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This video covers a lot of winter holidays celebrated around the world. You can fast forward to the one you are researching OR watch it all!

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Read about the Holiday Kwanzaa.

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Celebrated every year from December 26 through January 1, Kwanzaa is a week of festivities honoring African American culture and heritage. Friends and family gather each day to give thanks, exchange gifts, and share feasts.

The holiday was created in 1966, during a time period when many Black people faced unfair treatment because of their skin color. The holiday honors African American people, their struggles in the United States, their heritage, and their culture.

Here's how Kwanzaa got its start and the different ways it's celebrated.

History of Kwanzaa

Throughout the 1950s and '60s, the civil rights movement sought to end the practice of treating Black people unfairly because of their race. In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that school segregation-or teaching Black and white children separately-was illegal. In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. And the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ensured more equal rights for African Americans.

But Black people still faced discrimination. In 1965, a white police officer pulled over two African American men in a mostly Black neighborhood called Watts, in Los Angeles, California. Angry at how people in the community were being treated by police, a crowd soon gathered to protest. But the crowd grew bigger-and angrier. This led to six days of protests and rioting all over the city. Thirty-four people died and over a thousand were injured in what's now called the Watts Rebellion.

The next year, educator and activist Maulanga Karenga wanted to rebuild the neighborhoods affected by the riots and encourage pride within the Black community. As part of his plan, he created Kwanzaa in 1966 to empower African Americans to rediscover and honor their African roots.

Kwanzaa means "first fruits" in Swahili, a language spoken in Africa, and refers to the joy and unity many Africans have when celebrating the harvest season. The holiday encourages people to honor seven principles: unity, self-determination (helping yourself succeed), collective work and responsibility (teamwork), cooperative economics (sharing), purpose, creativity, and faith.

Celebrating Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is not an African holiday, but it's inspired by many African cultural practices.

Symbols of African heritage decorate homes during Kwanzaa. For instance, families place a traditional woven mat, called a mkeka (muh-KAY-kuh), on tables to represent the traditions-like sharing and faith-that the holiday is based on.

Meaningful items are arranged on the mat, such as a basket filled with fruits and vegetables to represent the harvest, and one ear of corn for each child in the family. A unity cup, called kikombe cha umoja (kee-KOHM-bee cha oo-MOH-jah), is also placed on the mkeka.

Lighting candles

A big part of celebrating Kwanzaa is lighting a candle each night. First, an adult pours a little water or juice from the unity cup onto the ground to remember the family's ancestors. Then the cup is passed to each family member, who sips while everyone chants harambee (Swahili for "let's pull together" and pronounced hah-RAHM-beh) seven times.

The kinara (kee-NAH-ruh) holds seven candles: one black, three red, and three green. The black candle in the middle represents unity among people of African descent; the red candles on the left represent the past, and the green candles on the right stand for the future.

Each day, family and friends gather to light a special candle that represents one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. On the first night, celebrants light the black unity candle. Each night a different candle is lit to reflect on the other six principles.

Big parties

Celebrants enjoy special foods all throughout Kwanzaa. Families often use recipes that have been passed down over many, many years; often those foods have roots in African culture. Meals might include dishes like peanut soup or shrimp gumbo, topped off with tasty desserts like fried bananas, sweet potato pie, and coconut sweets.

Even though Kwanzaa lasts for seven days, the big celebration is on December 31. That's when family and friends gather in bright African-style clothing and have a large feast, called karamu (kuh-RAH-moo). They play music, dance, and sing.

The last day of Kwanzaa is much quieter. On January 1, people focus on how they want to succeed in the coming year and what kind of person they want to be in the future.
Learn more about Kwanzaa at National Geographic.

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Learn about this holiday that celebrates Black heritage in the United States as well as African culture.

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Read about the traditions of Kwanzaa

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Kwanzaa is a relatively new winter holiday that honors African heritage. The holiday is celebrated by Black American families and in communities of African descent around the world. The week-long celebration, which was inspired by traditional African harvest festival customs, focuses on building family tradition, culture, and community.

Kwanzaa, which is celebrated between December 26 and January 1, is a wonderful holiday to observe with your children, extended relatives, and friends. It's all about family togetherness, learning about family roots, and celebrating cultural history. The celebrations feature lots of fun things that kids of all ages will enjoy, including abundant feasts, storytelling, dancing, crafts, and, of course, family time.

About Kwanzaa

Dr. Maulana Karenga, the department chair of Africana Studies at California State University, founded the holiday in 1966 as a way to celebrate and share important aspects of pan-African culture and African-American life, including heritage, community, family, justice, foods, and nature. Lasting for seven days, Kwanzaa isn't a religious holiday, but rather a secularly spiritual one that celebrates seven different principles that are collectively called the Nguzo Saba.

