Heri za Kwanzaa! How to Celebrate Kwanzaa with Your Foster Child

The holidays look different for kids in foster care. They can bring a big mix of emotions, including grief, anxiety, uncertainty, and loneliness. Children might feel disconnected from their family, holiday traditions, or culture, making the holidays especially isolating. Celebrating a foster child’s customs and traditions, like Kwanzaa, can provide a sense of stability and belonging during a difficult time. Knowing how to celebrate Kwanzaa with your foster child can make a huge difference in their well-being.

READ MORE: Helping Foster Kids Cope with Holiday Stress and Loneliness

Parents fostering a child from a different cultural or ethnic background need to make especially intentional efforts to help their child stay connected to their heritage and maintain a strong sense of identity. Children in foster care may face challenges with confidence and a lack of stability while away from the home they know, making this support especially important. Affirming their identity and family traditions keeps their confidence and mental health in good shape.

What is Kwanzaa and Why is it Celebrated?

Kwanzaa is a secular, Pan-African holiday celebrated for seven days from December 26–January 1. Its roots lie in African harvest festival traditions, which center on community. Harvest celebrations traditionally involve dancing, gathering together to share food, and giving thanks for the blessings of the season.

Today, Kwanzaa continues the spirit of those harvest festivals by focusing on seven guiding principles that uplift and unite the community: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. It is often celebrated alongside Christmas during the holiday season by Black Americans.

Although Kwanzaa was created for the Black American community, people of other backgrounds can celebrate it—much like how many people join in cultural holidays outside their own, like Cinco de Mayo or St. Patrick’s Day.

Kwanzaa celebrations include lighting candles on the kinara, telling stories and reciting poetry, dancing, eating a feast (karamu) of traditional foods like jollof rice, peanut stew, collard greens, and plantains, and exchanging meaningful gifts. For foster families, especially those caring for children whose traditions include celebrating Kwanzaa, embracing the spirit of this celebration can be a meaningful way to show respect, create connection, and honor their cultural identity.

READ MORE: Celebrating and Explaining Juneteenth to Kids

The History of Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by activist and educator Dr. Maulana Karenga following the Watts riots. He wanted to create a cultural shift that honored African heritage to encourage pride and unity within the community during the violent and turbulent social change of the Civil Rights Movement. As an alternative to more commercialized religious holidays, it offered a celebration meant to “give Black people an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society.”

Note: Though there is now controversy surrounding Dr. Karenga, the holiday has grown to mean more to the community beyond its founder and is still upheld and honored in over 9 million households in America today.

Nguzo Saba – The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa

The name “Kwanzaa” comes from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza”, meaning “first fruits.” The seven days of Kwanzaa honor seven principles called the Nguzo Saba, and every day is dedicated to honoring one of these principles. Each principle is designed to guide behavior, celebrate African roots, and reinforce family, community, and culture.

The seven candles in the kinara—green, black, and red—symbolize these principles. The middle candle represents unity, while the red candles honor the struggles of the past and the green candles reflect hope and the promise of the future. On each day of Kwanzaa, you light a candle for that day’s principle on your candleholder or kinara.

1. Umoja (Unity) – Maintaining unity in the family, the community, and culture. The black candle in the center of the kinara represents unity, symbolizing the importance of coming together as a supportive family.
2. Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) – Encourages you to define ourselves, speak for ourselves, and take ownership of our lives. For foster children, practicing self-determination can boost confidence and empower them to make choices within a supportive environment. The red candle next to the black candle is lit for Kujichagulia.
3. Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) – To remind us to maintain and build our community. Activities like preparing a large feast, helping with community service, or collaborating on decorations can reinforce teamwork and shared purpose. The green candle next to the black candle is lit on this day, and symbolizes ujima, and reminds us to honor and support one another.
4. Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) – Encourages supporting local businesses, sharing resources, or building sustainable projects. As you light the middle red candle on the kinara, teach your child about the value of community support and treating the success of the community as their own.
5. Nia (Purpose) – Inspires children to set goals and contribute meaningfully to their communities. Encouraging foster children to reflect on their purpose builds self-worth and resilience. We light the middle green candle on this day.
6. Kuumba (Creativity) – Encourages creativity and cultural expressions, like music, dance, art, and storytelling.The last red candle is lit on the sixth day to honor kuumba.
7. Imani (Faith in the Black Community) – Represents belief in oneself, the family, and the community. For foster children, faith in their abilities and the support of their caregivers can help them navigate feelings of uncertainty during the holidays. The final red candle is lit on the seventh a final day of Kwanzaa for Imani.

Symbols and Decor

Kwanzaa is filled with meaningful symbols that bring the holiday to life, and incorporating even a few of them into your home can help your foster child feel welcomed and understood.

The mkeka (woven mat) serves as the foundation of the celebration, representing history and tradition, while the kinara (candleholder) and its seven candles offer a simple nightly ritual of reflection that brings steadiness during an otherwise emotional season. Displaying mazao (fruits and vegetables) honors the value of hard work and community, and setting out items like bananas, oranges, or corn can be an easy way to participate. The kikombe cha umoja (unity cup) provides a moment to acknowledge connection during gatherings, and zawadi (gifts) are typically handmade or educational, encouraging creativity, thoughtfulness, and meaning over materialism.

