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:
from a Bantu language
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"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
But for locals earning kwanza, it has never been harder to afford food or medicine, with a devalued currency and slashed welfare programs.
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 valuation of the San Diego Padres in a deal to sell the team 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
Ambaca and Malanje are the chief places in the fertile agricultural district of the middle Kwanza, S.E. of Loanda, with which they are in railway communication.
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
