What You Need To Know About Buffalo’s Vibrant Kwanzaa Celebration

The holiday season is in full swing in Western New York, the United States, and all over the planet as bills of people prepare to honor all sorts of cultural celebrations. This time of year is particularly festive in nations like America because we have many cultures in the country that have brought their heritage with them or created new cultural celebrations to tell into the traditions of America.

As December rolls towards the end, millions of Americans and Canadians are getting ready to celebrate Pan-African history and culture this year as the Kwanzaa season is upon us. The historically African American celebration is open to all, and if you're interested in finding out what's happening in Buffalo and Western New York and how you can celebrate, we have everything you need to know below.

What Is Kwanzaa and How Do You Celebrate It?

Kwanzaa, created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, is a non-religious celebration of black and African-American culture. The celebration that Karenga developed, which is currently celebrated by millions of people, was created with the intent of allowing people from any religious practices to have a way to connect with various historical traditions that come from various parts of the continent of Africa.

Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili phrase for first fruits or matunda ya kwanza. Several cultures in Southern Africa celebrate a festival of the first fruits of the year, which occurs in late December/ early January annually. Those celebrations coincide with the southern hemisphere's spring solstice, giving Karenga inspiration to form this celebration, which runs from December 26th through January 1st.

Buffalo's Kwanzaa committee has been working hard since this past January to get ready for this year's celebration, and they have a large variety of events ready to keep people busy during this year's holiday. With the holiday taking place over seven days starting on Thursday, December 26, 2024, the celebration is seeking to honor and highlight Kwanzaa's seven core principles: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).

Rooted in this ancient history and culture, Kwanzaa develops as a flourishing branch of the African cultural tree. It emerges in the context of African American life and struggle as a recreated and expanded ancient tradition... Moreover, these various African peoples celebrate Kwanzaa because it speaks not only to African Americans in a special way, but also to Africans as a whole, in its stress on history, values, family, community and culture.
-Official Kwanzaa Website

The theme for 2024's Kwanzaa celebration in Buffalo is Prepare To Repair - Remembering Black Excellence. Festivities will kick off on Thursday, December 26, 2024, at Niagara Square, across from Buffalo City Hall, when the African American Flag is raised at noon.

You can find a full schedule of this year's festivities below.