Kwanzaa - Wikipedia

African-American holiday created in 1966 Not to be confused with Kwanza.

Kwanzaa
7 candles in a kinara symbolize the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
Observed by	African Americans, parts of the African diaspora
Type	Cultural and ethnic
Significance	Celebrates African heritage, unity, and culture
Celebrations	Unity Creativity Faith Giving gifts
Date	December 26 to January 1
Related to	Pan-Africanism

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Kwanzaa (/ˈkwɑːnzə/) is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day.[1] It was created by activist Maulana Karenga based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West, East, as well as Southeast Africa. Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966. A 2009 estimate placed the number of Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa between 500,000 and 2,000,000.[2]

History and etymology

American black separatist[3] Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 during the aftermath of the Watts riots[4] as a non-Christian,[5] specifically African-American holiday.[6] Karenga said his goal was to "give black people an alternative to the existing holiday of Christmas and give black people an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society."[7] For Karenga, a figure in the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s, the creation of such holidays also underscored the essential premise that "you must have a cultural revolution before the violent revolution. The cultural revolution gives identity, purpose, and direction."[8]: 63–65 

According to Karenga, the name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning "first fruits".[9] First fruits festivals exist in Southern Africa and are celebrated in December/January with the southern solstice. Karenga was partly inspired by an account he read of the Zulu festival Umkhosi Wokweshwama.[8]: 84  It was decided to spell the holiday's name with an additional "a" so that it would have a symbolic seven letters.[8]: 228 

During the early years of Kwanzaa, Karenga said it was meant to be an alternative to Christmas. He believed Jesus was psychotic and Christianity was a "White" religion that Black people should shun.[10] As Kwanzaa gained mainstream adherents, Karenga altered his position so practicing Christians would not be alienated, stating in the 1997 book Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture that "Kwanzaa was not created to give people an alternative to their own religion or religious holiday."[11] Many African Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa do so in addition to observing Christmas.[12]

After its creation in California, Kwanzaa spread outside the United States[13] but does not appear to be directly observed in any African countries.[14]

Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles)

Kwanzaa celebrates what its founder called the seven principles of Kwanzaa, or Nguzo Saba (originally Nguzu Saba – the seven principles of African Heritage). They were developed in 1965, a year before Kwanzaa itself. These seven principles are all Swahili words, and together comprise the Kawaida or "common" philosophy, a synthesis of nationalist, pan-Africanist, and socialist values.

Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the principles, as follows:[15]

1. Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
2. Kujichagulia (Self-determination): To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves.
3. Ujima (Collective work and responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems and to solve them together.
4. Ujamaa (Cooperative economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
5. Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
6. Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
7. Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Symbols

Kwanzaa celebratory symbols include a mat (Mkeka) on which other symbols are placed:

• a Kinara (candle holder for seven candlesticks[16])
• Mishumaa Saba (seven candles)
• mazao (crops)
• Mahindi (corn), to represent the children celebrating (and corn may be part of the holiday meal).[17]
• a Kikombe cha Umoja (unity cup) for commemorating and giving shukrani (thanks) to African Ancestors
• Zawadi (gifts).

Supplemental representations include a Nguzo Saba poster,[18] the black, red, and green bendera (flag), and African books and artworks—all to represent values and concepts reflective of African culture and contribution to community building and reinforcement.[19]

Observances

Families celebrating Kwanzaa decorate their households with objects of art, colorful African cloth such as kente, especially the wearing of kaftans by women, and fresh fruits representing African idealism. It is customary to include children in Kwanzaa ceremonies and to give respect and gratitude to ancestors. Libations are shared, generally with a common chalice (Kikombe cha Umoja) passed around to all celebrants. Non-African Americans also celebrate Kwanzaa.[2] "Joyous Kwanzaa" may be used as a greeting during the holiday.[21][22][23]

A Kwanzaa ceremony may include drumming and musical selections, libations, a reading of the "African Pledge and the Principles of Blackness," contemplation on the Pan-African colors, discussion of the African principle of the day or a chapter of African history, a candle-lighting ritual, artistic performances, and, finally, a feast of faith known as Karamu Ya Imani.[24][25] The greeting for each day of Kwanzaa is Habari Gani?,[26] which is Swahili for "How are you?"[27]

At first, observers of Kwanzaa avoided the mixing of the holiday or its symbols, values, and practice with other holidays, as doing so would violate the principle of kujichagulia (self-determination) and thus violate the integrity of the holiday, which is partially intended as a reclamation of important African values. Today, some African American families celebrate Kwanzaa along with Christmas and the New Year.[28]

Cultural exhibitions include the Spirit of Kwanzaa, an annual celebration held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts featuring interpretive dance, African dance, song, and poetry.[29][30][31]

Karamu

A Karamu Ya Imani (Feast of Faith) is a feast typically on December 31, the sixth day of the Kwanzaa period. The Karamu feast was developed in Chicago during a 1971 citywide movement of Pan-African organizations. Hannibal Afrik of Shule ya Watoto proposed it as a community-wide promotional and educational campaign. The initial Karamu Ya Imani occurred on January 1, 1973, at a 200-person gathering at the Ridgeland club.[32]

In 1992, the National Black United Front (NBUF) of Chicago held one of the country's largest Karamu Ya Imani celebrations. It included dancing, a youth ensemble and a keynote speech by NBUF and prominent Black nationalist leader Conrad Worrill.[33]

The celebration includes the following practices:

• Kukaribisha (Welcoming)
• Kuumba (Remembering)
• Kuchunguza Tena Na Kutoa Ahadi Tena (Reassessment and Recommitment)
• Kushangilia (Rejoicing)
• Tamshi la Tambiko (Libation Statement)
• Tamshi la Tutaonana (The Farewell Statement)

Adherence

The popularity of celebration of Kwanzaa has declined with the waning of the popularity of the black separatist movement.[34][35][36][37] Kwanzaa observation has declined in both community and commercial contexts.[38][39][40] University of Minnesota Professor Keith Mayes did not report exact figures, noting that it is also difficult to determine these for the three other main African-American holidays, which he names as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Malcolm X Day, and Juneteenth.[8]: 210, 274  Mayes added that white institutions now also celebrate it.[2] Certain communities of the Nation of Islam, an African American Islamic group, celebrate Kwanzaa.[41]

In a 2019 National Retail Federation poll, 2.6 percent of people who planned to celebrate a winter holiday said they would celebrate Kwanzaa.[42] Roughly 14% of the United States population is African American.

Starting in the 1990s, the holiday became increasingly commercialized, with the first Hallmark card being sold in 1992.[43] Some have expressed concern about this potentially damaging the holiday's values.[44]

Recognition

The first Kwanzaa stamp, designed by Synthia Saint James, was issued by the United States Post Office in 1997, and in the same year Bill Clinton gave the first presidential declaration marking the holiday.[45][46] Subsequent presidents George W. Bush,[21] Barack Obama,[47] Donald Trump,[48] and Joe Biden[49] also issued greetings to celebrate Kwanzaa.

Maya Angelou narrated a 2008 documentary film about Kwanzaa, The Black Candle, written and directed by M. K. Asante and featuring Chuck D.[50][51]

In the special episode of the animated series Arthur, Arthur's Perfect Christmas, (2000) Brain's family celebrated Kwanzaa as a family, and added a Kwanzaa Ice Cream Special (red, black, and green ice cream) to their ice cream shop menu.[52]

Practice outside the United States

Other countries where Kwanzaa is celebrated include Jamaica, France, Canada, and Brazil.[53]

In Canada it is celebrated in provinces including Saskatchewan[54] and Ontario. Kwanzaa week was first declared in Toronto in 2018.[55] There are local chapters that emerged in the 2010s in provinces like British Columbia, where there are much smaller groups of the diaspora, founding members may be immigrants from countries like Uganda.[56]

See also

Portals:

