With the end of Christmas, Kwanzaa officially begins.
Held from Dec. 26 to New Year’s Day, Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration of African values. First created in 1966 by activist Maulana Karenga, it is now in its 58th year of its celebration.
In honor of the week, here are five events to attend.
- Malcolm X College Kwanzaa Celebration: Held at Malcolm X College, the free event will be available to eventgoers from Dec. 26 to Jan 1. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The celebrations will include live performances by artists Najwa Dance Corps, Theophilus Reed, Khalidah’s North African Middle Eastern Dance and Tony Carpenter.
Local artisans will also feature as vendors from which to shop. Reported items for sale include African clothing, pottery, art, handmade soap, handmade candles and handmade jewelry. Each day will feature a Drum call, honoring Kwanzaa history, candle light, Libation ceremony and an honoring of each principle.
- Saint Louis Art Museum Kwanzaa Celebration: Scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 28, the museum’s annual Kwanzaa celebration is free to the public. This year, the theme of the event is set to be “Abakobwa ni Abanyembaraga: Limitless Power and Potentia,l” which translates to “girls are powerful people” in the Kinyarwanda language. As part of the event, participants will be treated to a hands-on activity that will allow them to make a zawadi, a dance and drum performance, and a stamping activity. The eventgoers can also take part in a self-guided tour and gallery hunt.
- Brooklyn Children’s Museum Celebrate Kwanzaa: Considered to be the largest family Kwanzaa event in NYC, the celebrations prepared for by the Brooklyn Children’s Museum will follow the theme of “Our Children Enlighten the Community.” Along with a dance and drumming workshop and a lesson on graffiti, performances by Kudo NYC and FIYAA are planned for the event. Spanning from Dec. 26 to Dec. 30, each day of the event will also feature a celebration of candle-lighting ceremonies led by Chinua Baraka Payne.
- African American Museum in Philadelphia Kwanzaa Programming: The African American Museum in Philadelphia will be hosting its annual Kwanzaa celebrations. Beginning with “Unity,” the events will last seven days with planning modeled around each principle. The celebrations will include drumming, live music, food and Kwanzaa-related activities. A career fair, a writing workshop, a cooking class, a market fair featuring Black-owned businesses and a digital art workshop are all also scheduled.
- Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History Kwanzaa: This year’s celebrations at the Charles H. Wright Museum include the lighting of the Motor City Kinara, a performance by Nanou Djiapo in honor of kujichagulia, family-friendly activities and an intergenerational panel discussion for ujima as we well as a marketplace and performance from the In The Tradition jazz ensemble for Ujamaa.
