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Kwanzaa quotes are great for celebrating that magical time of year. 

Kwanzaa quotes are perfect for educating people on what Kwanzaa is, because a lot of Kwanzaa quotes contain educational information about the holiday. Many people may not know what Kwanzaa is or why it is celebrated, because it is a fairly new holiday. With this in mind, Kwanzaa quotes are perfect for teaching people why we celebrate Kwanzaa. We have created a list of some of the best Kwanzaa quotes collected and curated from various sources. We hope that you enjoy these quotes and that they inspire you in some way today. If you enjoy and love these quotes, then please do be sure to give them a share!

A Bit About Kwanzaa quotes

Kwanzaa quotes are perfect for helping people learn a little bit more about Kwanzaa and what the holiday is all about, because many people do not know what Kwanzaa actually is. Kwanzaa quotes are also filled with lots of wisdom and inspiration, because they are all written with the Kwanzaa holiday in mind, which is a great holiday based on heritage and love.

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What is Kwanzaa?

Kwanzaa is a festival that celebrates American-American culture, because African-American’s come together during the week of Kwanzaa to learn about and reminisce their heritage and culture. It’s celebrated the week between Christmas and New Year from December 26 through to January 1. The name Kwanzaa comes from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza”, which means “first fruits” in Swahili. It is a celebration of African-Americans and their cultural heritage and traditional values. Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, although some people celebrate both Kwanzaa and Christmas together in unison.  The Kwanzaa creator was Maulana Karenga and Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966–67.

These are the seven principles of Kwanzaa:

1. Umoja: Unity. To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
2. Kujichagulia: Self-Determination:
3. Ujima: Collective Work and Responsibility.
4. Ujamaa: Cooperative Economics.
5. Nia: Purpose.
6. Kuumba: Creativity.
7. Imani: Faith.

How is Kwanzaa celebrated?

The Kwanzaa holiday culminates with a large feast and gift giving. This is because both of those are great and traditional ways to celebrate a holiday. The feast of Kwanzaa usually contains foods that are typically African style dishes. This is because the holiday is around African culture. Some examples of main dishes served up during the Kwanzaa celebration include: African creole, Cajun catfish, jerk chicken or something else typically spiced. Side dishes may include: greens, rice, slaw and beans.

What can we glean from Kwanzaa quotes?

Kwanzaa quotes help to celebrate the African-American culture, because that is what the Kwanzaa holiday is all about. They’re also great for helping to teach people exactly what Kwanzaa is. They also help to teach people why Kwanzaa is celebrated each year. Kwanzaa quotes are also filled with love, wisdom, and inspiration.

Our List of the Best Kwanzaa Quotes

Following is our list of Kwanzaa quotes which should inspire and teach you a little bit about Kwanzaa today. They do this because many people do not know what the Kwanzaa holiday is. We hope that you enjoy these quotes. If you do, we would love to hear your thoughts on them in the comments section below this article.

1. “We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”~ Maya Angelou

This is a great quote for Kwanzaa because it really defines what this celebration is all about. It is about celebrating the African-American communities and it is also about celebrating diversity. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or the colour of your skin, because we are all born the same, and we are all equal.

2. “We have religious holidays and we have secular holidays. I see Kwanzaa as an opportunity for African-Americans to reaffirm ourselves if we choose to, a chance to rebuild and renew our focus. I see Kwanzaa as a holiday of the spirit.”~ Jessica Harris

Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, nor is it a secular holiday, because it is more of a spiritual holiday. It’s defined as it’s own type of holiday, because it is unique and not like other holidays. Kwanzaa is simply a holiday when the African-American people can come together and celebrate life and their heritage. It is an opportunity of African-American’s to celebrate their equality and to celebrate with one another during this dedicated holiday, because Kwanzaa is defined as just that.

3. “Kwanzaa is a pan-African celebration of heritage and culture and family and community. The principles and the manner of observing the holiday lift up traditional values that are key to our lives.”~ Janine Bell

This is a great quote to help people learn a little bit more about Kwanzaa and what it’s all about because it really outlines the true essence of the Kwanzaa holiday. It is a celebration of American-American people and it celebrates heritage, family and community. This one dedicated holiday runs the week between Christmas and the New Year and is great because it is an opportunity for African-Americans to come together in unison to celebrate their lives.

