Happy Holidays from Voorhees Township
Mayor’s Message: Mike Mignogna
This time of year brings joy, happiness and a focus on friends, family and sharing special times. Our diverse community celebrates in various ways with long-standing traditions.
Our Hindu Community celebrated Diwali between mid-October and mid-November. Known as the “festival of lights,” Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Rama from his 14 year-long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ajodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with oil lamps and burst of fire crackers. Diwali also marks the victory of good over evil.
Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and nights and started on Dec. 20. The word “Hanukkah” means “dedication: in Hebrew. On each night of Hanukkah, the menorah is lit to commemorate a miracle which occurred after the Jews proclaimed victory over the Syrian Armies in 165 B.C.E. Other traditions associated with Hanukkah are dreidel (a popular game), latkes (tasty potato pancakes) and sufganiyots (jelly doughnuts with the hole).
The origin of Christmas was to celebrate the birth of Jesus. However, Christmas as we know it today is a Victorian invention of the 1860s and celebrated every Dec. 25. Probably the most celebrated holiday in the world, our modern Christmas is a product of hundreds of years of both secular and religious traditions. In our culture, Christmas has become a time to exchange gifts. The popular image of Santa Claus was created by a German American cartoonist, Thomas Nast, who drew a different image annually, beginning in 1863. By the 1880s Nast’s Santa had evolved into the form we now recognize. The image was standardized by advertisers in the 1920s.
Kwanzaa is a unique African American celebration which focuses on community responsibility, commerce and self-improvement. Kwanzaa is neither political nor religious and not meant to be a substitute for Christmas. It is simply a time of reaffirming African American people, their ancestors and culture. Kwanzaa means “first fruits of the harvest” in the African language Kiswahili. It is celebrated Dec. 26 through Jan. 1 and was started in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Kareenga.
On behalf of the Township Committee, Happy Holidays, Feliz Navidad (Mexico), Joyeux Noel (France), Kala Christouyenna (Greece), Nollaig Shona Dhuit (Irish), Buone Feste Natalizie (Italian), Maligayan Paskol (Philippines), Bozego Narodezenie (Polish), and Natale Hiare are et Annum Faustum (Latin).
The holidays mean happiness in any language!
Congratulations to the Voorhees Police Department for 50 years of dedicated service to our community. Our men and women in blue became a full time department in 1961 and in 2011 wore special 50th Anniversary Badges.
