Kwanzaa 2024 a celebration of culture, music, community, will begin its 58th anniversary with events from Dec. 14 – Jan 1

Kwanzaa, a non-religious and non-commercial holiday created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor and activist, will be observed from December 26 to January 1. However, there will be a calendar of events leading up the actual celebration period with events around the boroughs, starting on Dec. 14.

The cultural holiday celebrates African heritage and African American culture., culminating, in a festive gathering known as the Karamu Ya Imani (Feast of Faith). Kwanzaa is a time for reflection, community, and the reaffirmation of cultural values and principles.

During the week of Kwanzaa, families and communities come together to share a feast, to honor the ancestors, affirm the bonds. Each day families light a candle to highlight the principle of that day and to breathe meaning into the principles with various activities, such as reciting the sayings or writings of great black thinkers and writers, reciting original poetry, African drumming, and sharing a meal of African diaspora-inspired foods, according to research.

Each candle represents one of the Nguzo Saba principles, which are: Unoja (Unity) to strive for and maintain unity in the family community.

Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define and name, as well as create and speak for one’s selves.

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain community together, making brothers’ and sisters’ problems their problems and solving them together.

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain their stores, shops, and other businesses, and to profit from them together.

Nia (Purpose): To make collective vocation the building and developing of their community to restore their people to traditional greatness.

Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as they can in the way they can to leave community more beautiful and beneficial than it was inherited.

Imani (Faith): To believe with all their hearts in their people, parents, teachers, leaders, and the righteousness and victory of their struggle.

In keeping with these traditions, the celebration will begin with the lighting of the candles at the Marine Park Alliance Festival of Lights Kwanzaa. The Free event will be held on Dec. 14. The audience will join Dr. Simanique Moody, Professor, Brooklyn College to learn about Kwanza, that will celebrate and emphasize African community values.

Attendees will also participate in the lighting of the kinara, which symbolizes these values.

This family-friendly event will be held at the Carmine Carro Community Center in Marine Park, 3000 Fillmore Avenue, Brooklyn, from 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. Email

[email protected]

Kwanza Celebration – OBUMU – is inviting the community to a 7^th Annual event on Dec. 14, for two shows. Youth – 12 p.m. and Adult 6 p.m.  The commemoration will be held at Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-05 56^th St., Bayside, NY 11364.

Tickets are available online – kwanzaacelebration.org.

Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center’s Annual Kickoff to Kwanzaa 2024 will be held on December 14, at 9:0030am.

The program will include a Libation Ceremony- Atiba Wilson and the Befo Quotet Ensemble. Kwanza Presentation – QPL Board Member Andrew Jackson (Seko Molefi Baako), a Musical Performance by Avery Reid, and many other performances.

Admission is at the 100-01 Northern Blvd., Corona 718-651-1100, #7 Subway to 103^rd Street Corona Plaza, walk five blocks to Northern Boulevard. Take buses Q23, Q66, Q72 to get to location.

The 8^th Annual Kwanzaa Festival of music, food, and fun will be held on December 15, from 12:00pm – 6:00pm, at Nassau community College Building. A fee of $5.00 per person 3-years and older, will be accepted at the door.

The festival will bring together families for a fun-filled day of food, clothing & Jewelry venders. Adult and Children’s authors will host storytelling sessions. Additionally, face painting & Arts & craft, drumming dance performances will begin at 3:00pm. Email for more information [email protected].

The Little Sun People Clan will present its first Kwanzaa Karamu extravaganza on Dec. 26, from 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. Themed: Party hard at Little Sun People Kwanzaa Karamu, and will be held at 352 Classen Ave., 4^th Floor in Brooklyn.

Early bird tickets are on sale via eventbrite.com. Singles $40.00 Families up to four persons: $125.00. Regular price tickets are on sale. Single $55.00 Families up to 4 people, $160.00.

The Kwanza ceremony will be led by Baba Neil Clarke, and Dance Music by DJ Chris. Kwanza vendors with food assortments will be available.

The Style Collection will host its third Annual Kwanzaa Celebration – Unity in the Community- hosted by Roc-A-Natural Cultural Foundations Inc, in collaboration with Community Partners. The commemoration will be held on Dec. 26 from 6:30 p.m..- 10:30 p.m. at Central Family Life Center, located at 59 Wright St., Staten Island, NY 10304.

To volunteer, vending or further information, contact Dorcas Meyers – [email protected]

Operation P.O.W.E.R. presents, The Kwanzaa Black Book Drive. The organization is collecting new and gently used culturally representative books for the benefit of the young people of East Brooklyn and beyond. Books can be dropped off now on a rolling basis at Brooklyn Bend, located at 601 Livonia Ave. (bet. Sheffield & Pennsylvania). The collection ends on December 26.

The organization will then host a book distribution on Friday, Dec. 27, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., at 859 Schenck Ave. (Bet. Stanley & Wortman) Contact Keron Alleyne 917-795-3486.

The Kwanzaa Collective will present – A Unity Celebration on Dec. 27, from 1 p.m. – 7 p.m., at PS 57, 125 Stuyvesant Ave., Brooklyn.

Kwanzaa Gathering presented by 4TE Capital Solutions invites the community to its Short Program & Networking Mixer on Dec. 27. The program –that will run from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. at the Anthology Film Archives, 32 2^nd Ave., New York, NY 10003, will have an open bar & refreshments. Entry upon RSVP – [email protected]

NYS Senator Cordell Cleare will welcome the community to a Kwanzaa Candle Lighting Ceremony – UJIMA- collective work and responsibility, on Dec. 28, at 3 p.m. The event will be held at the Children’s Aid-Dunlevy Milbank Center, 14-32 W. 118^th Street, New York, NY 10026.

For more information, call 212-222-7315.

The 8^th Annual Celebration & Fashion Show, hosted by “The Queens”, will be held on Dec.r 28 at 3 p.m. – 7 p.m., at Roy Wilkins Recreation Center, 177-01 Baisley Blvd., Queens, NY 11434. Showtime is 4:00pm. Entrance fee, $20.00.

The Central Brooklyn EDC in partnership with Marachi, and others will celebrate “Ujima” on Dec. 28, with a workshop & Live Stream from Ghana, from 11:00 am., at 69 Belmont Ave., Brooklyn NY 11212.

There will be Music, a Food, and Art Night Market from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Belmont Avenue (Bet. Watkins St. & Mother Gaston Blvd.), Brooklyn. For more information go to [email protected] or call 718 498-4513.

Guyanese Dem Village presents its Annual Kwanzaa Celebration of African dancing, Children’s Fashion, Naming Ceremony and more, on Dec. 28, from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Entrance fee is, Adults $50.00, Children free under 18.
Refreshments will be served, from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m., at the 1739 Springfield Ave., Maplewood, New Jersey, location.