My 2014 planner has a full-page list of holidays, including Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Eastern Orthodox religious dates. In addition, there are special days for people of Irish, Italian, Asian and African-American heritage. What I didn't see was any mention of holidays important to Latinos.
Now, maybe it's just an oversight on the part of the company that created this particular planner. After all, we do hear a lot about Cinco de Mayo and Hispanic Heritage Month. But how about Three Kings Day?
At the Dec. 16 agenda fixing session, when the Jan. 6 date for the reorganization was announced, I thought I heard Rev. Tracey Brown react by noting it is Epiphany, which is when the Magi came to the infant Jesus. Latinos celebrate it as Three Kings Day. It is important in the liturgical calendar, but some sources call it the most important Hispanic family holiday, with feasting and gifts.
The City Council calendar for 2014 takes into account conflicts with other significant dates, but at present this Latino holiday has apparently not entered the broader consciousness. It may not even be any practical kind of conflict, as family celebrations may be held over the preceding weekend. It is just something to think about going forward, if we are to be fully inclusive and sensitive to our city population, which according to the 2010 Census is 40 percent Latino.
If you are interested, click here to see more information. In many Latino countries, religious holidays include processions of the kind you may have seen on West Eighth Street for Good Friday and Dec. 12, the feast day of the Virgen de Guadalupe.
Given the high number of Latino nationalities in Plainfield, it might be difficult to acknowledge all the holidays important to each country. But maybe we can give it a try in 2014.
--Bernice
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