Cultural holiday
How Many Days Until Kwanzaa 2026?
Today: · Eastern Time (America/New_York)
Calendar days until Kwanzaa
63 days until Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is on Saturday, December 26, 2026.
Live countdown to midnight on December 26, 2026
62 days, 18 hours, 36 minutes, 30 seconds remaining
Eastern Time (America/New_York). Countdown days are 24 hours; the calendar-day count above uses local dates.
- Calendar days (signed)
- 63
- Full weeks + days
- 9 weeks + 0 days
- Calendar months + days
- 2 months + 2 days
- Years, months, days
- 0 years, 2 months, 2 days
- Weekdays counted
- 45
- Weekend days counted
- 18
- U.S. business days
- 42
- Observed holiday dates skipped
- 3
What is Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration of African American culture and heritage, held from December 26 to January 1. Its name comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," meaning "first fruits."
History of Kwanzaa
Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana studies, created Kwanzaa in 1966, drawing on African harvest festivals. Each day is devoted to one of seven principles, the Nguzo Saba: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.
Kwanzaa today
Families light one candle each night in a kinara holding three red, three green and one black candle, discuss that day's principle, and share a feast called the karamu on December 31. Gifts, often handmade or educational, are given on the last day.
Date details
- Category
- Cultural holiday
- How the date is set
- Same date every year
- Country / region
- United States
- Actual event date
First day of the seven-day African American cultural celebration, which runs through January 1.
Seven-day celebration from December 26 through January 1. Source: Official Kwanzaa Website
Event date facts
- Weekday
- Saturday
- ISO week / year
- 52 / 2026
- Day of year
- 360
- Quarter
- 4
- Days left in year
- 5
- Leap year
- No
December 2026
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target | ||||||
Event dates by year
| Rule year | Actual date | Observed federal closure | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Friday, December 26, 2025 | — | Same date every year |
| 2026 | Saturday, December 26, 2026 | — | Same date every year |
| 2027 | Sunday, December 26, 2027 | — | Same date every year |
| 2028 | Tuesday, December 26, 2028 | — | Same date every year |
| 2029 | Wednesday, December 26, 2029 | — | Same date every year |
Quick answers
- What day of the week is December 26, 2026?
- December 26, 2026 is a Saturday.
- Is Kwanzaa a federal holiday?
- No. Kwanzaa is not a U.S. federal holiday, so federal offices and most businesses stay open.
- What week of the year is December 26, 2026?
- December 26, 2026 is in ISO week 52 of 2026 and is day 360 of the year.
How the Kwanzaa date is calculated
- Kwanzaa is on December 26 every year. In 2026 that is a Saturday.
- The countdown counts calendar days from today to December 26, 2026. The start date is excluded and the end date is included. Dates use Eastern Time (America/New_York).
- The live countdown runs to midnight at the start of December 26, 2026 in Eastern Time (America/New_York). A countdown day is 24 hours, so a daylight-saving change can make it differ from the calendar-day count by an hour.
- Calculated at 6:23 AM on October 24, 2026.
- U.S. business days exclude Saturday, Sunday and observed nationwide federal closures; individual employer and state schedules are not included.