These Are Our Top Kwanza Gift Ideas for 2024

Image courtesy of CNN.

Kwanza is a holiday that was created by Professor Maulana Ron Karenga to celebrate African-American and Pan-African heritage in 1966. This holiday is celebrated with a week of festivities, meals, ceremonies, and gift giving, typically from December 26-January 1. The idea was to celebrate African American culture, history, families, and communities, giving people the chance to come together and enjoy the company of their loved ones. Kwanza is not a religious holiday, but it is designed around a few significant events:

• Lighting of the kinara (7 candles representing important values)
• Feasting
• Singing and dancing
• Storytelling
• Gift giving

If your family celebrates Kwanza, chances are you’re probably looking for some Kwanza gifts to get them this year. Well, you’re in luck because we have 10 amazing Kwanza gift ideas that anyone would love to receive including:

• Gift cards perfect for any member of the family
• Gift ideas that won’t break the bank
• Great Kwanza gift ideas that friends and family are sure to love

Send a Kwanza gift with GiftYa!

You can easily send anyone a digital gift card for Kwanza with GiftYa for this year’s celebration. GiftYa is an all digital gift card platform that features over 250,000 merchants, from favorite national chains to local small businesses. All you have to do is pick out a merchant, choose an amount, personalize it with a video or message, and then text/email it to your recipient. They’ll never have to worry about losing or forgetting their gift card at home ever again, because GiftYa is uploaded to your phone. We’ll even track your balance so you always know exactly how much is left!

1. Amazon gift card

You can’t go wrong with a gift card to Amazon when you need a last-minute Kwanza gift

Text an Amazon gift card

If you’re looking for the ideal gift for almost any occasion, including Kwanza celebrations, you can’t go wrong with an Amazon gift card. This is especially true if you’ve waited until the last minute to finally get all your gifts lined up for family members and other relatives you’re celebrating with. With a digital Amazon gift card, you don’t need to worry about it not making it to the recipient in time, as GiftYa will send it over in seconds.

At Amazon you can find anything you need, whether it’s new Kwanza decor, some new kitchen utensils so you can whip up a feast, or just some fuzzy socks to relax in after all the celebrating is done. Giving this gift card is sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face, and gives them the freedom to choose from endless amounts of possibilities. 

Text an Amazon gift card

2. Kwanza personalized wine glass

Personalized wine glasses are always a nice idea for a Kwanza gift

If you’re going to a Kwanza celebration and you know the hosts like wine, why not pick up these cute personalized wine glasses for them? These festive glasses feature Happy Kwanza written on them, as well as the 7 symbols that are so essential to this holiday that include: 

• Unity
• Self-determination 
• Collective work and responsibility
• Cooperative economics
• Purpose
• Creativity
• Faith 

Each glass is 4.75 inches in height and can hold 21 ounces of liquid. You can also get one line of printed text below the Happy Kwanza, in case you want to add the family name or call out some of the 7 principles. 

3. Dunkin’ gift card

Perfect gift for those early mornings that are only made better with coffee

Email a Dunkin’ gift card

Do you have some early risers in your family or friend circle? Do you know that they need their coffee first thing in the morning? Then giving them a Dunkin’ gift card for Kwanza is one of the easiest decisions you may make! Lots of folks like to wake up and have their coffee or tea in the morning because it helps them start their day with a little boost of caffeine. Dunkin’ makes it easy to find something you like on their menu, whether that’s a plain black coffee, or one of their holiday flavored specialty drinks like a gingerbread latte.

Not only do they offer some of the best coffee around, but Dunkin’ also has some amazing breakfast food options as well. Whether you go with a classic like a glazed donut, or try out one of their bagel and egg sandwiches, there’s no bad options on this menu. 

Email a Dunkin’ gift card

4. Cooking class for Kwanza dishes

Help your loved ones learn how to cook Kwanza food

Holidays are great because they bring people together to enjoy each other's company and spend time celebrating. They’re also a great opportunity to try out all kinds of amazing foods. Food and cooking is central to Kwanza throughout the week celebration, as well as at the karamu dinner. You’ll find all kinds of foods on Kwanza menus that reflect the African diaspora including:

• Jerk chicken
• Fried chicken
• Catfish
• Stews
• Gumbo
• Yams
• Cornbread
• Okra
• Fritters
• And more!

If you know someone that would like to learn more about African-inspired cooking from the U.S., the Caribbean, African, and beyond, why not sign them up for Kwanza cooking classes? Not everyone has the opportunity to learn how to cook these types of dishes, which is why cooking classes specifically aimed at Kwanza foods would make a great gift this year. Check out your local cooking schools or national places such as Sur la Table that offer cooking classes in a variety of styles throughout the year. 

