From the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza” — translation: “first fruits” — Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African American heritage, culture and community.
Derived from several African harvest festival traditions, Kwanzaa is marked by seven days of storytelling, music and dance, family feasts, gift-giving, kinara-lighting, and more every year from December 26 through January 1.
The holiday honors Black heritage through seven reflective principles: unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba) and faith (imani).
Philly celebrates Kwanzaa this year with kinara lightings throughout the city, vendor marketplaces like the One Art Collective: Kwanzaa Celebration and the evening bazaar at Franklin Square, and family-friendly programs at The African American Museum in Philadelphia and the Penn Museum.
Here’s where to celebrate Kwanzaa in Greater Philadelphia for 2023.
Note: Events in this article are arranged chronologically.
