12/26/2025
Happy Kwanzaa! Today marks the beginning of a beautiful seven-day celebration of community, culture, and African heritage. To help our community celebrate with intention, we’ve put together a quick guide to the heart of Kwanzaa.
🕯️ WHAT IS KWANZAA?
Established in 1966, Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday (not a religious one) that honors African harvest festival traditions. The name comes from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning "first fruits."
THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES (Nguzo Saba)
Each day, a new candle is lit on the Kinara to represent one of these core values:
👉🏾 Umoja (Unity): To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
👉🏾 Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define, name, create, and speak for ourselves.
👉🏾 Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together.
👉🏾 Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores and businesses.
👉🏾 Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community.
👉🏾 Kuumba (Creativity): To leave our community more beautiful than we inherited it.
👉🏾 Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people and the righteousness of our struggle.
THE COLORS OF THE CELEBRATION
You’ll notice the Kinara holds three red candles, three green candles, and one black candle in the center.
🖤 Black: For the people.
♥️ Red: For the noble blood that unites us and the struggle for freedom.
💚 Green: For the rich land of Africa and the hope for the future.
As we reflect on these principles over the next week, we encourage you to think about how you can incorporate Umoja and Kuumba into your daily life.
Habari Gani? (What is the news?)
Wishing you a season of light, reflection, and joy.