• United States
• Holidays

• Public holidays in the United States

References

1. ^ "Why Kwanzaa Video". Maulana Karenga. November 2008. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
2. ^ a b c Scott, Megan K. (December 17, 2009). "Kwanzaa celebrations continue, but boom is over, popularity fading". The Plain Dealer. Associated Press. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
3. ^ Wilde, Anna Day (December 31, 2020). "7 Mainstreaming Kwanzaa". We Are What We Celebrate: 120–130. doi:10.18574/nyu/9780814722916.003.0009. ISBN 9780814722916.
4. ^ Wilde, Anna Day. "Mainstreaming Kwanzaa." Public Interest 119 (1995): 68–80.
5. ^ Blumenfeld, Warren J.; Joshi, Khyati Y.; Fairchild, Ellen E. (January 1, 2009), "Christian Teachers and Christian Privilege", Investigating Christian Privilege and Religious Oppression in the United States, Brill, pp. 133–149, doi:10.1163/9789087906788_009, ISBN 978-90-8790-678-8, retrieved December 7, 2023
6. ^ Alexander, Ron (December 30, 1983). "The Evening Hours". The New York Times. Retrieved December 15, 2006.
7. ^ Kwanzaa celebrates culture, principles Archived July 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
8. ^ a b c d Mayes, Keith A. (2009). Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African-American Holiday Tradition. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0415998550. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
9. ^ Holly Hartman. "Kwanzaa – Honoring the values of ancient African cultures". Infoplease.com. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
10. ^ Karenga, Maulana (1967). "Religion". In Clyde Halisi, James Mtume. The Quotable Karenga. Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press. pp. 25. 23769.8.
11. ^ Karenga, Maulana (1997). Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture. University of Sankore Press. p. 121. ISBN 978-0943412214.
12. ^ Williams, Lena (December 20, 1990). "In Blacks' Homes, the Christmas and Kwanzaa Spirits Meet". The New York Times. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
13. ^ "Kwanzaa – African-American Holiday". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Retrieved January 6, 2020. Although Kwanzaa is primarily an African American holiday, it has also come to be celebrated outside the United States, particularly in the Caribbean and other countries where there are large numbers of descendants of Africans.
14. ^ Quartey, Kojo. "Kojo Quartey: Kwanzaa: What it is and what it is not". Monroe News. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
15. ^ Karenga, Maulana (2008). "Nguzo Saba". The Official Kwanzaa Web Site. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
16. ^ "Definition of KINARA". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
17. ^ Raabe, Emily (2001). A Kwanzaa Holiday Cookbook. Rosen Publishing. p. 12. ISBN 978-0823956296.
18. ^ Angaza, Maitefa (2007). Kwanzaa – From Holiday to Every Day: A complete guide for making Kwanzaa a part of your life. New York: Dafina Books. p. 56. ISBN 978-0758216656.
19. ^ "The Symbols of Kwanzaa". The Official Kwanzaa Website. Archived from the original on December 4, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
20. ^ "The Principles and Meaning of Kwanzaa". Oprah Daily. December 7, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
21. ^ a b Bush, George W. (December 23, 2004). "Presidential Kwanzaa Message, 2004" (Press release). Office of the Press Secretary. Retrieved December 24, 2007.
22. ^ "Clinton offers holiday messages". CNN. December 23, 1997. Retrieved December 24, 2007.
23. ^ Gale, Elaine (December 26, 1998). "Appeal of Kwanzaa continues to grow; holidays: today marks start of the seven-day celebration of African culture, which began in Watts 32 years ago and is now observed by millions". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 5, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2007.
24. ^ Johnson, James W.; Johnson, F. Francis; Slaughter, Ronald L. (1995). The Nguzo Saba and the Festival of Fruits. Gumbs & Thomas Publishers. p. 42. ISBN 9780936073200.
25. ^ "A Great Kwanzaa Feast – Kwanzaa". Epicurious.com.
26. ^ "The Founder's Message 2000". The Official Kwanzaa Web Site. Archived from the original on December 4, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
27. ^ "Useful Swahili phrases". Omniglot.com. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
28. ^ "Kwanzaa (until Jan 1) in the United States". Timeanddate.com. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
