For the second year in a row, venues across Cincinnati will be hosting daily events to celebrate Kwanzaa. The series of events is part of the Second Annual Kwanzaa Celebration by the Cincinnati Citywide Kwanzaa Committee.
Kwanzaa is an African American and pan-African cultural holiday celebrating family, community and African diasporic unity held from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. Families celebrate with feasts, music and dancing, and the holiday ends with a day dedicated to reflecting on and recommitting to seven principles: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity) and Imani (faith). The name “Kwanzaa” comes from the Swahili phrase for “first fruits:” matunda ya kwanza.
From Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, rec centers, art galleries, breweries and more will host parties based on the seven principles:
Thursday, Dec. 26
Umoja Festival/Kwanzaa Kickoff
Lincoln Recreation Center (1027 Linn St., West End)
1-7 p.m.
More info: facebook.com.
Friday, Dec. 27
Kujichagulia
Joseph Clark African Art Gallery (4038 Hamilton Ave., Northside)
3-6 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 27
Kujichagulia Kwanzaa Party
The Greenwich (2442 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills)
7 p.m. to midnight
Saturday, Dec. 28
Ujima “Collective Work and Responsibility”
Heart of Northside, (4222 Hamilton Ave., Northside)
1-7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 29
Ujamaa
The Mothership Center (4365 Reading Road, Paddock Hills)
1-4 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 30
Nia “First Fruits Food Drive”
The Mothership Center (4365 Reading Road, Paddock Hills)
1-4 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 30
Nia
The Greater Cincinnati Foundation (720 Pete Rose Way, Downtown)
5:30-8 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 31
Kuumba
Esoteric (918 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills)
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 1
Imani/Karamu Potluck-Style Community Feast
The Mothership Center (4365 Reading Road, Paddock Hills)
1-6 p.m.
Every event is free to attend and will provide guests with the chance to learn more about the history of Kwanzaa and connect with their ethnicity and culture.
This article appears in Dec 11-24, 2024.
