Galloway, N.J.- Stockton University will commerate the beginning of Kwanzaa for the 47^th year on Friday, Dec. 2 in the Campus Center Event Room. 

The pre-celebration is a tradition that was founded by Distinguished Professor of Social Work and Africana Studies Patricia Reid-Merritt and is sponsored by the student organization Unified Black Student Society (UBSS). 

Celebrations will begin at 7 p.m. and includes a libation ceremony, outlining the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa during a candle-lighting ceremony and dance performances. 

The creator of the holiday, Mualana Karenga, visited the campus virtually in 2020, where he explained how Kwanzaa is "a celebration of family, community and culture, and is especially relevant during the current times of pandemic, social unrest, and global warming."

Kwanzaa begins on Dec. 26 and will conclude Jan. 1, 2023.

The event is free and open to the community.