How to Celebrate Kwanzaa with Family & Friends

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Sociologist Lawrence Carter explains celebrating Kwanzaa & the 7 principles

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Last Updated: December 12, 2025 Fact Checked

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• What is Kwanzaa?
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• How to Celebrate
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• 7 Principles
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• History
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• Video
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• Q&A
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• Tips

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Kwanzaa, which runs from December 26th through January 1st, is a holiday that celebrates African American heritage and culture. Each of the 7 days of Kwanzaa focuses on 1 of 7 core values, also known as Nguzo Saba. Since Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday rather than a religious one, it can be celebrated alongside Christmas and Hanukkah (which take place around the same time) or on its own. In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about celebrating Kwanzaa with your friends and family, with expert input and celebration tips from sociologist Lawrence Carter.

The next Kwanzaa is Friday, December 26, 2025 – Thursday, January 01, 2026.

An Overview of Kwanzaa Celebrations

According to sociologist Lawrence Carter, each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the seven principles (Nguzo Saba) as a celebration of African culture. Kwanzaa decor includes a table with a kinara (seven-pronged candle holder), mkeka (mat), gifts, and other traditional decor, with the kinara’s candles lit daily.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

What is Kwanzaa?

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1. Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday that honors African culture. “Kwanzaa is a holiday that was created around a bunch of different themes,” Carter explains. “The creator of this holiday…got parts of traditions from North Africa, West Africa, South Africa, East Africa, and combined them into one. He created this beautiful celebration that promoted community and celebrated being around the people you appreciate, personal growth, and all of the things intertwined.”

   • At its core, Kwanzaa is a holiday that celebrates pan-African culture and history. It’s a time for families to reflect on the past and look to the future.
   • The name “Kwanzaa” is adapted from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning “first fruits.”

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Lawrence Carter is an educator, sociologist, and edutainment creator who explores the hidden social patterns, unspoken rules, and cultural forces that shape our everyday lives through his YouTube channel.
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Section 2 of 4:

How to Celebrate Kwanzaa

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1. 
   1
   Decorate your home with traditional Kwanzaa symbols and decor. The centerpiece of your Kwanzaa decor should be a table set with several holiday staples. Start with an African tablecloth; over that, place a mkeka—which is a type of straw or woven mat symbolizing the historical foundation of African ancestry—on the table. Then, place the following items on your mkeka:

   • Kinara - A seven-pronged candle-holder. Place this at the center of the mkeka.
   • Mishumaa Saba - The seven candles that go in the kinara, representing the core principles of Kwanzaa. The three candles on the left are red (for struggle); the three on the right are green (for hope); and the one in the center is black (for all people with African heritage).
   • Mazao - Fruits, vegetables, and nuts that represent the community’s productivity, arranged around the kinara. You can choose any fruits, especially those native to Africa.
   • Muhindi - Ears of corn, laid out on the mkeka. Include one ear of corn for each child in the family; if there are no children, include an ear to represent the community’s children and social parenthood.
   • Kikombe cha Umoja - A wooden cup representing family and community unity.
   • Zawadi - Various artisan gifts, particularly for any children in the family.
2. 
   2
   Hang the Kwanzaa flag (bendera). The Kwanzaa bendera is a red, black, and green flag—the same colors as the Pan-African flag, and a symbol of African heritage and unity. You can buy Bendera or make some flags yourself, and it’s especially fun to make them with kids!

   • The Bendera has three horizontal stripes, all of the same size: red on top, black in the middle, and green on the bottom.
   • If you or your children enjoy making flags, you could also try making a few African national or tribal flags in addition to the Bendera.
3. 
   3
   Light the Kinara each day. The Kinara holds seven candles representing Kwanzaa’s core principles. Since each candle represents a specific idea, they’re lit one day at a time, in a certain order. A new candle is lit each day (corresponding with that day’s principle). While people may light the kinara differently, the black candle is always lit first.

