Jump To:

• kwanza
  kwanza

  noun

  a paper money, cupronickel coin, and monetary unit of Angola, equal to 100 lwei: replaced the escudo in 1977.
• Kwanza
  Kwanza

  noun

  Kwanzaa.

kwanza

¹ American  

[kwahn-zuh] / ˈkwɑn zə /

noun

• kwanza,
  plural
• kwanzas
  plural

1. a paper money, cupronickel coin, and monetary unit of Angola, equal to 100 lwei: replaced the escudo in 1977.

---

Kwanza ² American  

noun

1. Kwanzaa.

2. Cuanza.

---

kwanza British  

/ ˈkwænzə /

noun

1. the standard monetary unit of Angola, divided into 100 lwei

---

Usage

What is Kwanzaa? Kwanza is another spelling of Kwanzaa, a holiday in celebration of African heritage and Black culture and values that’s observed from December 26 to January 1. Kwanzaa is sometimes seen spelled with only one a at the end, as Kwanza, but Kwanzaa is generally considered the proper spelling. It is primarily observed by African Americans in the U. S. but is also celebrated in some other countries by members of the African diaspora—those whose ancestors came from Africa. Kwanzaa is an Afrocentric holiday but is not typically observed in Africa itself. As part of its celebration of the values of family and community, Kwanzaa has seven principles, each of which is named with a word in the African language of Swahili:

• umoja (unity)
• kujichagulia (self-determination)
• ujima (collective work and responsibility)
• ujamaa (cooperative economics)
• nia (purpose)
• kuumba (creativity)
• imani (faith)

Observation of Kwanzaa often includes the discussion of these principles along with daily lighting of a candle representing one of them. The seven candles (three green, one black, and three red, representing the traditional colors of Africa) are held in a candleholder called a kinara. The kinara and the candles it holds are two of the seven symbols of Kwanzaa, which also include a sampling of crops (fruits and vegetables), ears of corn, gifts, a ceremonial cup (kikombe cha umoja), and a mat on which all of these items are usually displayed during the holiday. Celebrations of Kwanzaa vary, but they often include family gatherings, music, and storytelling. A feast (karamu) is held on December 31. In the U. S., Kwanzaa is considered part of what’s known as the holiday season—the period that starts on Thanksgiving and continues until New Year’s Day and also includes the holidays of Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. Although it occurs around other religious wintertime holidays, Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, though some may observe it as a spiritual one. Many African Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa also celebrate other holidays that fall around the same time, including Christmas. Example: Every Kwanzaa, my grandmother tells the story of our ancestors and our homeland in Nigeria.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• kwanza
  plural
• kwanzas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of kwanza

from a Bantu language

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kwanza Kwanza kwanzas

"For the kwanza, it was the decision of the central bank to stop defending the currency as a result of low oil prices and greater debt payments."

From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2023

Angola's central bank kept its main interest rate unchanged at 17% on Friday, citing a sharp depreciation of the local kwanza currency that is stoking inflationary pressure.

From Reuters ● Jul. 14, 2023

How cute -- a kwanza candlelabrum shaped like a menorrah.

From New York Times ● Dec. 23, 2016

The crash in oil prices has led to a rapid fall in the flow of U.S. dollars into Angola and a sharp decline in the value of the local currency, the kwanza.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 2, 2016

The government introduced new currency   denominations in 1999, including 1 and 5 kwanza notes.

From The 2001 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

The San Diego Padres are nearing a deal to be sold to private-equity billionaire José E. Feliciano and his wife Kwanza Jones, according to people familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

Time is running out for you to ensure your shipped gifts arrive on time for such end-of-the-year celebrations as Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanza.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2025

There were some bumps along the way, like the infamous 2003 Kwanza cake.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2024

Delilah lives among the rest of the troop, including Gugas, Kwanza, Kamili, Namoki, Baako, Olivia and Kofi.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2023

The first governor sent to Angola was Paulo Diaz, a grandson of Bartholomew Diaz, who reduced to submission the region south of the Kwanza nearly as far as Benguella.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Part 1, Slice 1 by Various

The government had allocated 1.3 million kwanzas for the group, but that had not yet been paid.

From New York Times ● Mar. 12, 2023

Prices are inflated: in one showcase, a pair of secondhand children's trousers was marked 500 kwanzas, or roughly $40 at the official exchange rate.

From Time Magazine Archive

The central bank in 2003 implemented an exchange rate stabilization program using foreign exchange reserves to buy kwanzas out of circulation.

From The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency