What is Kwanzaa? Kwanzaa is an African American celebration of life, family, community, and culture that lasts for seven days, from December 26 to January 1. What is the history of Kwanzaa? Maulana Karenga, a professor and activist, founded Kwanzaa in 1966. Karenga created the holiday to celebrate and strengthen the bonds that African Americans have with their counterparts in Africa. The founder also connects the celebration of the holiday to the fight for social justice. What items do you ne ed to celebrate? The basics include a seven - branched candle holder or kinara, and seven candles (mishumaa). Other items you can incorporate are a decorative mat (mkeka) in which the kinara, and unity cup kikombe cha umoja), fruit (mazao) , one ear of corn (vibunzi) for each child in the house, and a black, red and green flag is placed. Each day of Kwanzaa celebrates a different facet of the Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles. Those principles are: Umoja (Unity) : To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. Kujichagulia (Self - Determination) : To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves. Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems and to solve them together. Ujamaa ( Cooperative economics ) : To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together. Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. Kuumba (Creativity) : To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beaut iful and beneficial than we inherited it. Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. More information about Kwanzaa, its practices and origins can be found on The Official Kwanzaa Website, https://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/ The annual Kwanzaa theme for this year is “Kwanzaa and the Well - Being of the World: Living and Uplifting the Seven Principles”. As you reflect, consider ways you can apply each principle to your everyday life. For example, if you’d like to live the principle of Unity, Collective Work and Responsib ility, Creativity or Cooperative Economics, you can cook a meal together, complete an arts and crafts project or support one or more of these black - owned and veteran - owned small businesses. Keep Your Hair Headgear Offers quality satin and silk lined produ cts to protect your precious hair from breaking off while wearing moisture absorbing wool, cotton, and nylon military - related headwear. https://keepyourhairheadgear.com/ Inner G Waistbeads Offers traditional handmade tie - on waist beads from Ghana https://www.innergwaistbeads.com/ Salon of Mistare Full - Service Salon on Beale AFB in base housing. Servicing from hair, nails, and full body waxes. B oth women, male, and children are welcomed. www.vagaro.com/SalonOfMistarie Children Crafts for Kwanzaa Kwanzaa Necklace Uses paint, pasta and a little imagination to create festive jewelry piece for smaller children. https://www.activityvillage.co.uk/kwanzaa - necklace - craft Pan - African Popsicle Stick Flag https://craftingafunlife.com/2020/06/juneteenth - popsicle - stick - pan - african - flag - craft - for - kids.html/ Kwanzaa Recipe Suggestions Red Red (African Stewed Black Eyed Peas) https://www.africanbites.com/red - redafrican - stewed - black - eyed - peas/ Ghanaian Okra Stew http://www.nigerianlazychef.com/2018/10/ghanaian - okra - stew/ Mealie Bread (South African Corn Bread) https://www.africanbites.com/mealie - bread - south - african - corn - bread/