   • Some people light the remaining candles from left to right (red to green).
   • Others alternate between red and green, lighting from the innermost to the outermost candles.
4. 
   4
   Plan Kwanzaa-themed activities for each day. There’s no set schedule for Kwanzaa (beyond the feast at the very end, which we’ll get to later); it’s up to you how you want to honor each day and celebrate that day’s theme and core principle. So, if you plan on celebrating for all seven days, pick and choose some (or all) of the following activities:

   • Readings from the African Pledge and the Principles of Blackness
   • Reflections on the Pan-African colors, discussions of African principles for the day, or recitations of chapters in African history
   • Artistic performances, drumming, and African musical selections
   • The candle-lighting kinara ritual
   • We’ll also discuss specific ways to celebrate the seven core principles of Kwanzaa in the next section!
5. 
   5
   Host a Karamu feast on the sixth day of Kwanzaa. The Kwanzaa Karamu feast traditionally takes place on December 31st, New Year’s Eve. “It’s often a potluck-style feast,” says Carter. “It’s everyone from the community, all of your loved ones, or whoever you want to participate with, [they] all bring a dish, and then you just eat. You talk about…Imani [the last of Kwanzaa’s seven principles], the last practice of the day, and really just have community right there wherever you are.”

   • The Kwanzaa Karamu is a communal effort! Include your Kwanzaa decor (with the mkeka, kinara, and other Kwanzaa settings), where the feast will be held, and make the food available to everyone, so they can serve themselves.
   • During the feast, drinks are shared from the Kikombe cha Umoji, which serves as a communal cup.
   • Traditionally, the feast should also include a program—a welcoming statement, segments for remembrance, celebration, and commitment, as well as a farewell statement and call for unity.
6. 
   6
   Prepare and exchange gifts (zawadi). Gifts—called zawadi—are typically exchanged on the last day of Kwanzaa, January 1st. They’re exchanged between family members, especially parents and children, and should be of an educational or artistic nature (since Kwanzaa is all about honoring African culture and heritage). Handmade gifts are ideal; they honor self-determination, purpose, and creativity, which are all core values of Kwanzaa.
7. 
   7
   Use traditional Kwanzaa greetings. Kwanzaa greetings are typically done in the Swahili language, especially the main greeting—“Habari gani”. This is a standard Swahili greeting meaning “What is the news?” When someone greets you this way, respond with the Kwanzaa principle (Nguzo Saba) for that day.

   • December 26: "Umoja" — Unity
   • December 27: "Kujichagulia" — Self-determination
   • December 28: "Ujima" — Collective work and responsibility
   • December 29: "Ujamaa" — Cooperative economics
   • December 30: "Nia" — Purpose
   • December 31: "Kuumba" — Creativity
   • January 1: "Imani" — Faith.
   • Additionally, “Happy Kwanzaa” in Swahili is “Heri za Kwanzaa!”
   • Non African-Americans are also welcome to participate in greetings. The traditional greeting for them is "Joyous Kwanzaa."
8. 8
   Find ways to represent your family in the celebrations. You can really make a Kwanzaa celebration your own; it’s a celebration of African heritage, which means it’s a celebration of your family as well as many others. That means you can cook your family’s favorite meals (no matter what that might be), adorn your living space with family heirlooms or the family’s favorite fruits, veggies, and flowers, and include homemade decorations, too.
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Section 3 of 4:

The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa

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1. 1
   Umoja (Unity)“All of the words [for the core principles] are Swahili words,” explains Carter. The first day—and first principle—is Umoja, or Unity, and it’s all about preserving unity within the family, community, nation, and all Pan-African people. To celebrate Umoja, Carter recommends a gathering of friends or family.

