struggle), three green (on the right – representing hope), and a single black candle that is placed in the center – representing the people.

Here’s the breakdown:  

The three red candles are Umoja (Unity) on 26/12, Kujichagulia (self-determination) on 27/12, and Ujima (collective work and responsibility) on 28/12.  
The central black candle is Ujaama (cooperative economics) on 29/12.  
The three green candles are Nia (purpose) on 30/12, Kuumba (creativity) on 31/12, Imani (faith) on 01/01.

How to celebrate Kwanzaa

During Kwanzaa, people decorate their houses with colorful art and African cloth. Fresh fruits are put out on tables as centerpieces to represent African idealism.  

Activities over the seven days are geared toward reaffirming community bonds, commemorating the past and recommitting to important African cultural ideals.  

The celebration also includes music, dancing, reading poetry and Zawadi (gifts) such as books and heritage symbols given to the children.

Happy Kwanzaa!