As the end of the year rolls around, everyone has the holidays on their brain. And while you tend to hear a lot of talk about Christmas or Hanukkah out of Hollywood, these aren’t the only holidays being celebrated this time of year. Kwanzaa, the Pan-African holiday that honors the whole of African culture, begins on Dec. 26 this year and continues until Jan. 1, 2025.
“Kwanzaa was created out of the philosophy of Kawaida, which is a cultural nationalist philosophy that argues that the key challenge in Black people’s [lives] is the challenge of culture and that what Africans must do is to discover and bring forth the best of their culture, both ancient and current and use it as a foundation to bring into being models of human excellence and possibilities to enrich and expand our lives,” explains the official Kwanzaa site.
The word Kwanzaa comes from a Swahili phrase meaning “first fruits,” and, effectively, that’s exactly what the holiday is — a tribute to the fruit of the human spirit. Although this holiday is rooted in the African Diaspora, the official Kwanzaa website underscores that anyone can (and should!) celebrate it. “The principles of Kwanzaa and the message of Kwanzaa have a universal message for all people of goodwill,” the site says.
To learn about the few stars in Hollywood who will be observing the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa this year, scroll below!
Holly Robinson-Peete
Holly Robinson-Peete, who has shared photos on social media of her family celebrating Kwanzaa over the years, starred in the first-ever holiday movie celebrating Kwanzaa in 2022, titled Holiday Heritage.
She opened up about the holiday to The Root. “My kids learn more about their culture and heritage during these 7 days than they do all year at school,” she explained.
Jamie Foxx
On the first day of Kwanzaa in 2013, Jamie Foxx took to Twitter to post a photo of himself dressed in a traditional African shirt. His message was short and sweet: “Happy Kwanzaa!”
Angelina Jolie
As a former United Nations Goodwill Ambassador — not to mention the mother of children adopted in three different countries — Angelina Jolie has long been open about her inclusivity when it comes to holidays.
In 2008, she explained to Vanity Fair how her holiday celebrations included Kwanzaa. “Brad [Pitt, Jolie’s ex-husband] got me this great thing for Christmas. It’s a bookshelf that has a book on every religion. That’s how we plan to raise our kids. Teach them about all religions. They can pick one or be a student of all of them.”
“We’ll celebrate Kwanzaa for our girl,” she said, referring to her daughter Zahara Marley Jolie, who was born in Ethiopia. “We’ll celebrate moon and water festivals for our boys. We’ll take them to temples in certain countries. Also to church.”
Oprah Winfrey
According to PBS, Oprah Winfrey is one of Hollywood’s biggest A-listers who observes Kwanzaa. And you know, that doesn’t really surprise us. She strikes us as a person who embraces the principles of the holiday year-round.
Malcolm D. Lee
Malcolm D. Lee may have directed the holiday movie The Best Man Christmas and set it over the Christmas holiday, but he actually celebrates Kwanzaa with his family.
Nia Long
Nia Long, the star of The Best Man Holiday, actually has a pretty special connection to Kwanzaa — “nia” is one of the Seven Principles (purpose). While it’s unknown if she was, in fact, named after the tenet, she did say that she is “a part of Kwanzaa.”
Sanaa Lathan
Sanaa Lathan’s family celebrated Kwanzaa when she was growing up (along with Christmas), and it reinforced to her that the holidays in general are about “the love beween human beings.
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