Bringing these symbols into your home through crafts, decorations, or daily rituals shows your foster child that their traditions are valued, their identity matters, and your home is a place where they do not have to set their culture aside.

Ideas for Celebrating with Your Foster Child

Incorporating creative activities into the Kwanzaa celebration allows children to express themselves while connecting to their African roots. These celebrations help foster children learn the values of collective work, cooperative economics, creativity, and faith, while connecting to the African continent, African roots, and broader African culture. Here are some ideas for activities to do:

1. Crafts and Decorations

Make simple Kwanzaa crafts together like paper mkekas (woven mats), unity cups, or red, black, and green garlands. Creating decorations gives kids a hands-on way to connect with the celebration and helps them embrace the principle of kuumba, or creativity.

2. Cook a Kwanzaa-Inspired Meal

Look up recipes for dishes often enjoyed during Kwanzaa, such as jollof rice, collard greens, or stewed veggies. Cooking together builds connection and gives them a comforting sense of tradition. Some of the more popular dishes for Kwanzaa are:

• Soul food (fried chicken, collard greens, mac and cheese, okra, etc.)
• West African dishes (shrimp stew, chicken yassa, jollof rice, peanut soup)
• Caribbean dishes (Ropa vieja, jerk chicken, curry, plantains, jambalaya)

3. Light the Kinara Together

Make lighting the kinara a special daily ritual. Talk briefly about the principle of the day and invite your foster child to share thoughts or memories if they feel comfortable.

4. Explore Books and Stories

Read children’s books or watch short videos about Kwanzaa. Storytelling helps kids understand the meaning behind the holiday while creating moments of calm and bonding.

5. Celebrate Creativity

Use art, music, writing, or dance to explore Kuumba (creativity). This could be as simple as drawing, making a playlist, or doing a small craft.

6. Support Community Together

Practice Ujima by doing something in your community: donating, supporting a local Black-owned business, or doing a simple act of kindness together.

7. Learn About Inspiring Black Leaders

Choose a few historical or modern Black figures to learn about together. Keep it simple: read a short bio, watch a kid-friendly video, or share a quick, fun fact to spotlight pride, heritage, and resilience.

Preparing for the First Kwanzaa with Your Foster Child

Preparation for the first Kwanzaa in a foster home can be meaningful and intentional. Begin by talking to your child about how their family usually celebrates Kwanzaa. Some families hold one party and celebrate all or one of the given principles on that day; many have feasts with their favorite foods, while others might just light candles. To get started, discuss which cultural expressions, traditions, and activities they remember or hope to continue.

Decorating the home with Kwanzaa-inspired decor, preparing traditional foods, and creating spaces for family and community activities will help a child feel valued and included. Setting goals for the new year, reflecting on harvest celebrations, or reading stories about African heritage reinforces the educational and emotional aspects of the holiday.

When celebrating, involve the child in the activities and encourage them to participate in reflecting on the daily Nguzo Saba principle. Small gestures—such as creating handmade gifts for neighbors or helping with a Karamu feast—can help children take ownership of the celebration.

Why Celebrating a Foster Child’s Customs Matters

Many children may feel a sense of loss for traditions connected to their birth family or previous placements while they are in foster care. Caregivers who honor their child’s customs help provide emotional safety, build trust, and affirm identity.

When children feel their identity is recognized and celebrated, it enhances their sense of belonging and leads to better overall well-being. This is especially important for children who have experienced disruption or loss, helping them feel “at home” during the holidays while building self-esteem and resilience.

Supporting Children Through the Holidays and Beyond

Children in foster care may have complex feelings about holidays. They may experience grief, loss, or anxiety. Talking through expectations before gatherings, explaining family customs, and role-playing social situations can help children feel prepared. Small gestures like letting children take photos, create gifts, or share experiences with their birth family can also provide continuity and connection.

Encourage children to speak up about their preferences, to honor their self-determination, and to participate in decisions about celebrations. Remind them they are safe, supported, and loved, regardless of where they are celebrating or who is present. This approach fosters trust and demonstrates respect for the child’s history, culture, and identity.

Check Out The Foster Care & Adoption Resource Center’s Guide for Celebrating Holidays While You Foster Here.

Ready to Celebrate Kwanzaa with Your Foster Child?

For children who have lost so much and who may be feeling lonelier around the holidays, honoring cultural traditions not only helps them feel at home but also strengthens their identity and builds trust with you as their foster parents. When foster parents celebrate a child’s customs, they send the powerful message: You are valued, your culture is important, and this is your home.

Kwanzaa is a chance to teach children about the importance of unity, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, and faith—lessons that stay with them long after the holiday ends. By celebrating together, foster parents not only honor African roots and the African continent but also help children in their care grow into confident, resilient, and proud individuals.

Knowing how to celebrate Kwanzaa with your foster child is about more than rituals or decorations. It’s about building a safe, inclusive environment where children feel recognized, respected, and supported.