Do Muslims celebrate Kwanzaa? Who celebrates Kwanzaa and why?

Although it is primarily an African American holiday, Kwanzaa has also come to be celebrated outside the United States, particularly in the Caribbean and other countries where there are large numbers of descendants of Africans.

Muslims do not celebrate Kwanzaa as it is not a religious holiday. Kwanzaa was conceived as a nonpolitical and nonreligious holiday, and it is not considered to be a substitute for Christmas.

Kwanzaa is an annual holiday that celebrates African family and social values. It was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana studies at California State University in Long Beach.

Kwanzaa is not meant to replace Christmas or any other religious celebration but to complement them with a focus on African-American identity and community. Each day of Kwanzaa, a candle is lit in the kinara to symbolize one of the principles. The candles are lit from left to right: first black, then red, then green.

The black candle is lit on December 26; three red candles are lit on December 27, 28, and 29; three green candles are lit on December 30, 31, and January 1. As each candle is lit, the principle of the day is discussed by family members or friends who gather around.