YONKERS: A meeting of the Community Services Committee has been scheduled ‎for Tuesday, November 26th at 4:30P.M. in the Council Chambers, #Yonkers‎ ‎City Hall, 4th floor to consider Resolution 2019 being proposed by 6th District Councilman #AnthonyMarante.

The resolution calls for full respectful recognition of religious holidays by referring to them by their proper names.

By way of illustration, a “Holiday” Tree Lighting would be referred to as a “Christmas” Tree Lighting; a “Holiday” Menorah Lighting would be referred to as a “Chanukah” Menorah Lighting; a “Holiday” Kinara Lighting would be referred to as a “Kwanzaa” Kinara Lighting in order to recognize the individual faith communities that gave rise to the respective celebrations and traditions that are at the heart of these events that are widely anticipated and open to everyone to appreciate and enjoy.

Councilman Anthony Merante noted, “There is a great deal of cultural and religious diversity in the City of Yonkers, and Yonkers is home to many houses of worship encompassing Christianity, Judaism, Islam and other faiths and beliefs. I believe all religious holidays should be fully acknowledged by there proper names. In truncating or diluting them is disrespectful to their tradition. Christians celebrate Christmas with a Christmas tree. So when doing a lighting it should be referred to as a Christmas tree lighting in all the promotional aspects of the event.”

This legislation would impact only The City of Yonkers‘ official events and those of its departments and subsidiary agencies.