The City of Jersey City, Mayor Steven Fulop, the Municipal Council Members and the Office of Cultural Affairs were honored to recognize and celebrate Women’s History Month during the Flag Raising Ceremony on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
The National Women’s History Month is an annual celebration honoring the contributions of women to American history, culture, and society. The month-long celebration is dedicated to reflect on the numerous but often overlooked contributions of women such as Abigail Adams, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, and Rosa Parks to American history from independence to the present day.
Women’s history remained rarely covered or even discussed topic in the K-12 curriculum of U.S. schools in the 1970’s. Hoping to rectify this situation, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women initiated a “Women’s History Week” celebration for 1978. The Taskforce chose the week of March 8 to correspond with that year’s observance of International Women’s Day. Women’s History Month grew out of a Women’s History Week in 1978 celebrated in Sonoma County, California. Congress legally expanded the focus to a whole month in March 1987.
Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” These proclamations celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields.
The City of Jersey City, Office of the Municipal Council and Office of the Cultural Affairs were proud to recognize the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Committee of Jersey City during the Feast of Saint Patrick’s Cultural and Religious Celebration through the annual Flag Raising Ceremony on Thursday, March 9, 2023. National Anthem of both nations were played.
The Feast of Saint Patrick (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit. ‘the Day of the Festival of Patrick’) is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17th March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. 385 – c. 461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.
Saint Patrick’s Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, céilís, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Christians who belong to liturgical denominations also attend church services and historically the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol were lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday’s tradition of alcohol consumption.
During the Feast of Saint Patrick’s Cultural and Religious celebration our community joins together in honor of the Patron Saint of Ireland and provides Irish American community of Jersey City the opportunity to share their heritage and rich Irish culture that so greatly represents the diversity to our community and our historic immigrant background. It is through the numerous contributions and accomplishments of American citizens of Irish descent and their forbearers that the Irish community has been an asset to the positive growth of Jersey City throughout the years.
2023 HONOREES
Grand Marshal – Craig Guy
Irishwoman – Kim Scalcione
Irishman – Sean O’Leary
Irish Police Officer – Sgt. Gary Gvriffin
Irish Firefighter – Dep. Chief Bill McClintock
Irish EMT – Edna Rahbari
Irish Educator – Terry Matthews
Honorary Irishwoman – Joyce Watterman
Honorary Irishman – Joe Cunha
Miss Colleen – Juliana Peters
