Kwanzaa begins with nod to unity, events at African American Museum in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The traditional African American celebration of Kwanzaa officially got underway on Sunday, and there are several Kwanzaa-themed events and activities in Philadelphia through the week.

Kwanzaa is celebrated from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. It involves the ritual of lighting a candle every night for seven nights, on a seven-branched candle holder called a kinara. The candles correspond to seven principles of African heritage, called Nguzo Saba.

Ivan Henderson with the African American Museum of Philadelphia (AAMP) explained this on a recent episode of KYW's original podcast The Rundown.

"Three red candles, three green candles and one black candle in the center," he said. "They are lit in succession in a certain order, day by day, as we observe each principle."

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On Sunday night, the first candle was lit for Umoja, which means unity.

Additional principles to be observed include Kujichagulia, or self-determination; Ujima, or collective work and responsibility; Ujamaa, or cooperative economics; Nia, or purpose; Kuumba, or creativity; and Imani, which means faith.

Kwanzaa kinara
The seven candles of the kinara are lit in succession in a certain order, day by day, in observance of seven principles of African heritage. Photo credit Getty Images

Kwanzaa, created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 and modeled after the first-fruits festivals of the Nguni peoples of Southern Africa, is considered a celebration of family culture and community. It is not religious, and it can be observed by everyone.

"Being a part of this or having a principle-driven look at the new year from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 is something that anyone can get into," Henderson said. "So I do move away from calling this a holiday."

Additional rituals include giving homemade gifts, and setting the table with "fresh fruits, with gifts representative of our dreams for our youth, as well as a red, black and green flag and a mat."

Rachel Ferguson of Visit Philadelphia says the AAMP has many Kwanzaa-themed events planned.

"They have two days of programming, on Dec. 26 and 30, where you can learn more about Kwanzaa traditions through their Kwanzaa 101 lessons," Ferguson said.

There are also festivities at Franklin Square and Reading Terminal Market. She says to plan ahead, follow masking protocols and check out visitphilly.com.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Getty Images