Overview
- The 2025 observance runs from December 26 through January 1, with daily candle-lighting centered on a guiding principle and a communal Karamu feast on December 31.
- Kwanzaa was founded in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga to address cultural disconnection and strengthen ties to African heritage.
- Organizers stress that Kwanzaa is a cultural, non-religious celebration open to all backgrounds and practiced in the United States and other countries.
- Wilmington’s celebrations continue under Culture Restoration Project Inc., which accepted leadership after three decades of stewardship by the African Connection.
- Last year’s Kwanzaa Soko in Wilmington drew about 300 participants with food, arts, crafts, and music, while the African American Museum in Philadelphia provides guidance on local ways to participate.