Vice President Kamala Harris' Kwanzaa message has sparked backlash on Tuesday, as some social media users ripped the vice president after comparing the holiday post to her Christmas greeting a day earlier.
Kwanzaa begins on the day after Christmas as a celebration of African-American culture and heritage. The seven-day holiday was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor and activist. It became more popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Former President Bill Clinton was the first U.S. president to officially recognize Kwanzaa. According to the National Museum of African American History & Culture, celebration concepts are expressed in the Swahili language, as the holiday reinforces the Nguzo Saba, or seven principles, with each day focusing on one.
On X, formerly Twitter, Harris posted a message on Tuesday celebrating the holiday: "Growing up, Kwanzaa was always a special time where we would come together to celebrate culture, community, and family."
"Sending my warmest wishes to all who are celebrating in the United States and around the world. May your days be filled with love and light," Harris added.
Since posting the message, some have taken to X to express disapproval, as they compared the vice president's Kwanzaa post with her previous message to Americans on Christmas.
Newsweek has reached out to Harris' office for comment via email on Tuesday.
In response to the Kwanzaa post, X user Real Rockwyn said, "Kwanzaa vs Christmas," with a side-by-side comparison of her holiday messages.
The vice president on Monday posted a picture of herself and second gentleman Doug Emhoff in front of a Christmas tree. The caption said: "Wishing everyone a happy holiday season."
The former California senator was met with a number of comments criticizing her choice of words, as some pointed out that she did not mention the word "Christmas."
However, Harris has previously used the word "Christmas" over the course of December. "We were grateful for the chance to celebrate the miracle of Christmas," she posted to X on December 21 following a service at the Washington National Cathedral.
Last year, Harris said that "Christmas is a holiday of hope and joy—a time to come together," and shared a video with Emhoff talking about how they would celebrate Christmas. "We want to wish you all a happy, healthy and merry Christmas," the message read.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also drew similar scowls for his Kwanzaa message.
"Warm wishes to all celebrating Kwanzaa. May the celebration of African heritage bring warmth, reflection, and togetherness," Blinken wrote on X.
X user Johnny Maga criticized Blinken's message, saying, "They're at war with us."
Others took aim at the holiday itself, as X user Stephen Storey wrote, "But yea like I said kwanza [sic] is a psyop. Not a real holiday. Juneteenth is 10 times more meaningful and more fun. I'm ready to start the petition to end kwanza [sic] once and for all."
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Natalie Venegas is a Weekend Reporter at Newsweek based in New York. Her focus is reporting on education, social justice ... Read more
