Check out these myths and misconceptions below and spread some holiday knowledge! Heri za Kwanzaa (Happy Kwanzaa)!

Myth 1: Kwanzaa is a holiday started by Africans and brought to the United States.

Nope. Kwanzaa was created by Africana Studies professor Dr. Mulana Karenga in 1966 (it’ll be 50 next year!) with the intention of getting African-Americans to celebrate their heritage. To do this, it pulls many elements indigenous to the African continent, particularly language, but Africans themselves did not invent it. This relationship has sometimes been a source of tension as some Africans consider the holiday to be monolithizing the cultures of the continent and culturally appropriative.

People like Tom certainly aren’t helping.

Myth 2: You can’t both celebrate Kwanzaa and Christmas.

Kwanzaa, unlike Hanukkah or Christmas, is a cultural holiday and not associated with a specific faith or belief system. In order to celebrate it, one just needs to support the concepts that Kwanzaa holds at its center, such as faith, unity, and self-determination. Its timing during the holiday season is also intentional. Because it always starts the day after Christmas, people who want to celebrate earlier winter holidays will not run into a conflict with it.

Myth 3: Kwanzaa was only popular in the ’60s and ’70s, almost no one celebrates it now.

This one is partially true. Kwanzaa celebrations experienced a drop and leveling off in participation during the ’80s and ’90s after the end of the Black Panther/Black Nationalism era, despite a ton of mainstream media attention. Since then, the number of participants has fluctuated. This year, roughly 2 million people are expected to participate. Now, in the #BlackLivesMatter era, a time focused so much on self-determination, collective action, and love for ourselves and our Blackness, Kwanzaa can find its home in a new generation of participants.

Myth 4: All black people celebrate Kwanzaa.

Even Recess wasn’t safe.

Despite what Fox News will have you thinking, Kwanzaa isn’t black people’s version of Christmas. Many people celebrate both. Others celebrate one or the other, another holiday, or nothing at all. Although the holiday started as a way to root African-Americans in their heritage, it has expanded beyond the borders of the United States. Currently, Kwanzaa is celebrated in many parts of the African diaspora such as Paris, London, Brazil, and even the African continent itself.

Myth 5: Only black people celebrate Kwanzaa.

This one goes hand in hand with the previous entry. Many black people in mixed-race relationships or multicultural friend groups still celebrate Kwanzaa and include their non-black partners and friends. In order to do Kwanzaa right, one needs to approach the holiday with an open mind and heart and fully commit themselves to supporting its principles. This means that regardless of race, everyone who celebrates Kwanzaa acknowledges that it places the liberation and heritage of the African diaspora at its core.

Alexandria is a proud southern girl and overly committed college student who wants to save the world. When she has free time, you can find her tweeting about family gatherings, #TGIT, and perfecting her contour technique @_afrobae.