A Rugrats Kwanzaa

Aunt T. wants to celebrate Kwanzaa instead with Susie's family—her parents Lucy and Randy and older siblings Alisa, Buster, and Edwin.

Susie's friends—Tommy Pickles, Chuckie and Kimi Finster, and Phil and Lil DeVille—are invited to the Carmichaels' home as part of the festivities.

Following the babies' encouragement, Susie tries to emulate her siblings, including acting as class president, conducting scientific experiments, and playing soccer.

[2][3][4] Nickelodeon's senior vice president for production Marjorie Cohn identified Rugrats as the "natural home" for a Kwanzaa episode; the series had previously shown holiday specials on Christmas and Hanukkah.

[6] Irma P. Hall, who guest-starred as Aunt T., praised Rugrats for introducing Kwanzaa to a larger audience, and said she often talked about the holiday with her non-black friends.

"[7] Other guest appearances in the episode included Kevin Michael Richardson as Martin Luther King Jr., Kimberly Brooks as the younger version of Lucy Carmichael, and Bill Cobbs as Uncle Charles.

[7][9] An Associated Press contributor wrote that the Kwanzaa-centric storylines in Rugrats and The Proud Family helped to draw attention to the holiday.

[7] The Orlando Sentinel's Tammy Carter felt Rugrats and As Told By Ginger had focused on Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, respectively, to expand holiday programming beyond Christmas.

[9] While also discussing the episode's educational value, The Christian Science Monitor's M. S. Mason thought "A Rugrats Kwanzaa" was used to further develop Susie as a character.

[5] The same year, author Stephanie Greene adapted the episode's script into the picture book The Rugrats' First Kwanzaa, published by Simon Spotlight and Nickelodeon.

On September 25, 2001, Nickelodeon and Paramount Home Entertainment released the special on VHS;[13] the tape also includes the episodes "And the Winner Is..." and "Cooking with Susie" as two "bonus cartoons".

[31] In a similar sentiment, Ted Cox, writing for the Daily Herald, appreciated how Kwanzaa's seven core principles were represented by Aunt T.'s actions rather than dialogue.

[32] The Hollywood Reporter's Deborah Holmes praised the episode's respect for the "legacy of blacks", noting that it encompasses Kwanzaa's message of every person, regardless of stature, being able to contribute to society.

[33] Children's literature scholar Cathlena Martin cited Rugrats' emphasis on family and friends as encouraging a more "positive awareness of race and culture".

[35] On the other hand, Kristen Lopez, writing for Livingly Media, believed the series' holiday programming was "able to bridge the gap between telling a heartfelt story and acting as a marketing tool".