Kwanzaa

or Kwan·za

[ kwahn-zuh ]

noun,plural Kwan·zaas.

a harvest festival celebrated from December 26th until January 1st in some African American communities.

Origin of Kwanzaa

First recorded in 1965–70; from Swahili kwanza “first, firstly”; short for matunda ya kwanza, “first fruits (of the harvest)” (the spelling -za was changed to -zaa to lengthen the word so that each of the seven children who were first taught the festival would have their own letter)

Words Nearby Kwanzaa

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Kwanzaa in a sentence

Ten-year-old Jaydyn Carr watched $60 of GameStop stock he received as a Kwanzaa present turn into $3,200 before he decided to sell.
GameStop’s craze has caught the eye of a new set of investors: Children | Heather Kelly | February 4, 2021 | Washington Post
Kwanzaa is a relatively new celebration, begun in California in the mid-1960s.
Hints From Heloise: Tips for mental health | Heloise Heloise | December 26, 2020 | Washington Post
As far as I know, Kwanzaa isn’t celebrated in Nigeria, but we are very multi-cultural, so I am curious to learn more about Kwanzaa.
Yemi Alade Presents Essence’s Official Christmakwanzakah Playlist | cmurray | December 25, 2020 | Essence.com

British Dictionary definitions for Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa

/ (ˈkwænzɑː) /

noun

a seven-day festival beginning on Dec 26 when African-Americans celebrate family, community, and culture

Origin of Kwanzaa

C20: from Swahili (matunda ya) kwanza first (fruits)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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