Africa-Themed Kwanzaa Holiday Begins

Kwanzaa, a seven-day celebration of the harvest season and unity based on ancient African customs, begins today.

The fast-growing holiday, conceived in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, director of the African American Cultural Center headquartered in Los Angeles, centers around seven principles: unity, purpose, creativity, collective work and responsibility, faith, cooperative economics and self-determination.

A candle is lit each day to honor one of the principles.

African Americans gather in their homes and at community events to reflect on the past year and to focus on the ideals, designed to help lead prosperous and meaningful lives. (The celebration is not viewed as a substitute for Christmas.)

Traditional African clothing is typically worn to Kwanzaa gatherings, which include African music, dance and distinctive ethnic cooking.

Because Kwanzaa is a time to commemorate the past, the events often include poetry and spoken tributes to people of African descent who have contributed to black life and culture.

A flag of three bars--red for the struggle for freedom, black for unity and green for the future--is sometimes displayed during the holiday. The flag was created for people of African descent by Pan-Africanist leader Marcus Garvey.