Kwanzaa Lasts 7 Days, But When Is The Largest Feast Enjoyed?

Kwanzaa is an annual celebration from December 26 to January 1 that acknowledges the struggles of the past while celebrating the joys of today and the future. The seven-day holiday was created in 1966 by activist Maulana Karenga in response to the assassination of Malcom X and the devastating Watts riot in Los Angeles as a means for uniting Black American families through African culture and tradition. Karenga named the holiday from the Swahili "matunda ya kwanza" — first fruits — and added an extra "a" to account for the seven children in attendance at that first celebration. Typically, seven candles — three red, three green, one black — are lit every night, beginning with the black candle and then alternating the red and the green, and the seven principles of Kwanzaa and their significance for Black Americans is honored.

The sixth day of Kwanzaa is a celebration of creativity, which can include dance, song, and African drumming, and culminates in a feast called "Karamu," often a communal pot luck of treasured family recipes that have been shared down through generations. Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, and the food brought to the shared table runs the gamut of Caribbean, Cajun, West Indian, African, and regional Southern dishes. Karamu isn't just about enjoying home-cooked meals; it's also a time for recognizing the ancestors and elder family members who are historically and inextricably linked to these recipes.

Kwanzaa embraces the expansive African Diaspora, estimated to be over 200 million worldwide, whose ancestors were forcibly migrated from their homeland, and focuses on Black culture, history, family, and the vast array of traditional foods. One of the Kwanzaa food traditions is representing the fruits, vegetables, and nuts brought to America by enslaved Africans, and so you may find may find tropical fruits, eggplant, okra, and yams at the Karamu table. These African food staples were adapted into dishes that are today often identified as Southern cooking, like collard greens, the deceptively complex Hoppin' John, or sweet potato pie. 

Another Kwanzaa favorite is mac and cheese, which, historically was introduced to America by Thomas Jefferson's enslaved cooks. Black-eyed peas, often eaten on New Year's Eve, and dishes with okra, like shrimp and okra gumbo, are also welcomed at Karamu. Families with Caribbean ancestors might serve Jamaican jerk chicken and plantains, while those with West African roots may celebrate with peanut stew and Nigerian jolof rice. Some families are making new traditions by serving vegetarian or vegan variations of the foods they enjoyed at their grandparents' Karamu. Elaborate meals are the hallmark of many holiday gatherings, but the Karamu meal is steeped in memories and ancestral tradition, which makes Kwanzaa a deeply meaningful experience for everyone who participates.