29. ^ "The Spirit of Kwanzaa – The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts". Kennedy-center.org. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
30. ^ "Dance Institute of Washington". February 21, 2001. Archived from the original on February 21, 2001. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
31. ^ "Kwanzaa Featured on This Year's Holiday U.S. Postage Stamp". October 19, 2004. Archived from the original on October 19, 2004. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
32. ^ Mayes, Keith (2006). Peniel Joseph (ed.). The Black Power Movement: Rethinking the Civil Rights-Black Power Era. Taylor & Francis Group. pp. 244–245. ISBN 978-0-415-94596-7.
33. ^ McFarland, Melanie (December 25, 1992). "Kwanzaa Is A Time Of Reflection". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
34. ^ Stanley, Sharon (2017). An impossible dream? : racial integration in the United States. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0190639976.
35. ^ Hall, Raymond (1977). Black separatism and social reality : rhetoric and reason. New York: Pergamon Press. ISBN 9780080195100.
36. ^ Dattel, Gene (2019). "Separatism vs. Integration: Can Separate Ever Be Equal?". Academic Questions. 32 (4): 476–486. doi:10.1007/s12129-019-09822-4 (inactive July 12, 2025). S2CID 214460772.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
37. ^ Neal, Mark Anthony (December 28, 2012). "Is Kwanzaa Still A Thing?". Tell Me More (Interview). Interviewed by Michel Martin. NPR.
38. ^ Fantozzi, Madison (December 25, 2016). "Polk events celebrate values of African culture". The Ledger. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
39. ^ Demby, Gene (January 1, 2013). "Significance Of Kwanzaa Changes Over The Years". Morning Edition (Interview). Interviewed by David Greene. NPR. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
40. ^ Schumacher-Matos, Edward (January 7, 2013). "Gaining Or Losing Credibility By Humanizing A Reporter: A Kwanzaa Story". NPR (NPR Public Editor column). Archived from the original on December 12, 2024.
41. ^ Smith, Jamon (December 26, 2008). "Kwanzaa celebration focuses on unity". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
42. ^ Yancey-Bragg, N'dea (December 26, 2019). "From Umoja to Imani, Kwanzaa has 'won the hearts and minds of African people around the world". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 12, 2024. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
43. ^ Martin, Douglas (December 20, 1993). "The Marketing of Kwanzaa; Black American Holiday Earns Dollars, Causing Concern". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
44. ^ "Commercialized Kwanzaa worries enthusiasts". The Billings Gazette. December 28, 2001. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
45. ^ "William J. Clinton: Message on the Observance of Kwanzaa, 1997". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
46. ^ Pleck, Elizabeth (2001). "Kwanzaa: The Making of a Black Nationalist Tradition, 1966–1990" (PDF). Journal of American Ethnic History. 20 (4): 3–28. doi:10.2307/27502744. JSTOR 27502744. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 15, 2017.
47. ^ "Statement by the President and the First Lady on Kwanzaa" (Press release). The White House. December 26, 2015. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
48. ^ "Presidential Message on Kwanzaa" (Press release). The White House. December 26, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
49. ^ Biden, Joe [@POTUS] (December 26, 2021). "As we begin the seven days of Kwanzaa, Jill and I send our best wishes to everyone celebrating" (Tweet). Retrieved December 24, 2022 – via Twitter.
50. ^ "Kwanzaa Celebration Captured In 'Black Candle'". National Public Radio. December 15, 2008.
51. ^ "Chuck D and Maya Angelou in Kwanzaa Documentary". Essence. December 18, 2009.
52. ^ "Arthur's Perfect Christmas". Arthur. Season 5. November 23, 2000. PBS.
53. ^ Lord, Mark (December 22, 2016). "Celebrating the life-affirming tenets of Kwanzaa". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
54. ^ "Sask. African Canadian Heritage Museum celebrates Kwanzaa in Regina – CBC News". CBC. December 28, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
55. ^ "Proclamations declaring Kwanzaa week in Toronto and Brampton a first for Canada". WBFO. December 27, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
56. ^ "Kwanzaa, the 7 most important days of the year, approaching for many African-Canadians". Saanich News. December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2023.

