130 Fun Facts About Kwanzaa

Who created Kwanzaa?

He also co-founded the Black nationalist US Organization the year before.

In what year was Kwanzaa first celebrated?

Karenga created it in the aftermath of the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles.

On what date does Kwanzaa begin each year?

It runs for seven days, ending on January 1.

On what date does Kwanzaa end?

The seven-day span mirrors the holiday's seven principles.

The name Kwanzaa comes from a Swahili phrase, "matunda ya kwanza", meaning what?

Karenga modelled it on African harvest festivals that fall around the southern solstice.

Why was an extra letter added so the name is spelled "Kwanzaa" rather than "kwanza"?

Seven is the holiday's key number: seven days, seven principles and seven symbols.

What is the Swahili name for the seven principles of Kwanzaa?

They are all Swahili words and were developed in 1965, a year before the holiday itself.

Which principle, celebrated on the first day, means "unity"?

Umoja is the principle for the first day, December 26.

Which Kwanzaa principle means "self-determination"?

It is about defining, naming and speaking for oneself.

Which principle stands for "collective work and responsibility"?

It calls for solving the community's problems together.

Which principle refers to "cooperative economics"?

It encourages building and profiting from Black-owned businesses together.

Which Kwanzaa principle means "purpose"?

Nia is about making community-building a collective vocation.

Which principle stands for "creativity"?

It is celebrated on the sixth day, alongside the Karamu feast.

Which principle, marking the final day, means "faith"?

Imani closes the holiday on January 1.

What is the candle holder that holds Kwanzaa's seven candles called?

It is the centrepiece of the Kwanzaa table.

How many candles does the Kwanzaa candle holder hold?

They are collectively called the Mishumaa Saba, one for each principle.

What colours are the seven Kwanzaa candles?

They are the colours of the Pan-African, or bendera, flag.

On the candle holder, what does the single black candle in the middle represent?

The green candles stand for the earth and the red for struggle.

The mat on which the other Kwanzaa symbols are placed is called what?

Everything else on the table sits on top of the Mkeka.

What does the Kwanzaa symbol "mazao" refer to?

The crops recall the harvest-festival roots of the holiday.

The Kwanzaa symbol "Mahindi" is corn, placed to represent what?

An ear of corn is often set out for each child in the household.

What is the "Kikombe cha Umoja"?

Libations are poured and shared from it in honour of ancestors.

What are "Zawadi", traditionally given on Kwanzaa?

They are one of the seven core symbols of the holiday.

The feast held during Kwanzaa is called the Karamu Ya Imani, or Feast of what?

The first large Karamu took place in Chicago on January 1, 1973.

On which day of Kwanzaa is the Karamu feast usually held?

It falls on the sixth day, the day of Kuumba (creativity).

What is the daily Kwanzaa greeting, "Habari Gani?", in Swahili?

The reply is the principle of that day, such as "Umoja!"

The black, red and green flag associated with Kwanzaa is known by which Swahili name?

These are the Pan-African colours popularised by Marcus Garvey's movement.

Which historical event's aftermath prompted Karenga to create Kwanzaa?

He wanted a holiday for Black Americans to celebrate their own history and culture.

Under what birth name was Kwanzaa's creator born in 1941?

He was born in Parsonsburg, Maryland.

Karenga intended Kwanzaa as the first holiday celebrating the heritage of which continent?

He modelled it on harvest traditions from across the continent.

Besides creating Kwanzaa, Karenga co-founded which Black nationalist group in 1965?

He later chaired the Africana Studies department at Cal State Long Beach.

In which year were the seven principles developed, a year before the holiday itself?

The principles came first, then the holiday was built around them in 1966.

The philosophy behind the seven principles is called Kawaida, which means what?

It blends nationalist, Pan-Africanist and socialist ideas.

In what year did the US Postal Service issue its first Kwanzaa stamp?

That same year Bill Clinton gave the first presidential Kwanzaa declaration.

Which president gave the first presidential declaration marking Kwanzaa, in 1997?

Every president since has issued a Kwanzaa greeting.

Is Kwanzaa a religious holiday?

Many African Americans celebrate it alongside Christmas.

Many African Americans celebrate Kwanzaa alongside which other winter holiday?

Karenga softened his early framing of it as a Christmas alternative as it went mainstream.

Karenga's research drew on a harvest festival of which Southern African people?

The Zulu festival is called Umkhosi Wokweshwama.

How many core symbols does Kwanzaa traditionally have?

Seven runs through the whole holiday: days, principles and symbols.

Which poet narrated the 2008 documentary about Kwanzaa, "The Black Candle"?

Public Enemy's Chuck D also featured in the film.

Per a 2019 poll, roughly what share of Americans planning a winter holiday celebrate Kwanzaa?

The holiday's popularity has declined since its 1990s peak.

Besides the United States, in which of these countries is Kwanzaa also celebrated?

Toronto first declared a Kwanzaa week in 2018.

Corn on the Kwanzaa table is called "Mahindi". Which OTHER symbol is a straw mat?

The other symbols are arranged on top of the Mkeka.

The first large Karamu feast, in 1973, was held in which US city?

Hannibal Afrik of Shule ya Watoto proposed it as a community campaign.

A 2009 estimate placed the number of Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa in what range?

Estimates vary widely because Kwanzaa is often observed alongside Christmas rather than instead of it.

Karenga argued that which kind of revolution must come before a violent one?

He said the cultural revolution "gives identity, purpose, and direction", and holidays were part of that project.

Which Zulu first-fruits festival partly inspired Kwanzaa?

Also called Umkhosi Woselwa, the calabash festival, it is held around the December solstice at the Enyokeni Royal Palace.

Which 1997 Karenga book said the holiday was not an alternative to anyone's religion?

This marked a shift from his early-years framing of the holiday as a black alternative to Christmas.

Despite spreading through the diaspora, where is Kwanzaa NOT directly observed?

The holiday was created in California and spread to the diaspora, but the continent it honors has not adopted it.

Kawaida is a synthesis of nationalist, pan-Africanist and which other values?

The seven Swahili-named principles together make up the Kawaida framework Karenga built.

The principle of Nia calls for restoring the people to their traditional what?

Nia frames community-building as a collective vocation rather than an individual pursuit.

Which principle calls for building and maintaining one's own stores and shops?

The word is also the name Julius Nyerere used for Tanzania's African socialism policy.

Which principle asks people to leave the community "more beautiful and beneficial"?

Kuumba is celebrated on the sixth day, which usually coincides with the Karamu feast.

The unity cup is used to give "shukrani" to African ancestors. What does shukrani mean?

Libations poured from the shared cup honour the ancestors before the celebrants drink.

Which of these is a supplemental Kwanzaa symbol rather than one of the core seven?

Also supplemental are the flag and African books and artworks, all meant to reflect African culture.

Which colourful African cloth is specifically named as a Kwanzaa household decoration?

Kente is a Ghanaian textile of hand-woven silk and cotton strips, and its name comes from an Akan word for basket.

Which garment is especially associated with women's dress during Kwanzaa celebrations?

Fresh fruits representing African idealism are also placed around the home.

Which Hollywood actress is named as a non-African American Kwanzaa celebrant?

Non-African Americans also observe the holiday, and white institutions have increasingly marked it.

Besides "Habari Gani?", which two-word greeting may be used during the holiday?

The daily Swahili greeting is answered with the name of that day's principle.

A ceremony may include the "African Pledge" and the Principles of what?

Ceremonies can also feature drumming, libations, a chapter of African history and artistic performances.

Mixing Kwanzaa with other holidays was once seen as violating which principle?

Self-determination meant keeping the holiday's symbols and practice distinct as a reclamation of African values.

The annual "Spirit of Kwanzaa" celebration is held at which Washington venue?

The programme features interpretive dance, African dance, song and poetry.

The Karamu feast was developed in Chicago during a citywide movement in which year?

Hannibal Afrik of Shule ya Watoto proposed it as a community-wide promotional and educational campaign.

Who proposed the Karamu feast as a community-wide educational campaign?

Afrik was associated with Shule ya Watoto, a Chicago school whose name means "school of the children".

Roughly how many people attended the first Karamu Ya Imani in January 1973?

The gathering was held at the Ridgeland club in Chicago.

Which Chicago group held one of the country's largest Karamu celebrations in 1992?

It included dancing, a youth ensemble and a keynote speech by Black nationalist leader Conrad Worrill.

In the Karamu programme, what does "Kukaribisha" mean?

The feast then moves through remembering, reassessment and recommitment, and rejoicing before the libation and farewell statements.

What is the "Tamshi la Tambiko" in a Karamu celebration?

It is followed by the Tamshi la Tutaonana, the farewell statement that closes the feast.

Since which decade has the popularity of Kwanzaa celebration been in decline?

Observation has fallen in both community and commercial settings, even as more white institutions mark it.

Certain communities of which African American religious movement celebrate Kwanzaa?

