You light the black center candle first for Kwanzaa.

Quick Answer

  • The first candle you light is the single black candle in the middle of the kinara.
  • It stands for Umoja (Unity), the first principle of Kwanzaa and the focus of day one.

How the First Candle Is Chosen

  • A Kwanzaa kinara holds seven candles: 3 red on the left, 3 green on the right, and 1 black in the center.
  • The black candle represents the people and is always lit first to emphasize unity and the central place of the community.

What You Do On Night One

  1. Set up the kinara with the black candle in the middle, red on the left, green on the right.
  1. On the first night, light only the black center candle and reflect on Umoja (Unity) with family or community.

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