10 Best Kwanzaa Candles to Celebrate the Seven Principles of African Heritage
Honor this weeklong Pan-African holiday with traditional, modern and DIY candle sets.
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Kwanzaa, the annual holiday celebrated from December 26 to January 1, is a festive time when families gather to honor their African roots. One of the most important parts of this Pan-African holiday is the daily lighting of candles in the kinara (the candle holder) to honor the seven principles of African heritage:
- Umoja (unity)
- Kujichagulia (self-determination)
- Ujima (collective work and responsibility)
- Ujamaa (cooperative economics)
- Nia (purpose)
- Kuumba (creativity)
- Imani (faith)
The colors of Kwanzaa are black, red and green. According to the Boston Public Library, black represents the people, red symbolizes their struggle and green represents "the future and hope that comes from their struggle." In the kinara you'll find three red candles on the left, three green ones on the right and a single black candle in the center. Families with kids and pets may prefer flameless candles. Others, especially those new to celebrating Kwanzaa, might consider a traditional candle set with the basics, including a unity cup, kinara and candles in one. You can even buy taper candles engraved with illustrations to determine the lighting order as well as more unique picks, including Kwanzaa-themed cube candles with symbols.
If you need to stock up on Kwanzaa candles or buy a new candle set for this year's holiday's tradition, we've got you covered. If you're unsure of what to give family and friends for this special week-long holiday, these candles can also double as great Kwanzaa gifts. Plus, they'll complement any festive Kwanzaa decorations already up for display.
This candle set comes with everything you need for your kinara and the daily candle-lighting ceremony, including the candle holder, seven candles and unity cup. The holder is labeled and made of sturdy wood for traditional appeal, while the candles are crafted to represent the colors of the seven principles.
This single candle features a full-body wrap that represents the colors of Kwanzaa: red, black and green. It's unscented with a 40-hour burn time, making it a pleasant addition to your holiday decor.
These gorgeous taper candles are 9 inches tall and are engraved with stunning African-themed graphics and colors to match the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Plus, they're designed to be smokeless and drip-free, too.
For under $5, you can download these printable Kwanzaa graphics to DIY your own kinara and candles. Once you get the printables, you'll need a small rectangular box, a pencil, scissors, a glue stick and tape. Invite kids to decorate the holder and candles with the provided African motifs, as you teach them about the holiday's origins and their African roots.
They're flameless, battery-powered and worth displaying year after year. "The fact that they are lighted by batteries instead of match flames makes them acceptable to venues that don’t allow open flames and there is no worry about people getting burned," notes one Amazon reviewer. Plus, they have a unique screw-thread style that makes them stand out among more traditional taper sets.
Sosation Kwanzaa Kinara Candles Set with Words
This set may not come with a kinara, but it does have the appropriate candles in their respective colors for lighting each day. Moreover, they're labeled, making it easy for those new to celebrating the holiday to know precisely which candle to burn.
Purchase this one-of-a-kind set of seven figurines, all beautifully adorned in African print fabrics to represent the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Opt for the entire set that comes with a kinara, unity cup and candles, or simply purchase the dolls to upgrade your Kwanzaa table decorations.
Instead of the traditional taper candles, go for a cube candle set. This one includes seven cube candles, all vibrantly painted to represent the seven principles of Kwanzaa in red, green and black. Even the symbols are painted onto each one for easy identification.
If you're not a fan of candle smoke, flames or candle oil, especially if you have pets and kids running around, these flameless Kwanzaa candles may be the better pick. One reviewer even described them as being the "perfect addition" to their yearly celebration. "Now no worries about fire hazards around the kids," they wrote. " [They] will last forever and [there's] no need to buy wax candles every few years."
This small but colorful candle is worth including in your Kwanzaa decor, even if you already have your kinara and candles for lighting! It's described as being drip-free, smoke-free and scentless, with a one-hour burn time per inch diameter.
Mariah Thomas (she/her) is an assistant editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home and lifestyle content. Mariah has more than four years of editorial experience, having written for TLC, Apartment Therapy, Women's Health and Avocado Magazine. She received her master's degree in journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and published her first book, Heart and Soul: Poems of Thoughts and Emotions, in 2019. She's also the founder of RTF Community, a platform for creatives of color to connect, learn and showcase their work.
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