The first day of the first Kwanzaa was celebrated in Los Angeles, California on Dec. 26, 1966. Dr. Maulana Karenga, the chair of Black Studies at California State University at Long Beach, designed the seven-day holiday, which has strong African roots, as a celebration of African-American family, community and culture. The name Kwanzaa comes from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits" in Swahili. There are seven principles of Kwanzaa and each day of the holiday emphasizes a different principle.

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