Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration of African-American culture and heritage. How much do you know about it? Here are some interesting facts about Kwanzaa to get you started.

“Kwanzaa” is derived from Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, which means “fresh fruits” or “first fruits,” and is used in relation to the first harvest of the year.

Kwanzaa lasts seven days, beginning on Dec. 26 and lasting through Jan. 1. While it is often lumped in with Christmas and Hanukah as a winter holiday, Kwanzaa is different in that it’s not a religious holiday—it’s a cultural celebration.

The holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Krenga in 1966. The co-founder of a black nationalist organization, his intent was to educate African-Americans, and the world at large, about African culture, and to unify African-Americans. However, Krenga hopes that the holiday catches on in the culture at large, similar to Cinco de Mayo, Chinese New Year, or St. Patrick’s Day.

It’s not widely celebrated in Africa. The holiday was created in, and is celebrated almost entirely in, the United States, where an estimated 18 million observe it in some way. Although in recent years, it’s been publicly acknowledged with celebrations in Jamaica, London, Toronto, and Paris.

Seven principles or values called Nguzo Saba are observed over the course of the seven days: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.