Chloe Adams
Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration of African American culture and African heritage, held annually from December 26 to January 1. The holiday is observed by millions worldwide and is centred around seven principles, or Nguzo Saba, represented by seven candles. Each day of Kwanzaa, a candle is lit in the kinara, a candle holder that symbolises the roots of the community, and a principle is discussed. The candles are three red, three green, and one black, each colour carrying a different meaning.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of candles | 7 |
| Colour of candles | 3 red, 3 green, 1 black |
| Position of candles | 3 red on the left, 3 green on the right, 1 black in the centre |
| Symbolism of red candles | Struggle, self-determination, and freedom |
| Symbolism of green candles | Hope, divination, employment, fruits of harvest, abundance of possibilities for the future |
| Symbolism of black candle | People, source of life, hope, creativity, faith |
| Candle holder | Kinara |
| Candle lighting | One candle is lit each day |
| Days of celebration | 26th December to 1st January |
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What You'll Learn
Kinara: The candle holder
Kinara, which means candle holder in Swahili, is the centrepiece of the Kwanzaa setting. It holds seven candles—three red, three green, and a single black candle in the middle. The candles are arranged with the three red candles on the left, the three green candles on the right, and the black candle in the centre. Each candle is lit on each of the seven nights of Kwanzaa, with the black candle being lit first, followed by the red and then the green, alternating from left to right.
The colours of the candles are significant and represent the seven principles, or Nguzo Saba, that are the foundation of the African American celebration of Kwanzaa. The black candle symbolises the people, the red candles represent the struggle for freedom and self-determination, and the green candles stand for the earth and the abundance of possibilities that the future holds.
The kinara itself also holds symbolic meaning. It represents the original stalk from which we came, our ancestry. The kinara can be made in various shapes, such as straight lines, semicircles, or spirals, as long as the seven candles are separate and distinct. Kinaras are often made from natural materials such as fallen branches, wood, or other natural materials, and many celebrants create their own.
The lighting of the candles each evening provides an opportunity for families to gather and discuss the meaning of Kwanzaa and the importance of each principle in fostering community. The first night, the black candle in the centre is lit, and the principle of umoja, or unity, is discussed. The second night, the red candle closest to the black candle is lit, representing kujichagulia, or self-determination. The third night, the green candle closest to the black candle is lit, symbolising ujima, or collective work and responsibility. This alternating sequence of lighting the candles continues until the last night, when the final green candle, representing imani, or faith, is lit.
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The seven principles
Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration of community, family, African American culture, and African heritage, held annually from December 26 to January 1. It is a non-religious cultural celebration with a spiritual atmosphere. The name Kwanzaa comes from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza", which means "first fruits" in Swahili.
The holiday centres around a candle-lighting ceremony, with each of the seven nights of Kwanzaa dedicated to one of the seven principles, or Nguzo Saba, a set of ideals created by Dr. Maulana Karenga. The candles are placed in a kinara (candleholder), with three red candles on the left, three green candles on the right, and a single black candle in the centre. The colours of the candles carry different meanings: red represents the struggle for self-determination and freedom by people of colour; black symbolises the people, the earth, and the source of life; and green represents the earth that sustains life and provides hope and the fruits of the harvest.
- Umoja: Unity. This principle emphasises the importance of striving for and maintaining unity in the family, community, nation, and race. It is described by Karenga as "active solidarity".
- Kujichagulia: Self-determination. This principle is about the ability to define, name, create for, and speak for oneself.
- Ujima: Collective work and responsibility. This principle encourages community building and working together to solve problems.
- Ujamaa: Cooperative economics. This principle focuses on building and supporting businesses and enterprises that benefit the community.
- Nia: Purpose. This principle is about making a collective commitment to build and develop the community and work towards common goals.
- Kuumba: Creativity. This principle is about using one's talents to beautify and inspire the world, while also preserving the Earth for future generations.
- Imani: Faith. This principle is about believing in oneself, one's community, and the righteousness of the struggle for freedom and justice.
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The candle colours
Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 through January 1. Each night of the holiday, one of seven candles is lit in the kinara, a candle holder that symbolizes the roots of the community. The kinara holds seven candles: three red, three green, and one black candle in the centre. Each candle colour has its own meaning and significance.
The black candle, lit on the first day of Kwanzaa, represents the people themselves and the principle of umoja, or unity. The red candles represent the struggle or blood shed in the past, as well as the Yoruba god of fire, thunder, and lightning, Shango. The green candles symbolize the earth and the abundance of possibilities that the future holds.
On the first day of Kwanzaa, the black candle is lit in the centre of the kinara, and the principle of umoja or unity is discussed. The goal of unity in the family, community, nation, and race is declared. The second day focuses on kujichagulia, or self-determination, which emphasizes defining, naming, creating, and speaking for oneself. The third day is about collective work and responsibility, or ujima, which involves building and maintaining community and solving problems together.
The candles are lit in a specific sequence, beginning with the black candle, followed by the red candle closest to it, and then the green candle closest to the black candle. This alternating pattern of lighting the red and green candles continues until the last candle, the green candle, is lit on the seventh day.
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The candle-lighting ceremony
Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration of community, family, African American culture, and African heritage, held between December 26 and January 1. It is a non-religious cultural celebration with a spiritual atmosphere.
Each night, a child lights one candle on the kinara, and the family gathers to discuss one of the seven principles, or Nguzo Saba, created by Dr. Maulana Karenga. These principles are a set of ideals that emphasize shared values and community among African Americans. The black candle is lit on the first night, with the principle of umoja/unity discussed. The remaining candles are lit in alternating colours, moving outward from the black candle.
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Kwanzaa's history
Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday celebrated annually from December 26 to January 1. It was created by Maulana Karenga, a Black nationalist who later became a college professor, in 1966 in the aftermath of the deadly Watts Rebellion.
Karenga's goal was to unite and empower the African-American community by creating a non-religious holiday that celebrated African roots and culture. He combined aspects of several different African harvest celebrations, such as those of the Ashanti and the Zulu, to form the basis of Kwanzaa. The name "Kwanzaa" is derived from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza", meaning "first fruits".
Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the seven principles, or Nguzo Saba, created by Karenga. These principles are:
- Umoja (Unity): To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
- Kujichagulia (Self-determination): To define, name, create for, and speak for ourselves.
- Ujima (Collective work and responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and solve problems collectively.
- Ujamaa (Cooperative economics): To build and profit from businesses together.
- Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community to restore its traditional greatness.
- Kuumba (Creativity): To use our talents to beautify and inspire the world while preserving the Earth for future generations.
- Imani (Faith): To believe in ourselves, our creator, our ancestors, our future, and the righteousness of our struggle.
Each day of Kwanzaa, families gather and a child lights one of the seven candles on the Kinara (candleholder). The candles consist of three red, three green, and one black candle. The black candle, lit on the first day, represents the people. The three red candles symbolise the struggle or blood shed in the past, and the three green candles represent the Earth and the possibilities of the future. The candle-lighting ceremony provides an opportunity to discuss the meaning of Kwanzaa and the principle of the day.
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Frequently asked questions
Seven candles are used during Kwanzaa.
The seven candles represent the seven principles, or Nguzo Saba, that are the foundation of the African American celebration of Kwanzaa.
The candles consist of three red, three green, and one black candle. The red represents the struggle for freedom, the green stands for the earth and the hope for a good future, and the black candle symbolises the people.
