Ottawa Kwanzaa Celebration 2024

About the Event

The Ottawa Kwanzaa celebration is now bigger and better than ever, making it the largest non-religious cultural celebration during the holiday season in Ottawa. It draws people from diverse communities across the region and has become a beacon of unity and cultural richness. The event showcases many traditions, performances, and educational activities, highlighting the festival’s core principles. Kwanzaa celebrates the shared history, culture, and similar experiences of people of African descent by bringing together individuals from Africa, the Caribbean, and the diaspora. It promotes and fosters family, community, and culture as the core foundation of a strong and vibrant community.

We are currently looking for talented artists to participate in our Kwanzaa celebration! If you’re interested in showcasing your skills, please click the link below and fill out the form for artist auditions:

Artist Audition Form

Thank you, and we look forward to your submissions.

Comments From Members of the Community

“Congratulations Ken, to you and your team for an amazing event.”

“This is our first exposure to Kwanzaa, and it is an experience that we will hold for quite some time and share with friends and family.”

“We loved the wide range of participants, especially the youngsters (so encouraging) and of course our highlight was the drummers who closed off the evening. Impressive!!!”

“Jaku’s contribution to the Ottawa community is remarkable… keep it up”

“Congratulations to Jaku for an excellent presentation. Everything was on point!”

“Happy new year! Congratulations on a well-run Kwanzaa Celebration. It was my first and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Well done Jaku Konbit!”

Online Kwanzaa Celebration

December 26th - January 1, 2025

Join us for an online celebration via Zoom during the week of Kwanzaa. We will learn and share together while having lots of fun. From December 26th to January 1st, every day at 6:30 PM, we will be live online celebrating Kwanzaa. As a community, we will light our candles, discuss the day’s principle from the Nguzo Saba (7 principles), and celebrate together.

We understand physical gatherings may not be possible for many of us. However, we can still come together virtually on Zoom in mind and spirit. Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday celebrated by over 35 million people of African descent throughout the world. As Black people, we must be mindful of the customs and traditions we practice and pass down, especially those that were not created by us and do not benefit us. Instead, we should embrace celebrations that align with our values.

If you want to watch videos related to the online celebration of Kwanzaa, please click here.

What is Kwanzaa?

Kwanzaa is a non-religious cultural holiday that is celebrated around the world from December 26 – January 1 of the New Year. The celebration is designed to promote cultural pride, dignity, and foster a vibrant and healthy community.

There are seven principles highlighted during the season of Kwanzaa:

  • Umoja, Unity – to be unified as a diverse amalgamation of one people
  • Kujichagulia, Self Determination – to drive oneself to achieve one’s goals
  • Ujima, Collective Work and Responsibility – to work for the community
  • Ujamaa, Cooperative Economics – to economically support each other
  • Nia, Purpose – to commit oneself to the betterment of our community
  • Kuumba, Creativity – to do whatever you can in the way you can
  • Imani, Faith – to believe in what you are doing and its outcome.