Kwanzaa

noun

Kwan·​zaa ˈkwän-zə How to pronounce Kwanzaa (audio)
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 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 Its members went on to introduce the holiday of Kwanzaa and to advocate for the creation of Black-studies departments; two young participants, Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, founded the Black Panther Party. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024 Born in New Jersey, Afiya and her siblings spent their early childhood in a culturally rich environment, celebrating traditions like Kwanzaa and later joining a vibrant Muslim community after their mother converted to Islam. Ruhama Wolle, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2024 Christmas is right near the December winter solstice festival and Kwanzaa falls right after. Lisa Vernon Sparks, Charlotte Observer, 19 June 2024 There are fun activities, too, such as a combined celebration of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024 Matthews Community Center, 100 E McDowell St, Matthews, NC 28105 Time: 7 p.m. Cost: Free Celebrate Kwanzaa with the Town of Matthews and learn everything about the holiday, including how it’s celebrated, the principles and symbols. Jody MacEand, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2023 When Is Kwanzaa 2023? Kwanzaa 2023 begins on Tuesday, Dec. 26, and runs until Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 17 Dec. 2023 Founded on the principles of Kwanzaa – Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity and Faith, the app helps streamline important goals in a cohesive way. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 3 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Kwanzaa.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Swahili kwanza first

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Kwanzaa was in 1970

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Dictionary Entries Near Kwanzaa

Cite this Entry

“Kwanzaa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Kwanzaa. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kwanzaa

noun
Kwan·​zaa ˈkwän-zə How to pronounce Kwanzaa (audio)
: an African American cultural festival held from December 26 to January 1
Etymology

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

More from Merriam-Webster on Kwanzaa

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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