Kwanzaa starts on Saturday, December 26 and ends on Friday, January 1, 2021. Kwanzaa is an African-American celebration of life. Kwanzaa is a Swahili word that means "first" and signifies the first fruits of the harvest. Kwanzaa has 7 principles: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity), and imani (faith). People make homemade gifts for one another.

Kwanzaa traditions include drinking from the Kikombe cha Umoja, the Unity Cup. It is usually filled with water, fruit juice, or wine. Some of it is poured out to remember ancestors and shared between people. Another tradition is Zawadi or giving gifts. The gifts are usually to be educational or to be a reminder to the children of their African heritage.