Kwanzaa is an African American celebration which focuses on traditional African values of
- family
- community responsibility
- commerce
- self-improvement
Kwanzaa is neither political nor religious and is not intended as a substitute for Christmas. It is simply a time of reaffirming African-American people, their ancestors and culture.
Kwanzaa, which means "first fruits of the harvest" in the African language Kiswahili, has gained tremendous acceptance. When establishing Kwanzaa in 1966, Dr. Maulana Karenga included an additional "a" to the end of the spelling to reflect the difference between the African American celebration (kwanzaa) and the Motherland spelling (kwanza). Click here for the official Kwanzaa web site.