Further reading

• Medearis, Angela Shelf (1994), The Seven Days of Kwanzaa, Scholastic Paperbacks, ISBN 0-590-46360-8
• Seton, Susannah (2000), Simple Pleasures for the Holidays, Conari, ISBN 1-57324-515-1
• Brady, April A. (2000), Kwanzaa Karamu, Lerner Publishing Group, ISBN 0-87614-842-9
• Karenga, Maulana (1998), Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture, University of Sankore Press, ISBN 0-943412-21-8
• Marsh, Carole (2003), Kwanzaa: Activities, Crafts, Recipes, and More!, Gallopade International, ISBN 0-635-02173-0
• Anganza, Maitefa (2007), Kwanzaa: from Holiday to Every Day, Kensington Publishing Corporation, ISBN 978-0-7582-1665-6
• Gamble-Gumbs, Ida (1998), How to Plan a Kwanzaa Celebration, Cultural Expressions, Inc., ISBN 0-9629827-1-7
• Hintz, Martin (1996), Kwanzaa: Why We Celebrate It the Way We Do, Capstone Press, ISBN 1-56065-329-9
• Asante, Molefi K.; Mazama, Ama (2005), Encyclopedia of Black Studies, SAGE, ISBN 0-7619-2762-X

External links

Kwanzaa at Wikipedia's sister projects

• Definitions from Wiktionary
• Media from Commons
• Quotations from Wikiquote
• Data from Wikidata

• Official website
• The Black Candle at IMDb 
• Why Kwanzaa was created by Karenga Archived December 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
• The History Channel: Kwanzaa
• "The Meaning of Kwanzaa in 2003". The Tavis Smiley Show. NPR. December 26, 2003. Interview: Karenga discusses the evolution of the holiday and its meaning.

