Does anyone celebrate Kwanzaa?

I am African and I do not celebrate Kwanzaa; I have no idea what it means; while I cannot speak for the other 52 countries on the continent of Africa, in my country, we certainly do not celebrate the 'holiday' - in fact, on our calendar, we have 25 December as Christmas Day and 26 December as Boxing Day ... the next holidays are 1 January New Year's day and 2 January Second New Year's day - the latter only in the Cape Town area only for historical purposes: the rest of the country does not - but since this is the summer period in the southern hemisphere, we take our summer holidays during the month of December/early January - schools are closed, as well as factories and other industries. While this may not answer your question, hope you find this background useful - again I speak only for one country out of 53 on the continent of Africa. p.s. I have, however, visited Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Ghana over the festive season over several years and Christmas is Christmas as celebrated elsewhere, that has been my experience ...

DEFINITION OF KWANZAA Kwanzaa is a unique African American celebration with focus on the traditional African values of family, community responsibility, commerce, and self-improvement. Kwanzaa is neither political nor religious and despite some misconceptions, is not a substitute for Christmas. It is simply a time of reaffirming African-American people, their ancestors and culture. Kwanzaa, which means "first fruits of the harvest" in the African language Kiswahili, has gained tremendous acceptance. Since its founding in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa has come to be observed by more than18 million people worldwide, as reported by the New York Times. When establishing Kwanzaa in 1966, Dr. Karenga included an additional "a" to the end of the spelling to reflect the difference between the African American celebration (kwanzaa) and the Motherland spelling (kwanza). Kwanzaa is based on the Nguzo Saba (seven guiding principles), one for each day of the observance, and is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st. If you want to know what each day is called and what it is.. : Umoja (oo-MO-jah) Unity stresses the importance of togetherness for the family and the community, which is reflected in the African saying, "I am We," or "I am because We are." Kujichagulia (koo-gee-cha-goo-LEE-yah) Self-Determination requires that we define our common interests and make decisions that are in the best interest of our family and community. Ujima (oo-GEE-mah) Collective Work and Responsibility reminds us of our obligation to the past, present and future, and that we have a role to play in the community, society, and world. Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah) Cooperative economics emphasizes our collective economic strength and encourages us to meet common needs through mutual support. Nia (NEE-yah) Purpose encourages us to look within ourselves and to set personal goals that are beneficial to the community. Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah) Creativity makes use of our creative energies to build and maintain a strong and vibrant community. Imani (ee-MAH-nee) Faith focuses on honoring the best of our traditions, draws upon the best in ourselves, and helps us strive for a higher level of life for humankind, by affirming our self-worth and confidence in our ability to succeed and triumph in righteous struggle. --Sonia

Yes millions of African Americans celebrate Kwanzaa. Just because you have never met anyone who celebrates Kwanzaa doesn't mean that no one celebrates Kwanzaa.

its kind of like christmas BUT its for Africans