These key principles are each highlighted on one of the seven days of the holiday. They include the following, in order:​

How to Celebrate

Each day, one candle (collectively called the Mishumaa Saba) is lit in recognition of these principles. The candles-one black, three red, and three green-are held by the kinara (similar to the menorah used for Hanukkah), which is placed on a mkeka or straw mat. To honor the children in the family, one ear of corn (called the vibunzi or muhindi) is placed under the kinara for each child. Other symbols include a fruit basket ( mazao) and a unity cup ( kikombe) which are both placed on the mkeka as well.

Kwanzaa begins each year on December 26. Many Black Christian families celebrate Kwanzaa along with Christmas, placing the kinara near their Christmas tree. On Kuumba, which is usually held on December 31, there is a feast called Karamu that celebrates cultural expression. On this day, family members and friends play music, tell stories, and make crafts. These crafts are often exchanged on the last day of Kwanzaa ( Imani), a day for honoring traditions and sharing.

Kwanzaa Traditions

Celebrating Kwanzaa With Kids

Because Kwanzaa is so family-oriented, it's easy to get children involved. Plus, many of the typical activities enjoyed during this rich-with-history holiday are either geared specifically toward children or are very adaptable to doing with little ones.

Kwanzaa Colors

The main colors of Kwanzaa are green, black, and red. Incorporate these hues into your decorating and crafts, from collages to placemats. Since Kwanzaa has a big focus on creativity, encourage your children to make handmade cards and signs to give to relatives and friends, drawing or using clip art of important aspects of the holiday. Our collection of coloring pages will also let kids get creative while learning about the important symbols of this celebration.

Ceremonial Holiday Tasks

There are many instrumental ways children can get involved with the ceremonial aspects of the celebration. Bigger kids can light the kinara and little kids can help an adult light it by holding a grown-up's hand as they do it. Children of all ages can help by placing the ear(s) of corn under the kinara, as well as putting the fruit basket and unity cup on the mkeka.

Learning About Heritage

Young children often learn best by doing. Better still when you make learning fun. Try reading a book or listening to music for and about Kwanzaa, pan-African culture, and/or African American history that is geared toward children. African folktales can be read aloud and used for inspiration to create your own stories. This is also a good time to share stories of family lore and personal history.

You can also task your child with researching a relevant country, time period, historical figure, literature, music, art, and/or a specific component of traditional (or modern) African or Black American culture. They can then present their research as a report during the holiday. Parents or older relatives can team up with younger ones to do mini group projects to share and discuss during the holiday as well.

Handmade Gifts

Gifts are often exchanged for Kwanzaa but are usually handmade rather than store-bought. The focus of the gift-giving is about creativity and commemorating a shared history rather than on receiving a bounty of toys. As noted above, Kwanzaa activities often include making traditional crafts, which are then given out to relatives as the celebration progresses.

Food for Kwanzaa

Like many holidays, food is front and center during Kwanzaa. Families often serve traditional African dishes. Typical flavors include a mix of both sweet and spicy with lots of fruits and meats. Some possibilities include black-eyed peas with rice and ham, seasoned black beans and rice, fried catfish, macaroni and cheese, gumbo, and curried chicken and banana soup. Additionally, any special foods that feel festive or culturally relevant for your family can work as well.

A Word From Verywell

No matter how you celebrate or how extensively Kwanzaa festivities are enjoyed in your home-from embracing the full week to just devoting one evening to the holiday-remember that the focus is on being together as a family and connecting the present to history and the future. The most important part is to create a holiday tradition that resonates, delights, and inspires your family.

By Amanda Rock
Amanda Rock, mom of three, has spent more than a decade of her professional career writing and editing for parents and children.

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Teach Children About Their African-American Heritage During Kwanzaa

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Kwanzaa is a winter holiday that celebrates African American heritage, culture, and community. Learn how to make this holiday a new family tradition.

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Watch this video about Kwanzaa

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Twinkl Teaching Resources | Education Videos | USA

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Read about the Eastern Holiday of Diwali - Festival of Lights

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Learn about India's biggest holiday of the year.

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Read or listen about Hanukkah on Britannica Kids

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Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah or Chanukkah) is a Jewish holiday that lasts for eight nights and usually occurs in December. It is also known as the Festival of Lights.

Hanukkah celebrates a military victory of the Jews over foreign rulers. The Seleucid kingdom from neighboring Syria took control of Jerusalem in about 198 bce. Some 30 years later the ruler Antiochus tried to force the Jews to give up their religious practices. When he also took over their Temple they rose up against him. The leader of the rebellion was named Judas Maccabeus. He soon defeated the Seleucids. The Jews then cleaned, rebuilt, and rededicated the Temple in 164 bce.

According to tradition, the Jews found only one small jar of lamp oil when they entered the Temple, enough for just one night. With the oil, they relit the Temple's lamps. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight nights until more oil was obtained.

