Kwanzaa 2016 Greetings, Blessings, Quotes And Prayers: Celebrate Black Community With These Words Of Wisdom

"Habari gani?" It's Kwanzaa and it's time to honor Pan-African culture.

Celebrated each year from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1, Kwanzaa is named for the first harvest celebrations of Africa. It's a time of gathering for black communities and a time to celebrate, "the Good, the good of life and of existence itself, the good of family, community and culture, the good of the awesome and the ordinary, in a word the good of the divine, natural and social," according to the holiday's official site.

The week-long celebration of Kwanzaa honors Pan-African diversity and often begins with the Swahili greeting "Habari gani?", which roughly means, "What's the news?" The appropriate answer is to respond with the principle of the day associated with each day, such as "Umoja" on the first day and "Kujichagulia" on the second day.

To celebrate Kwanzaa on social media, you can start by sharing these famous quotes about the holiday:

"We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color." -writer Maya Angelou

"We have religious holidays and we have secular holidays. I see Kwanzaa as an opportunity for African-Americans to reaffirm ourselves if we choose to, a chance to rebuild and renew our focus. I see Kwanzaa as a holiday of the spirit." -writer Jessica Harris

"Kwanzaa is a pan-African celebration of heritage and culture and family and community. The principles and the manner of observing the holiday lift up traditional values that are key to our lives." -activist Janine Bell

"The seven principles of Kwanzaa -- unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith -- teach us that when we come together to strengthen our families and communities and honor the lesson of the past, we can face the future with joy and optimism." -former President Bill Clinton

"Kwanzaa isn't a replacement for Christmas or even Hanukkah. Kwanzaa has nothing to do with religion and while some may twist it to be political, in its nature it is not. Kwanzaa is not the tool of its creator. Kwanzaa has a life of its own. Kwanzaa is about the spirit of people -- all people regardless of color or race. Kwanzaa is a holiday of the human spirit -- not the divine. The two were meant to co-exist peacefully." -author unknown

You can also share seasonal blessings associated with Kwanzaa, such as:

“Kwanzaa yenn iwe ha heri! (Kwanzaa happiness to all of you!)”

“May a Happy Kwanzaa be followed by a happier year!”

“May you enter the New Year with all the promises the Nguzo Saba hold!”

Traditional prayers call for community and peace. Some church prayers can be found here and here.