Kwanzaa Gwaride 2012: Parade Marks Start Of Weeklong Holiday In Los Angeles (VIDEO)

WATCH: 36th Kwanzaa Begins In Los Angeles

Happy 36th Kwanzaa!

Celebrated in the week between Christmas and the new year (Dec. 26-Jan. 1), Kwanzaa is based on seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

Understood as a cultural holiday honoring African American history and heritage, Kwanzaa was created by Maulana Karenga, a professor of African Studies, and first celebrated in 1966. Karenga, who publishes a Kwanzaa greeting each year on his website, called for "courageous questioning" in his 2012 message:

This ancient and honored call is rooted in the profound respect for the scared and the Transcendent, the rights and dignity of the human person, the well-being and flourishing of family and community, the reciprocal solidarity of human beings, and the health and wholeness of the world.

Before You Go

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot