Flossmoor’s Hanukkah and Kwanzaa celebrations concluded on New Year’s Day in Flossmoor Park with the lighting of the final candles on both the menorah and the kinara.
Flossmoor resident Zack Moss lit the menorah alongside his wife, who led two traditional blessings for the evening. Moss spoke about his appreciation for the community celebration and the electric menorah.
“For me, it is kind of symbolic that we can light the menorah like that with electricity because we think of how humanity as a whole went from the dark ages to modernity,” Moss said. “We see how much progress we’ve done, and I think that the future is even much brighter.”
Flossmoor Community Relations Commission Vice Chair, Jackie Riffice, lit the kinara and explained the seventh principle of Kwanzaa, Imani. Imani is the Swahili word for faith and emphasizes a commitment to values that are important to families, communities and as a culture.
Riffice explained how those who celebrate Kwanzaa should commit themselves to all of the principles of purpose and shared values within the community throughout the year.
“Bringing these principles into our community fostering a sense of purpose and shared rules fits very nicely into what’s coming up on Jan. 20 in our community which is Martin Luther King Day of Service,” Riffice said.
Stephanie Wright, village of Flossmoor community engagement manager, helped to plan the candle lightings for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. When Wright learned that both holidays would overlap this year, she knew the celebrations would be special.
“I hope that [attendees] realized that the village of Flossmoor truly is welcoming, beautiful and connected and that we celebrate everyone and appreciate all of the things that make us special and unique,” Wright said.
