kwanzaa celebrates what its founder called the seven principles of kwanzaa, or "nguzo saba" (originally "nguzu saba"—the seven principles of blackness). karenga said that this "is a communitarian african philosophy," . it consists of what karenga called "the best of african thought and practice in constant exchange with the world." these seven principles comprise "kawaida", a swahili term for tradition and reason. each of the seven days of kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the following principles, as follows: