There are many holidays celebrated in the United States, like Christmas and Hanukkah, but not much is said about a less celebrated holiday.

Kwanzaa, created by Maulana Karenga in 1966, celebrates many aspects of African history that are overlooked by our modern society.

Originally, the holiday was created as a response to Christmas. After slavery, many blacks felt disconnected from their roots. During the 1960s, a sense of black pride emerged, and some felt they needed to learn more about their history and culture.

Kwanzaa is the Swahili word for “first,” as the holiday centers around celebrating the first harvest.

Literature based on black history also surfaced, giving students the tools to learn about their history because much of their true history was hidden.

Thus, Kwanzaa was born.

The holiday lasts from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. Each day of the celebration has a specific word in Swahili, a Kenyan language, to represent each day.

The first day begins with “Umoja,” which translates to “unity.” For each day, a candle is lit to represent the harvest. The candle holder, also known as a “kinara,” has seven candles to display the seven principles of the celebration.

The candles include three red, one black and three green. They represent many back-to-Africa movements while also paying tribute to leaders like Marcus Garvey.

These tools represent the countries of Africa, and also the historical roots of the continent.

Five values represent the celebration: ingathering, reverence, commemoration, recommitment and celebration. These values stand strong in African and African American households both in history and today.

In elementary school, teachers conducted a short, pleasant  unit on Kwanzaa and why it’s important – but that’s all. Now, in college, there isn’t any sort of presentation or celebration.

Yes, it’s important for children to know about all holiday celebrations so they attempt to become well rounded individuals.

Honestly, it would make more sense if there was some information offered at the collegiate level on Kwanzaa. As we are growing into adults, we need to be reminded that our select holiday celebrations aren’t the only ones.

As an African American woman, learning about my culture is very important, but it’s also crucial for people with other ethnic backgrounds to learn about all cultures.

This year, I’ll be celebrating Kwanzaa while also saluting other celebrations this season.