West Virginia (WOAY)- Today marks the first day of the week-long celebration of Kwanzaa.
The name comes from a Swahili phrase which means “first fruits.”
The holiday was created in 1966, as a non-religious observation of African Americans’ ancestral roots that celebrates seven core principles.
The principles include creativity, collective responsibility, self-determination, faith, and purpose.
In a way similar to the menorah in Hanukkah, a candle is lit each night on the kinara.
The kinara holds seven candles- one black, three green, and three red.
They represent the people, the struggle, and the future – as well as the seven principles.
The celebration of Kwanzaa ends on the first day of the new year.
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