   • “You could bring everybody to the table,” he says. “Maybe have some food, have dessert, and everybody take a moment to express a personal commitment [around] fostering unity that year.”
   • “It could be, you know, ‘I’m committed to creating and maintaining unity with… [insert people or person],” Carter adds.
2. 2
   Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)Kujichagulia, or self-determination, is a day for you to truly explore, define, and declare yourself. “You could have a moment of reflection, where you and your loved ones discuss what it’s like to declare yourself publicly,” Carter says. “So that way, you’re living with whatever it is you determine yourself to be. And then you’re saying it and proclaiming it out loud—that’s kujichagulia.”
3. 3
   Ujima (Collective work and responsibility) “The focus of this [day] is building and maintaining your community,” Carter explains. “So you could engage in a collective work challenge where everybody that you know participates…everybody comes up with a sentence, and you create a paragraph from that, really just outlining what you think your goals as a community should be, what you could all do to push that vision forward.”
4. 4
   Ujamaa (Cooperative economics)“The focus [of Ujamaa] is supporting and building black businesses and strong economic practices,” Carter says. “So, each person on this day could find one black-owned business in a sector they regularly use, like banking, groceries, healthcare…make a plan to switch [your] patronage just to support that black-owned business.”

   • Ujamaa is also a chance for you to review your own economic practices. “Each person can revisit their personal budgets…for that upcoming year,” Carter suggests. “Because Kwanzaa is a celebration at the end of [the year], right after Christmas to New Year.”
5. 5
   Nia (Purpose)According to Carter, the focus of Nia lies in defining your purpose and striving to achieve it. “You could do a purpose pledge,” he adds. “After writing action steps to achieve your goals, you could read them to whoever you did this activity with, or you could create cards that you hang somewhere visible so you’re always reminded of them…and of that purpose you set out for yourself.”

   • For instance, you could put your purpose cards on the fridge, on your desk, or anywhere you have to look at them daily.
6. 6
   Kuumba (Creativity)Kuumba is all about using creativity to make the world more beautiful! “Very simple,” Carter says. “And for the practice, you could reflect on being creative and what creating does for you personally. And you could encourage people around you to bring a new idea to life.” You can also make time for creativity—whether you’re trying out a new creative hobby or going back to an old favorite.
7. 7
   Imani (Faith)“The last but not least day is Imani,” Carter explains. “The focus is believing in ourselves, our families, our communities, and our struggle. And [for] the practice, you could have a conversation with your neighbors…just go next door, maybe bring something tangible like a drink or some food…and try to create a space for people that you might not have had a conversation with before to express what they believe in and share their sources of strength.”

   • “The point of this is to have faith in people and in ourselves,” Carter adds. “And hopefully, in having these conversations, we can do that.”
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Section 4 of 4:

The History of Kwanzaa

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1. Kwanzaa was created and established in 1966. It began with educator and activist Maulanga Karenga, who conceptualized Kwanzaa as a way to empower African Americans and encourage them to celebrate their heritage. He created Kwazaa as a non-religious, African American holiday in the wake of the Watts riots, which took place in August of 1965; the riots were spurred by the racism and abusive practices of the Los Angeles police, as well as employment discrimination and residential segregation.

   • Karenga himself was an influential figure in the Black Power movement of the ’60s and ’70s; today, he chairs the African Studies Department at California State University, Long Beach.

Principles and Traditional Recipes

Sample Principles of Kwanzaa Celebrations

Sample Traditional Recipes to Celebrate Kwanzaa

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• Question

  What artistic performances could I do?

  

  Community Answer

  You could play an instrument, do a dance, read a poem you wrote or that was written by someone else, or sing a song about your heritage, culture, or ancestors.

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• Question

  What is a mkeka mat?

  

  Community Answer

  A traditional straw or woven textile mat, called a mkeka, is one of the seven symbols of Kwanzaa. Those who celebrate Kwanzaa view the mkeka as the base for the other six symbols of Kwanzaa, representing the idea that nothing can be built without having a foundation upon which to rest.

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  Can I still put up a Christmas tree if my new spouse wants to celebrate Kwanzaa with me and my children?

  

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  Sure! You can decorate it with red, black and green so that it will be more Kwanzaa-like.

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  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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• Kwanzaa means "first fruits of the harvest" in the African language Kiswahili. Many of the phrases used in Kwanzaa are in Swahili, which was the language chosen to represent African heritage.
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