Kwanzaa

noun

Kwan·​zaa ˈkwän-zə 

variants or less commonly Kwanza

: an African American cultural festival held from December 26 to January 1

Did you know?

In 1966, Maulana Karenga, a Black Studies professor at California State University at Long Beach, created a new holiday patterned after traditional African harvest festivals. He called it Kwanzaa, a name he took from a Swahili term that means "first fruits." The holiday, which takes place from December 26th to January 1st, was originally intended as a nonreligious celebration of family and social values. Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

Examples of Kwanzaa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

His likeness has graced the country’s currency, and his teachings have inspired everything from the black-consciousness Rastafari movement to the Nation of Islam and Kwanzaa. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2025

Jordan, who was on the show as a child, will be part of a Kwanzaa segment. —Amy Amatangelo, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025

How Suicide Drones Transformed the Front Lines in Ukraine Yes, Kwanzaa Is Made Up. —Kirsten Potter Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024

Buy Now The Office Characters Celebrate Christmas in New Book, Penned by Brian Baumgartner and Show’s Producer (Exclusive) 04 of 07 'Together for Kwanzaa' by Juwanda G. Ford Kwanzaa is Kayla's favorite time of year, but this year the celebrations are threatened by a big snowstorm. —Lizz Schumer, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024

Looking ahead, Kwanzaa's start on Thursday is expected to be partly cloudy and warm, with temperatures continuing to rise throughout the week, peaking near 80°F by the end of the week. —Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024

The Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara is being installed downtown for the third year, with a lighting ceremony planned Thursday, Day 1 of Kwanzaa. —Annalise Frank, Axios, 23 Dec. 2024

Suddenly Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s are a mere weeks away and your to-do list seems to never end. —Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 30 Oct. 2024

Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa share custody of most of December; Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July have become, for some, political lightning rods. —Kate Lindsay, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Swahili kwanza first

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

Kwanzaa

noun

Kwan·​zaa ˈkwän-zə 

: an African American cultural festival held from December 26 to January 1

Etymology

Swahili kwanza "first," in the phrase matunda ya kwanza "first fruits"