To celebrate the eight nights of Hanukkah people light candles on a branched candlestick called a menorah. They start with one candle and add a new candle each night. In addition to the lighting of the candles, gifts are exchanged and children play holiday games during Hanukkah.

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Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah or Chanukkah) is a Jewish holiday that lasts for eight nights and usually occurs in December. It is also known as the Festival of Lights....

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Read in Britannica Kids about the holiday Las Posadas.

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Each night of Las Posadas begins with a procession of children. They are dressed as angels, shepherds, the Three Kings, Mary, and Joseph. They often carry lit candles and images of Mary and Joseph. Adults, including musicians, follow the children. The procession goes from place to place asking if there is room for them to stay. The hosts say no but often provide refreshments. Participants sing songs and read passages from the Bible. The procession is finally allowed entry at the last house, where there is a piñata filled with candy and toys. The piñata, usually in the shape of a star, is broken open by the children. The same process occurs every night except for the last night. The posada on the 24th is the most festive and is followed by the midnight Christmas Mass.

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Las Posadas is a Christmas festival celebrated in Latin America, especially Mexico, and in Hispanic communities in the United States. The name is Spanish for "the Inns." The...

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Watch this video teaching you about Diwali.

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Read about the holiday Hanukkah.

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The Jewish festival of lights, called Hanukkah, is celebrated around the world today. But the inspiration for the holiday dates back thousands of years in what is today the country of Israel.

In 175 B.C., King Antiochus, whose ancient kingdom included Judea (located in present-day Israel), made it against the law for people who lived there to practice their religion, called Judaism. Instead, he wanted Jews to worship Greek gods. When they refused, he ordered his troops to destroy the Temple of Jerusalem, an important place of worship for Jews. He replaced the Jewish symbols with an altar dedicated to Zeus, the king of the Greek gods.

The Jews, led by Judah the Maccabee, rebelled against King Antiochus. Many historians believe that they battled for about three years to become an independent region so they could practice their religion. Finally, around 164 B.C., the Maccabees, as they were called, defeated King Antiochus and his troops.

When the Maccabees returned to their ransacked temple, they found only one jar of oil-just enough to light the temple's candles for one day. But according to the Talmud (one of Judaism's holy texts), the oil miraculously burned for eight days-enough time for the victorious Maccabees to find more oil for their sacred candles.

Restoring the temple and driving out King Antiochus didn't end the conflict. His followers continued to battle with the Jews for more than 22 years. Finally, in the year 142, the warring groups signed a peace treaty, and the Jews formed their own independent region.

How it's celebrated today

Hanukkah starts on the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar. (It's also called the Jewish calendar and is used to track religious dates.) Because this calendar follows the lunar (or moon) cycle, the holiday begins on a different date each year on the calendar you use the most, which is based on the sun cycles. Usually, Hanukkah starts in late November to mid-December.

In 2023, Hanukkah starts the evening of December 7 and ends on December 15.

To celebrate the ancient miracle of the oil burning a candle for eight nights, Jews celebrating Hanukkah light a candleholder called a menorah for eight nights. The menorah holds nine candles-one for each night plus a candle called the shamash used to light the other candles.

On the first night, one candle is added to the menorah and lit. On the second night, another candle is added and lit. The adding and lighting of candles continues for eight nights. During these moments, people recite special blessings and prayers, sing songs, and exchange gifts to celebrate the miracle in the temple more than 2,000 years ago.

Hanukkah foods and fun

Traditional Hanukkah foods include deep-fried jelly donuts called sufganiyot and potato pancakes called latkes. Both dishes are fried and represent the long-lasting lamp oil.

After they've feasted on rich foods, families gather to take turns spinning a top called a dreidel. Players can win chocolate gelt, or coins, if the top lands the right way.

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Lasting eight days, the joyous Jewish holiday celebrates a miracle from more than 2,000 years ago.

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Watch this video explaining Las Posadas.

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Twinkl Teaching Resources - United States

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🕯 Las Posadas for Kids | 16 December | Twinkl USA

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Watch this short video about celebrating Hanukkah.

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PBS LEARNING MEDIA | Hanukkah | PBS KIDS

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Read the clues and try to solve the puzzles to get escape the room!

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Copy of Holidays Around the World Escape Room

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Read about Three Kings Day.

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At the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas comes a day called the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day. This holiday is celebrated as the day the three wise men first saw baby Jesus and brought him gifts. On this day in Spain, many children get their Christmas presents. In Puerto Rico, before children go to sleep on January 5, they leave a box with hay under their beds so the kings will leave good presents. In France, a delicious "kings' cake" known as la galette des rois is baked. Bakers hide a coin, jewel, or little toy inside it.

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Watch this short video on Three Kings Day.