Ten facts about Kwanzaa

1) What language is the word Kwanzaa from? Swahili, the largest spoken language on the African continent. Kwanza, with one "a," means "first fruit." Many African countries have celebrations of the first harvest of the year.2 )What African countries celebrate Kwanzaa? None. Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday, created and celebrated in the United States.

3) Wasn't the founder a separatist, felon and antiwhite? Maulana Karenga (born Ronald McKinley Evert) founded Kwanzaa and co-founded US (Us Black People), a black nationalist and social-change organization. Karenga did have a felony conviction. He is a nationalist, but not a separatist, and there is no information about his being antiwhite, just problack.

4) Isn't Kwanzaa the black Christmas? Kwanzaa starts on Dec. 26, the day after Christmas. But most African-Americans celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25, like most Americans.

5) If you celebrate Kwanzaa, can you celebrate Christmas? It's not an either/or. Some folks celebrate both. Some choose one or the other. Some choose neither.

6) Can non-African-Americans celebrate? According to the founder, "other people can and do celebrate it, just like other people participate in Cinco de Mayo besides Mexicans; Chinese New Year besides Chinese."

7) Aren't the values of Kwanzaa exclusive to African-Americans? Quite the contrary. The seven principles of Kwanzaa -- unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith -- apply universally.

8) Doesn't Kwanzaa have the same number of candles and candleholders as Hanukkah? No, the candleholder in Kwanzaa is called a kinara and holds seven candles. Hanukkah has a menorah, which holds eight or nine candles, depending on whether you count the Shamash (candle used to light the others).

9) Don't you have to celebrate all seven days? Like most multiday holidays, folks celebrate when they can and on various levels. I have never celebrated all seven days.

10) Isn't it a made-up holiday? Yes, it was created in 1966. But a lot of holidays are made up. What matters isn't the origin of the holiday but the meaning we give to it. To the 18 million people who will celebrate this, the 46th year of Kwanzaa, I say, "Harambee" -- "Let's all pull together."

Happy Kwanzaa!