5. Barnes & Noble gift card

This bookstore has all kinds of Kwanza books, as well as books full of interesting stories

Text a Barnes & Noble gift card

Looking for a cookbook full of Kwanza recipes or do you know someone who would like to get a book out on the history of the holiday itself? Then gift them with a Barnes & Noble gift card for this Kwanza holiday! This is one of the largest bookstores around, so even if they’re not looking for something Kwanza related, they’ll have plenty of other options to choose from including books on history, current events, sci-fi, fantasy, pet care, comics/manga, classic literature, and more.

A gift card to a bookstore is the perfect gift for any bookworm, and while they’re there they can also pick up a warm cup of coffee and relax with their new purchase!

Text a Barnes & Noble gift card

6. Kwanza kinara

Give the gift of a beautiful kinara to your family or loved ones

The kinara holds the 7 candles that stand for the 7 principles of Kwanza and feature red, black, and green colored taper candles. The black colored candle stands for the people who celebrate Kwanza, the red for the struggles they’ve endured in the past, and the green for the abundance that the future brings. If you know someone on your list who needs new candles as well as a holder, consider picking this one up! This set also comes with a mat and a Kwanza Unity Cup. Each candle will be lit on a specific day of the Kwanza celebration until all the candles are lit, making it a beautiful sight to see. 

This would make a great gift for someone having a Kwanza celebration for the first time, or if they’d appreciate an update to their older set. 

7. Visa gift card

The gift of a Visa gift card is perfect for a Kwanza celebration

Email a Visa gift card

When you’re looking for great Kwanza gifts, you can’t go wrong choosing to go with a Visa gift card. One of the best parts about Visa is that it’s accepted everywhere, and you don’t have to limit your shopping to just one store. If the recipient wants to use it for everyday items like groceries or gas, they can easily do just that. Or if they want to save it to put towards a larger purchase, say at their favorite high-end department store, they can do that as well. It’s also accepted at restaurants across the country, whether they’re popular national chains or local small businesses.

Visa gift cards are better than giving cash because not only can they be used in a store, but you can also use them to purchase items online. This is a great idea for the holiday season especially, because there always seem to be those items you need to get at the last minute!

Email a Visa gift card

8. Happy Kwanza doormat

Let guests feel welcome to your home with a lovely Kwanza doormat

You want people to feel welcomed at your house even before they cross through the threshold, which is why it’s essential to have a great doormat! Not only is it functional because it will give people a chance to wipe their feet, but it also lets them know they’re welcomed to be a part of your Kwanza celebration. Each mat is made from 100% durable coir with UV printed ink, creating a doormat that will last for years. These mats are designed to last through rain, snow, and wind, so you can rest assured that the paint won’t be peeling away anytime soon.

You can find these doormats in five sizes, so there’s definitely one that’s perfect for your doorstep. 

9. Kwanza ornaments

Show your Kwanza spirit as you decorate the tree this year

As we mentioned earlier, Kwanza is not a religious holiday, rather it’s designed to help folks come together to celebrate their African-American heritage and community. People who celebrate Kwanza often celebrate Christmas as well. If this sounds like someone you know then why not get them a lovely ornament that displays one of the 7 principles and its symbol? They can choose to hang it on their Christmas tree, or place it elsewhere in their home for the Kwanza celebration.

Each ornament is made out of porcelain and is 3 inches in diameter. You can choose between one of the 7 guiding principles and you’ll receive an ornament that features black lettering and a gift box.

10.  GiftYa Select

Choose GiftYa Select and allow the recipient to pick out the vendor!

Text a GiftYa Select

And finally, you can always give the gift of GiftYa Select for your friends and family this Kwanza. How does it work? It’s super easy and gives them the choice of what merchant they want. Once they receive your GiftYa Select gift card they can:

• Select a merchant of their choice
• Activate to a Visa, Mastercard or Amex
• Use as an eGift
• Get a Visa gift card mailed to them
• Transfer to their Zelle Account

Give someone the gift of choice this Kwanza with a GiftYa Select!

Text a GiftYa Select

Which Kwanza gift ideas will you choose this year?

No matter which Kwanza gift you choose to give this year, we know the recipients are going to really appreciate how thoughtful it is. Enjoying time spent with your family, friends, and loved ones, is always time well-spent, so delight in your Kwanza celebration this year and all the years to come.