Here's one final graphic about holidays celebrated in the U.S. during December. Find a little more information about this holiday and others here:https://share.america.gov/american-celebrations-of-winter-holidays/
Americans celebrate their African heritage during Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa, a Swahili word than means “first fruits,” is a seven-day festival that honors African heritage in African-American culture. Kwanzaa takes place each year in the United States from December 26 to January 1 and celebrates family and community through music, dance, poetry, storytelling and art.
Maulana Karenga, an African-American civil rights activist, first established Kwanzaa in 1966 as a way for African Americans to reconnect with their African cultural and historical heritage. “It is important to note Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, not a religious one,” Karenga says, and thus available to Africans and African Americans of all religious faiths.
Karenga chose to communicate the new holiday through the most widely spoken African language, Swahili. According to Karenga, the colors of Kwanzaa are black for the people, red for their struggle, and green for the future and hope that comes from their struggle.
Each night during Kwanzaa, celebrants light one of seven candles in a special candle holder called a kinara.
The seven days and candles of Kwanzaa represent seven principles rooted in African tradition that celebrants reflect upon during the week:
Unity (Umoja in Swahili) — To join together families, communities and the nation.
Self-Determination (Kujichagulia) — To ensure people define themselves and are responsible for their own behavior.
Collective work and responsibility (Ujima) — To help each other and to work toward building and maintaining communities.
Cooperative economics (Ujamaa) — To build and support businesses owned by African Americans.
Purpose (Nia) — To commemorate African and African-American cultures, customs and history.
Creativity (Kuumba) — To use imagination to improve and beautify communities.
Faith (Imani) — To believe in and support families, leaders, teachers and community leaders.
Kwanzaa在斯瓦希里语（Swahili）里的意思是“第一批果实”，如今它也指在美国每年12月26日至1月1日欢庆的弘扬非洲裔美国人非洲传统的七天“宽扎节”。宽扎节通过音乐、舞蹈、诗歌、讲故事及各种艺术形式赞美家庭和社区。
宽扎节是由非洲裔美国民权活动人士毛拉纳·卡伦加（Maulana Karenga）最早在1966年设立，为的是让非洲裔美国人重温自己的非洲文化和历史传统。卡伦加说，“需要注意的是，宽扎节是文化节，不是宗教节”，所有宗教信仰的非洲人和非洲裔美国人都可以欢度这个节日。
卡伦加选择采用非洲说的最多的语言斯瓦希里语来表述这个节日。他说，在宽扎节的颜色中，黑色代表人民，红色代表他们的斗争，绿色代表未来和通过斗争产生的希望。
庆祝宽扎节的人在每天晚上，点燃放在叫做kinara的特制烛台上的七根蜡烛之一。
宽扎节中的七天和每一根蜡烛代表着根植于非洲传统的七个信念，欢庆宽扎节的人在节日期间就此进行反思：
团结（Unity/Umoja in Swahili)— 要让家庭、社区和国家团结。
自决（Self-Determination/Kujichagulia)— 界定自我并为自身行为负责。
集体努力及责任（Collective work and responsibility/Ujima)— 要互相帮助和为建设维护社区而努力。
合作性经济理念（Cooperative economics/Ujamaa)— 建立和支持非裔美国人拥有的商企。
目的（Purpose /Nia)— 庆祝非洲和非洲裔美国人的文化、风俗和历史。
创造性（Creativity/Kuumba) — 调动想象力改进和美化社区。
信念（Faith /Imani)— 坚信和支持家庭、领袖、教师和社区领袖。
