Kwanzaa Events in the Washington, DC Area

Kwanzaa is a seven-day cultural celebration that was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966, in the midst of the Black Freedom Movement. The holiday is celebrated each year on December 26 through January 1 by African Americans as a way to reaffirm their heritage and culture and their bonds to one another as a community. Kwanzaa is celebrated with candle-lighting, pouring of a drink as an offering to a god, a feast and gift-giving. Here are some special events honoring Kwanzaa around the Washington, DC area.

Kwanzaa Celebration at the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum
December 26-30, 2009. 1901 Fort Place, SE, Washington, DC. (202) 633-4844. Special programs include storytelling and music to demonstrate the seven principles of living that make Kwanzaa an important African American holiday.

Kwanzaa Celebration at the Alexandria Black History Museum
December 12, 2009. 902 Wythe Street Alexandria, Virginia. (703) 838-4356. The Alexandria Black History Museum will host two free Kwanzaa programs - a holiday celebration and a film screening. The event begins at 11 a.m. with an exploration of the history of Kwanzaa, a performance of the Libation Ceremony, and illustrations and food samplings. At 4:30 p.m., join award-winning filmmaker M.K. Asante, Jr., as he presents his film, "The Black Candle: A Kwanzaa Celebration" (71 minutes), a timely illumination on why the seven principles of Kwanzaa are so important to African Americans today. Narrated by Maya Angelou, it traces the holiday's growth out of the Black Power Movement in the 1960s to its present-day reality as a global, pan-African holiday embraced by more than 40 million celebrants. A discussion follows the film screening.

Kwanzaa Celebration with Coyaba Dance Theater
December 19, 2009 at 8 p.m., December 20, 2009, at 2 and 7 p.m. Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street, NE, Washington, DC. (202) 399-7993. The performance includes singing, dancing, drumming, storytelling and more.

A Kwanzaa Celebration
December 27, 2009, 3 p.m. Prince George's Publick Playhouse, 5445 Landover Rd. Cheverly, Maryland (301) 277-1710. African performance of dance, drumming, traditional music and storytelling. $10.