Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration honoring African American culture, community, and heritage. Each day focuses on one of seven principles—including unity, purpose, and self-determination—offering space for reflection, connection, and collective celebration.
The Seven Days of Kwanzaa
December 26 – Umoja (Unity)
To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
December 27 – Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.
December 28 – Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems—and solve them together.
December 29 – Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and profit from them together.
December 30 – Nia (Purpose)
To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
December 31 – Kuumba (Creativity)
To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
January 1 – Imani (Faith)
To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.