Kwanzaa celebrations kick off at San Francisco City Hall

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - Kwanzaa has begun, and Bay Area families are celebrating this week. In San Francisco, Kwanzaa began with a musical performance at City Hall.

Kwanzaa continues until New Year's day. The holiday was created in 1966, to celebrate principles that are important to African and African-American culture.

“We celebrate unity, umoja,” said Malik Seneferu of San Francisco.

Kwanzaa comes from the term m'tunda ya kwanzaa, which means first fruit celebration. The holiday promotes important principles like self-determination, economic self-reliance, and the importance of generosity.