4. “The seven principles of Kwanzaa — unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith — teach us that when we come together to strengthen our families and communities and honor the lesson of the past, we can face the future with joy and optimism.”~ President Bill Clinton

Kwanzaa is a great celebration in the development of equality in America and celebrates all of the aspects of African-American life. It is a great celebration that focusses solely on the lives of the African-American people and other people from African decent. It focusses on their culture and celebrates all of the great qualities of American-American life, because they have a very unique heritage that’s celebrated and remembered.

5. “Our children need the sense of specialness that comes from participating in a known and loved ritual. They need the mastery of self-discipline that comes from order. They need the self-awareness that comes from a knowledge of their past. They need Kwanzaa as a tool for building their future and our own.”~ Jessica Harris

Kwanzaa is a great holiday for teaching African-American children all about their heritage and their roots, because that is what Kwanzaa is all about. It is a great way for them to celebrate life whilst learning all about their ancestors. Kwanzaa is a very important holiday for the African-American community, because it brings them together to celebrate something that they all have in common. It builds hope and understanding between African-American communities, because they can all reminisce and learn more about their past and heritage together.

6. “Kwanzaa is a holiday that should be celebrated by everyone, not just the black community.”~ Jacqui Lewis

We should all celebrate the lives of African-Americans, because they are a part of what makes America so great. We should all also take the time to celebrate the developments and the progress that we have made as a nation, particularly towards both racism and equality. It would be great if the Kwanzaa holiday could eventually make it’s way out of the United States and recognised as a worldwide holiday, much like Christmas and Easter.

7.  “Kwanzaa isn’t a replacement for Christmas or even Hanukkah. Kwanzaa has nothing to do with religion and while some may twist it to be political, in its nature it is not. Kwanzaa is not the tool of its creator. Kwanzaa has a life of its own. Kwanzaa is about the spirit of people — all people regardless of color or race. Kwanzaa is a holiday of the human spirit — not the divine. The two were meant to co-exist peacefully.”~ Author Unknown

Kwanzaa is a holiday all on it’s own and we should celebrate it as such, because it celebrates something a little different than typical religious holidays. It is not a religious holiday, it is a celebration of the African-American people, their heritage, and their culture. Kwanzaa is usually seen more as a spiritual celebration more so than anything else, because the African-Amrican people can go on a spiritual journey of remember and learning all about their heritage.

8. For Africa to me… is more than a glamorous fact. It is a historical truth. No man can know where he is going unless he knows exactly where he has been and exactly how he arrived at his present place. – Maya Angelou

Kwanzaa is a great way for people of African descent to learn where they came from and to learn their heritage, because that’s what Kwanzaa is all about. It is important for people to learn about their cultural history, so that they can know why they are living where they are and why their life is the way that it is.

9. The [Kwanzaa] holiday, then will of necessity, be engaged as an ancient and living cultural tradition which reflects the best of African thought and practice in its reaffirmation of the dignity of the human person in community and culture, the well-being of family and community, the integrity of the environment and our kinship with it, and the rich resource and meaning of a people’s culture. -Maulana Karenga

This quote excellently highlights what Kwanzaa is all about and why it is important because it describes greatly why this holiday is celebrated. It also re-indicates the reason why Kwanzaa is a holiday and what is actually being celebrated during the holiday of Kwanzaa. This is a great educational quote for anyone who doesn’t quite know what Kwanzaa is or why it is celebrated – especially because it includes such great detail.

10. So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. ~Bahá’u’lláh

During the Kwanzaa holiday, the African-American people come together in unity to celebrate their lives and their own culture. This unity is what makes the African-American community a strong community. It is also one of the great reasons why the Kwanzaa celebration exists as it does, because the lives of African-Americans deserve celebrations.

We hope that you enjoyed and learned something from our list of Kwanzaa quotes. 

Did you enjoy this list of Kwanzaa quotes? Perhaps you have some Kwanzaa quotes of your own that you think should be on this list? Or maybe you have some stories about Kwanzaa that you would like to share with us? We would love to hear them! Please leave a comment in the comment section below this article. We love to hear your thoughts and advice on our articles.

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