Beyond the Candles: Understanding Kwanzaa

This articled was shared in ScoopUSA in December 2024, under the title of A Beginners Guide to Kwanzaa.

- by Graham Lee Brewer Associated Press

The African drummers play music after the lighting of boathouse row in honor of the Kwanzaa holiday, Dec. 26, 2018, in Philadelphia.

(Steven M. Falk/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, File photo)

Kwanzaa has become a nationally recognized celebration of African culture and community in the United States since its founding in 1966. The holiday is also celebrated in countries with significant African-descendant populations. Kwanzaa serves as a communal event that reinforces self-determination and unity in the face of oppression. The celebration spans seven days, starting the day after Christmas and continuing through New Year's Day. It is observed in both large, city-sponsored events and smaller gatherings in homes and communities across the nation.

Kwanzaa has grown in popularity in the decades since its founding and is celebrated by 3% of the country, according to a 2019 AP-NORC survey. Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama all released statements commemorating the holiday, and in 1997, the U.S. Postal Service began issuing Kwanzaa stamps. It is not recognized as a federal holiday.

Kwanzaa's origins