BUFFALO, N.Y., Dec. 25 (UPI) -- The city of Buffalo, N.Y., is one of the top U.S. cities in terms of celebrating the Pan-African non-religious holiday of Kwanzaa, a local official says.
Sam Radford III, who is serving as chairman for Buffalo's Kwanzaa committee of 2009, confirmed Kwanzaa and its seven principles are celebrated by numerous local residents each year, The Buffalo News reported Thursday.
"The local Buffalo (Kwanzaa) is one of the largest celebrations in the country, which most people don't know," Radford said.
Kwanzaa is focused around the principles of unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. Each of the principles is honored during a separate day during the seven-day Kwanzaa celebration that starts Saturday.
A festival dedicated to the holiday was founded decades ago by Maulana Karenga, who will be on hand for part of the Buffalo celebration.
"In Buffalo, we celebrate it as it was intended. Kwanzaa started in 1966 with Karenga in Los Angeles, and by the second year it was already in Buffalo, and Buffalo has been practicing it every year since then," Radford told the News.
