Thursday marks the first day of the week-long celebration of Kwanzaa.
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 as a non-religious way for African Americans to reconnect with ancestral roots.
The name comes from a Swahili phrase which means "first fruits."
It is celebrated each year from December 26th to January 1st.
A candle is lit each night on a seven-branched candelabra called the kinara.
The candles include one black, three red and three green to represent the people, the struggle, and the future.
Each day is dedicated to one of seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.
Gifts are often given to children.