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v t e Holidays, observances, and celebrations in the United States
January	New Year's Day (federal) Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (federal) Birthday of Eugenio María de Hostos (PR) Confederate Heroes Day (TX) Eve of Three Kings' Day (PR, religious) Feast of Epiphany / Feast of Theophany (religious) Fred Korematsu Day (AZ, CA, FL, HI, VA) Idaho Human Rights Day (ID) Inauguration Day (federal quadrennial) Kansas Day (KS) Makar Sankranti / Pongal (religious) Robert E. Lee Day (FL) Stephen Foster Memorial Day (36) The Eighth (LA) Three Kings' Day (PR, VI, religious) World Religion Day (religious)
January–February	Chinese New Year / Lunar New Year (NY, cultural, religious) Vasant Panchami (religious)
FebruaryAmerican Heart MonthBlack History Month	Washington's Birthday (federal) Valentine's Day Birthday of Luis Muñoz Marín (PR) Candlemas (religious) Charles Darwin Day / Darwin Day (CA, DE) Day of Remembrance (CA, OR, WA, cultural) Georgia Day (GA) Groundhog Day Imbolc (religious) Lincoln's Birthday (CA, CT, IL, IN, MO, NY, WV) National Girls and Women in Sports Day National Freedom Day (36) Nirvana Day (religious) Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple (religious) Promised Reformer Day (religious) Ronald Reagan Day (CA) Rosa Parks Day (CA, MO) Saviours' Day (religious) Susan B. Anthony Day (CA, FL, NY, WI, WV, proposed federal) Tu B’shvat (religious)
February–March	Mardi Gras Ash Wednesday (PR, religious) Carnival (PR, VI, religious) Clean Monday (religious) Courir de Mardi Gras (religious) Intercalary Days (religious) Mahashivaratri (religious) Purim (religious) Shrove Tuesday (religious) Super Tuesday
MarchIrish-American Heritage MonthColon Cancer Awareness MonthWomen's History Month	Saint Patrick's Day (ethnic) Spring break (week) Annunciation of the Virgin Mary / Annunciation of the Theotokos (religious) Casimir Pulaski Day (IL) Cesar Chavez Day (CA, CO, TX, proposed federal) Emancipation Day in Puerto Rico (PR, cultural) Evacuation Day (Suffolk County, MA) Harriet Tubman Day (NY) Hola Mohalla (religious) Holi (NY, religious) Lailat al-Mi'raj (religious) Liberation and Freedom Day (Charlottesville, VA, cultural) Mardi Gras (AL (in two counties), LA) Maryland Day (MD) Medal of Honor Day National Poison Prevention Week (week) Nowruz (cultural, religious) Ostara (religious) Pi Day Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Day (HI) Promised Messiah Day (religious) Saint Joseph's Day (religious) Seward's Day (AK) Texas Independence Day (TX) Town Meeting Day (VT) Transfer Day (VI) U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day (36) Trans Day of Visibility (cultural)
March–April	Easter (religious) Good Friday (CT, NC, PR, NJ, VI, religious) Hanuman Jayanti (religious) Holy Thursday (PR, VI, religious) Holy Week (PR, religious, week) Lazarus Saturday (religious) Mahavir Janma Kalyanak (religious) Mesha Sankranti / Hindu New Year (religious) Palm Sunday (PR, religious) Passover (religious, week) Easter Monday / Bright Monday (VI, religious) Ramnavami (religious) Chandramana Uugadi / Souramana Uugadi (religious)
AprilArab American Heritage MonthConfederate History Month	420 April Fools' Day Arbor Day Birthday of José de Diego (PR) Confederate Memorial Day (AL, MS) Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust (week) DNA Day Earth Day Emancipation Day (cultural) Thomas Jefferson's Birthday (AL) Lag B’Omer (religious) Last Friday of Great Lent (religious) National First Ladies Day Pascua Florida (FL) Patriots' Day (MA, ME) Ridván (religious) San Jacinto Day (TX) Siblings Day Walpurgis Night (religious) Yom Ha'atzmaut (cultural, religious)
MayAsian American andPacific Islander Heritage MonthJewish American Heritage MonthMilitary Appreciation Month	Memorial Day (federal) Mother's Day (36) Cinco de Mayo Ascension of Baháʼu'lláh (religious) Ascension of Our Lord (religious) Caliphate Day (religious) Declaration of the Bab (religious) Harvey Milk Day (CA) International Workers' Day / May Day (CA, unofficial, proposed state) Law Day (36) Loyalty Day (36) Malcolm X Day (CA, IL, proposed federal) Military Spouse Day National Day of Prayer (36) National Day of Reason National Defense Transportation Day (36) National Maritime Day (36) Peace Officers Memorial Day (36) Pentecost (religious) Shavuot (religious) Truman Day (MO) Vesak / Buddha's Birthday (religious)
JunePride Month	Juneteenth (federal, cultural) Father's Day (36) Bunker Hill Day (Suffolk County, MA) Carolina Day (SC) Don Young Day (AK) Fast of the Holy Apostles (religious) Flag Day (36, proposed federal) Helen Keller Day (PA) Honor America Days (3 weeks) Jefferson Davis Day (AL, FL) Kamehameha Day (HI) Litha (religious) Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (religious) Odunde Festival (Philadelphia, PA, cultural) Senior Week (week) Saint John's Day (PR, religious) West Virginia Day (WV) Women Veterans Day
July	Independence Day (federal) Asalha Puja Day (religious) Birthday of Don Luis Muñoz Rivera (PR) Birthday of Dr. José Celso Barbosa (PR) Emancipation Day in the U.S. Virgin Islands (VI, cultural) Guru Purnima (religious) Khordad Sal (religious) Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea (HI, unofficial, cultural) Martyrdom of the Báb (religious) Parents' Day (36) Pioneer Day (UT) Puerto Rico Constitution Day (PR)
