NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Since 1966, Dec. 26 has marked the first day of Kwanzaa, an African American holiday that begins the day after Christmas and lasts for seven days.
Each day, families light a candle to commemorate the seven principles of the holiday, which are:
- Umoja/ Unity
- Kujichagulia/ Self- Self-Determination
- Umija/ Collective Work & Responsibility
- Ujamaa/ Familyhood & Cooperative Economics
- Nia/ Purpose
- Kuumba/ Creativity
- Imani/ Faith
The color of the candles also holds a significant lesson:
- Black — For the people
- Red — For the struggle
- Green — For the future and hope from the struggle
Officials with the New Orleans Kwanzaa Coalition recently released a calendar of events they will host to celebrate Kwanzaa 2023.
Additionally, Studio BE will be hosting seven days of events that will run from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, 2024.
To view the list of daily events, visit the StudioBE website.
All events are free and open to the public.
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