Kwanzaa itself is secular, so it sits alongside religious observance rather than replacing it.

Roughly what share of the United States population is African American?

By comparison, 2.6 percent of winter-holiday celebrants in a 2019 poll planned to mark Kwanzaa.

In what year were the first Hallmark Kwanzaa cards sold?

The 1990s brought increasing commercialization, which some feared could damage the holiday's values.

Which artist designed the first US Kwanzaa postage stamp?

She is a self-taught artist who sold her first painting in New York City at the age of 20.

Who wrote and directed the Kwanzaa documentary The Black Candle?

Asante, born in Harare and raised in Philadelphia, is the son of Afrocentric scholar Molefi Kete Asante.

Which Public Enemy frontman features in The Black Candle?

Chuck D co-founded Public Enemy in 1985 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.

In which Caribbean country have there been calls to make Kwanzaa a national holiday?

Kwanzaa is also celebrated in Brazil, Great Britain and Jamaica.

Which South American country is listed among places where Kwanzaa is celebrated?

Brazil has the largest population of African descent outside Africa.

Which Canadian city first declared a Kwanzaa week in 2018?

In Canada the holiday is celebrated in provinces including Saskatchewan and Ontario.

Which invented December holiday from Seinfeld is cross-referenced with Kwanzaa?

Both are modern December observances created deliberately rather than inherited from ancient tradition.

In which US state was Maulana Karenga born?

He was born in Parsonsburg and moved to Los Angeles in 1959 to join his older brother, a teacher.

Karenga was the 14th child in his family and which son?

Seven later became the holiday's signature number: seven principles, seven symbols, seven letters.

Where was Karenga elected the first African-American student president?

He earned an associate degree there before moving on to UCLA for his BA and MA in political science.

In what subject did Karenga earn his BA and MA at UCLA?

At UCLA he also studied Swahili, Arabic and other African-related subjects.

What does the adopted name "Karenga" mean in Swahili?

His title Maulana is a Swahili-Arabic term meaning "master teacher".

What was the name of the black nationalist discussion group in which US Organization began?

It formed within the Black Congress, a community-rebuilding body created after the Watts riots.

Which co-founder of US Organization was a cousin of Malcolm X?

Jamal, born Allen Donaldson, later left to found the Malcolm X Foundation in Compton.

Which newspaper did Karenga found in 1966?

It began as a newsletter for US and became the paper of the Los Angeles Black Congress.

Which FBI programme sent forged letters to inflame the US-Black Panther rivalry?

The letters purported to come from each group so that each believed the other was publicly humiliating it.

How many Black Panthers were left dead by the 1969 confrontations with US Organization?

A 1970 FBI memo confirmed the surge in conflict suited the Bureau's objectives.

What prison sentence did Karenga receive in 1971?

He was convicted of felony assault and false imprisonment and paroled in 1975.

At which prison did Karenga serve his sentence?

While there he studied and wrote on feminism and Pan-Africanism, and US fell into disarray without him.

Karenga's 1994 second doctorate examined which ancient Egyptian moral ideal?

The University of Southern California dissertation treated Maat as a study in classical African ethics.

Karenga authored the mission statement of which 1995 event?

He also sat on the march's organizing committee.

Karenga became chair of the Africana Studies Department at which school?

He holds two doctorates and has authored several books on Black studies and African ethics.

Which two-word phrase describes Karenga's own religious stance?

He called on African Americans to adopt secular humanism and reject other practices as mythical.

Before the first Kwanzaa, Karenga made a candle holder by removing two branches from what?

He needed a holder with seven holes and could not find one, so he improvised.

Facing the kinara, where are the three red candles placed?

The three green candles go on the right, with the single black candle in the middle.

After the black candle is lit first, in which direction does the lighting proceed?

A new candle is lit each day, matching the principle being contemplated.

On the kinara, what do the red candles symbolize?

Black stands for the African people and green for the future and hope that come from their struggle.

By what derogatory name did the Black Panthers refer to US Organization?

Members never used the name, but it is often mistaken for the group's official title.

Which word completes the early slogan of Karenga's group: "Anywhere we are, ___ is"?

The name punned on "us and them" and on the abbreviation for the United States, meaning "us Black people".

A January 1969 gun battle between US and the Panthers took place on which campus?

Panthers John Huggins and Alprentice "Bunchy" Carter died; the groups had backed rival candidates to head the Afro-American Studies Center.

On which cable channel did The Black Candle premiere in November 2012?

Time magazine called it the first film about Kwanzaa and "fit for a poet".

