Special to the Daily Egyptian

As most Americans prepare for Christmas between 5 and 18 million blacks worldwide, some in Southern Illinois, prepare for the celebration of Kwanzaa, a holiday that celebrates African traditions.

Meshawn Debeerry, a SIUC sophomore in psychology, said his family celebrates the event with a feast.

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Everyone in my family contributes to the meal, he said. We also exchange gifts.

Deberry said that unlike his store-bought Christmas gifts, the Kwanzaa gifts are handmade, which is the holiday’s tradition.

Kwanzaa is a seven-day event from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. Each of the seven days is dedicated to a principle such as unity, creativity and purpose.

Most families light a candle each day to honor the principle of that day. The candles are placed in a seven-candle holder called a kinara.

Deberry said that his parents usually make an elaborate setting around their kinara. It’s seen as a monument to our unity and perseverance, he said.

Kwanzaa was invented in 1968 by Maulana Karenga, a black nationalist leader and chairman of the black-studies department at California State University.

Kwanzaa is a made up word, taken from the Swahili phrase matunda kwanza, which Karenga said means first fruits.

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The observance of Kwanzaa varies widely, from small family gatherings to huge community events. A common feature of the larger events is a name-changing from a slave name to an African one selected by the participant.