The holiday's founder, Maulana Karenga, said his goal was to "give blacks an alternative to the existing holiday of Christmas ... an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society."

Karenga, a professor of Africana studies, created Kwanzaa in 1966 during the aftermath of the Watts riots, which took place in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, after the arrest of 21-year-old Marquette Frye, an African-American man, caused a six-day riot that resulted in 34 deaths and more than $40 million in property damage.

Kwanzaa is observed for seven days, and a candle is lit each night to observe the Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles of Kwanzaa: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity) and Imani (faith).

The candles include one black, three red, and three green. Black represents "the people", red represents the blood spilled in the struggle for freedom, and green is for the future of black liberation.

With over 2000 languages spoken on the African continent, Kwanzaa adopted one of the many unifying languages, Swahili, which is spoken by millions.

The name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning "first fruits". First fruits festivals have long existed in Southern Africa, where they are celebrated in December/January, and Karenga was partly inspired by an account he read of the Zulu festival Umkhosi Wokweshwama. It was decided to spell the holiday's name with an additional "a" so that it would have a symbolic seven letters.

The dashiki is a traditional African shirt that features either embroidery or hand painted symbols around the neck. It has formal and informal versions and varies from simple draped clothing to fully tailored suits.

The proper greeting during Kwanzaa is "Habari gani?" This is Swahili for "What is the news?" It is meant to reinforce awareness of and commitment to the Seven Principles. The proper response to this greeting is the corresponding principle for each of day of Kwanzaa, i.e., "Umoja", on the first day, "Kujichagulia", on the second day and so on.

The U.S. Postal Service issued the first Kwanzaa postage stamp on October 22, 1997. The 32 cent stamp, designed by self-taught artist Synthia Saint James, featured a family of four in colorful robes with a bowl of harvested fruits and vegetables; a flag with black, red and green stripes; a wrapped gift; and a candelabra with seven candles. A total of 133 million Kwanzaa stamps were produced that year, and the same design was revalued three times to 33-cents, 34-cents and 37-cents in 1999, 2001 and 2002.

The first presidential declaration marking the holiday came from Bill Clinton, who said: "The symbols and ceremony of Kwanzaa, evoking the rich history and heritage of African Americans, remind us that our nation draws much of its strength from our diversity. As millions of Americans observe Kwanzaa this year, let us renew our commitment to realizing America's promise as a land where all people are free to pursue our common dreams--to live in peace, to provide for our families, and to give our children the opportunity for a better life."