Which organisation named The Black Candle a "holiday classic" in December 2020?

It featured in AFI Movie Club Presents: Home for the Holidays.

In "A Rugrats Kwanzaa", which character's great-aunt introduces the holiday?

Susie's family did not normally observe Kwanzaa, and Susie had never heard of it before Aunt T.'s visit.

Which actress guest-starred as Aunt T. in "A Rugrats Kwanzaa"?

Hall said the episode helped introduce Kwanzaa to a larger audience, including her non-black friends.

In what year was "A Rugrats Kwanzaa" first broadcast?

It aired on December 11 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern and was one of the first mainstream shows to feature the holiday.

Which gift disappoints Susie in "A Rugrats Kwanzaa" before it saves the day?

During a power outage Aunt T. uses it to share memories, including meeting Martin Luther King Jr.

Which Rugrats voice actress got an NAACP Image Award nod for the Kwanzaa episode?

Summer, who voices Susie, was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Youth at the 34th Image Awards.

Which Disney animated series has a holiday episode called "Seven Days of Kwanzaa"?

Creator Bruce W. Smith said Kwanzaa "ties in with what we feel the Christmas spirit is about".

Whose Kwanzaa episode made Entertainment Weekly's 2008 holiday "Must List"?

The Chris Rock-narrated show also won NAACP Image Awards for writing and acting.

In US Organization's black-red-green flag, what does green stand for?

Black was defined as the people and red as struggle, with green the future built "out of struggle".

Which 1998 Karenga book documented the bendera as a supplemental symbol?

The Kwanzaa version is sometimes called Bendera Ya Taifa, "flag of the Nation".

Which organisation formally adopted the red, black and green Pan-African flag in 1920?

It was adopted at a month-long convention at Madison Square Garden under Marcus Garvey.

Universal African Flag Day on August 17 marks the birthday of which leader?

Garvey, a Jamaican, founded the UNIA in 1914 and later ran the Black Star Line shipping company.

The first-fruits festival that inspired Kwanzaa is presided over by whom?

He conducts a tasting ceremony that closes with the dashing of a calabash to signal the harvest may be enjoyed.

In what year did the USPS issue its Kwanzaa Forever stamp?

Nineteen years earlier she had designed the very first Kwanzaa stamp.

The first Kwanzaa stamp's designer painted the cover of which Terry McMillan novel?

Synthia Saint James is a self-taught artist who sold her first painting in New York at age 20.

Which TV chef's 2003 "Kwanzaa Cake" became a notorious culinary disaster clip?

Anthony Bourdain called the video "eye searing" and "a war crime".

Which country officially recognises kente cloth as a geographical indication?

Asante oral tradition traces the fabric to the town of Bonwire in the Ashanti Region.

Swahili, the language of Kwanzaa's terminology, belongs to which language group?

Around 40 percent of its vocabulary consists of Arabic loanwords, including the name Swahili itself.

Most native Swahili speakers live in Kenya and which other country?

The UN made 7 July World Kiswahili Language Day, marking Julius Nyerere's adoption of the language.

The Watts riots that preceded Kwanzaa's creation began with the traffic stop of which man?

The 21-year-old was pulled over for drunk driving on August 11, 1965; six days of unrest followed.

How many deaths resulted from the 1965 Watts riots?

Nearly 14,000 California Army National Guard members were deployed and property damage topped $40 million.

Roughly what share of Swahili vocabulary, the language of Kwanzaa's terms, consists of Arabic loanwords?

Even the name Swahili is Arabic, from a word meaning 'of the coasts'; Portuguese, English and German also contributed words.

On which date did the United Nations designate World Swahili Language Day in 2022?

The date marks Julius Nyerere's adoption of Swahili as a unifying language for Tanganyika's independence struggle.

In the Pan-African flag displayed at Kwanzaa, what does the red band represent?

Black stands for the people themselves and green for the 'luxuriant vegetation' of the African motherland.

The 1917 flag that inspired Marcus Garvey's Pan-African flag used which three colours?

The Liberty League of Negro Americans' flag was meant to represent the skin tones of all people of African descent.

The word 'kente', the cloth worn at Kwanzaa celebrations, comes from an Akan word meaning what?

Ashanti folklore says weavers invented the cloth while trying to copy the patterns of Anansi the spider's web.

In which year did King Goodwill Zwelithini revive the Zulu first-fruits festival that partly inspired Kwanzaa?

British colonial authorities had banned it after the Anglo-Zulu War; the last one before the ban was held in the winter of 1877-78.