Kwanzaa
- noun
- /kwɑnˈzɑ/
- The Postal Service offered a Kwanzaa stamp for sale in 1997.
- Kwanzaa celebration
- Kwanzaa festival
- Kwanzaa holiday
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Watch on YouTubeHappy holidays, Don't forget Kwanzaa and Kwanzaa.
- Happy holidays, Don't forget Kwanzaa and Kwanzaa.
Examples
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At each of the seven days of Kwanzaa, participants affirmed one of the seven principles.
Academic text (2001) -
A marketing survey in 1997 estimated that Kwanzaa is celebrated by one out of seven United States blacks.
Academic text (2001) -
Still, some of the appeal of Kwanzaa was that it was less commercial than Christmas.
Academic text (2001) -
Moreover, outside of a few Southern cities, Kwanzaa was slow to catch on in the urban South.
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A Berkeley high school counselor explained her interest in Kwanzaa in precisely those terms.
Academic text (2001) -
Becoming more popular in Canada, the Caribbean, and elsewhere, Kwanzaa is still chiefly celebrated in the United States.
Academic text (2001) -
A ceremony intended to replicate a simple harvest festival, most Kwanzaa celebrations occurred among residents of large cities or suburbs.
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The origins of Kwanzaa lie in black nationalist responses to the Watts riot of 1966.
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To some extent, Karenga became an elder statesman, Kwanzaa's founding father.
Academic text (2001) -
Today is the first day of Kwanzaa, the African-American celebration of family, community, and culture.
Synonyms
A week-long festival celebrating African American culture from December 26 to January 1
Surface Forms
Etymology
Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili word kwanza, which means 'first' and refers to 'first fruits' harvest celebrations. That's why Kwanzaa is a week-long festival that honors new beginnings, community, and African heritage, and the extra 'a' was added to the Swahili word when the holiday was created.