July–August	Summer vacation Tisha B'Av (religious)
August	American Family Day (AZ) Barack Obama Day in Illinois (IL) Bennington Battle Day (VT) Dormition of the Theotokos (religious) Eid-e-Ghadeer (religious) Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus (religious) Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (religious) Hawaii Admission Day / Statehood Day (HI) Krishna Janmashtami (religious) Lammas (religious) Lyndon Baines Johnson Day (TX) Naga Panchami (religious) National Aviation Day (36) Paryushana (religious) Raksha Bandhan (religious) Transfiguration of the Lord (religious) Victory Day (RI) Women's Equality Day (36)
SeptemberProstate Cancer Awareness MonthChildhood Cancer Awareness MonthGospel Music Heritage Month	Labor Day (federal) Brazilian Day (NY, cultural) California Admission Day (CA) Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day (36) Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (36) Constitution Week Defenders Day (MD) Elevation of the Holy Cross (religious) Feast of San Gennaro (NY, cultural, religious) Ganesh Chaturthi (religious) Gold Star Mother's Day (36) His Holiness Sakya Trizin's Birthday (religious) Mabon (religious) National Grandparents Day (36) National Payroll Week (week) Nativity of Mary / Nativity of the Theotokos (religious) Native American Day (proposed federal) Patriot Day (36) Von Steuben Day
September–OctoberHispanic Heritage Month	Chehlum Imam Hussain (religious) Oktoberfest Pitri Paksha (religious) Rosh Hashanah / Feast of Trumpets (TX, NY, religious) Shemini Atzeret (religious) Simchat Torah (religious) Vijaya Dashami (religious) Yom Kippur / Day of Atonement (TX, NY, religious)
OctoberBreast Cancer Awareness MonthDisability Employment Awareness Month Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month Filipino American History MonthLGBT History Month	Columbus Day (federal) Halloween Alaska Day (AK) Child Health Day (36) General Pulaski Memorial Day German-American Day Indigenous Peoples' Day International Day of Non-Violence Leif Erikson Day (36) Missouri Day (MO) Nanomonestotse (cultural) National School Lunch Week (week) Native American Day in South Dakota (SD) Nevada Day (NV) Spirit Day (cultural) Sweetest Day Sukkot / Feast of Tabernacles (religious, week) Virgin Islands–Puerto Rico Friendship Day (PR, VI) White Cane Safety Day (36)
October–November	Birth of the Báb (religious) Birth of Baháʼu'lláh (religious) Day of the Dead (VI) Diwali (NY, religious) Mawlid al-Nabi (religious)
November Native American Indian Heritage Month	Veterans Day (federal) Thanksgiving (federal) Ascension of ‘Abdu’l Baha (religious) All Saints' Day (religious) Beginning of the Nativity Fast (religious) Beltane / Samhain (religious) Barack Obama Day in Alabama (Perry County, AL) D. Hamilton Jackson Day (VI) Day after Thanksgiving (24) Day of the Covenant (religious) Discovery of Puerto Rico Day (PR) Election Day (CA, DE, HI, KY, MT, NJ, NY, OH, PR, VA, WV, proposed federal) Family Day (NV) Friendsgiving Guru Nanak Gurpurab (religious) Hanukkah (religious) Lā Kūʻokoʻa (HI, unofficial, cultural) Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (religious) Native American Heritage Day (MD, WA, cultural) Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple (religious) Trans Day of Remembrance (cultural) Unthanksgiving Day (cultural)
December	Christmas (religious, federal) New Year's Eve Advent Sunday (religious) Alabama Day (AL) Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (religious) Bodhi Day (religious) Chalica (religious) Christmas Eve (KY, NC, SC, PR, VI) Day after Christmas (KY, NC, SC, TX, VI) Festivus HumanLight Hanukkah (religious, week) Immaculate Conception (religious) Indiana Day (IN) Kwanzaa (cultural, week) Milad Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (religious) National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (36) Nativity of Jesus (religious) Old Year's Night (VI) Pan American Aviation Day (36) Pancha Ganapati (religious, week) Rosa Parks Day (OH, OR) Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (religious) Wright Brothers Day (36) Yule (religious) Zartosht No-Diso (religious)
Varies (year round)	Eid al-Adha (NY, religious) Eid al-Fitr (NY, religious) Islamic New Year (religious) Yawm al-Arafa (religious) Hajj (religious) Laylat al-Qadr (religious) Navaratri (religious, four times a year) Obon (religious) Onam (religious) Ramadan (religious, month) Ghost Festival (religious) Yawm Aashura (religious)
Legend: (federal) = federal holidays, (abbreviation) = state/territorial holidays, (religious) = religious holidays, (cultural) = holiday related to a specific racial/ethnic group or sexual minority, (week) = week-long holidays, (month) = month-long holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies See also: Lists of holidays, Hallmark holidays, Public holidays in the United States, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.

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