Kwanzaa celebration comes to Roosevelt Field mall

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano will present the third annual Nassau County Kwanzaa celebration on Thursday, commemorating the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

The event will be held on the southeast side of the Roosevelt Field mall, on the first floor near the Bose Store and Tourneau Jewelers, from noon to 1 p.m.

This year’s focus is on youth, family and unity. The host will be Barbara Solomon, principal of the Centennial Avenue Elementary School in Roosevelt. Students from the Park Avenue Elementary School in Westbury will do the candle lighting.

“Representing family, community and unity, Kwanzaa is one of the many ways that Nassau County celebrates diversity,” Mangano said in a statement. “I invite all residents to join us for this beautiful ceremony.”

Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration held in the United States honoring universal African heritage and culture, and is observed from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 each year. It features activities such as lighting of a kinara and libations, and culminates in a feast and gift giving.