Thanksgiving as we know it originated with the Pilgrims in 1621 with a feast celebrating the survival of their first year in the New World. The party was a traditional English harvest festival and lasted three days.
The custom of an annual day for giving thanks continued through the years, and in the late 1770s, a day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress. In 1817, New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom. By the middle of the 19th century, other states joined in the tradition. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln appointed a National Day of Thanksgiving and, since then, each President has issued a Thanksgiving Day Proclamation. We now celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November.
Thanksgiving has become the unofficial start of the holiday season. Businesses look forward to the following day, which is the national phenomenon that has become known as “Black Friday.” The origin comes from the shift to profitability for the retailers during the holiday season. It has traditionally been the time that retailers went from being unprofitable or “in the red” to being profitable or “in the black.” The Saturday after Thanksgiving is recognized in Voorhees as “Small Business Saturday,” a national promotion started in 2010 which encourages holiday shoppers to patronize small local businesses. The Monday after Thanksgiving has come to be known as “Cyber Monday” since retailers give discounts to online shoppers.
Small businesses and entrepreneurship are the foundation of our local economy and quality of life. In addition to a vast array of wonderful small restaurants, Voorhees has a great selection of small businesses for jewelry, clothing, gift items, housewares, pottery, art, music, baked goods, and even toys. All of our Voorhees businesses can be found on the Township web page, voorheesnj.com, and the website also shows which businesses are part of Shop Voorhees. This program allows a portion of your normal purchasing dollars spent on goods and services in Voorhees to be applied to your property tax bill, thereby reducing your taxes at the end of the tax year.
While traditions vary, Thanksgiving should remain a holiday which focuses on food, tradition, family, and gratitude. On behalf of the Township Committee, have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!
** Voorhees Township presents our Winter Village and Tree Lighting Ceremony on Dec. 5 at 6pm at the Town Center. For more information, visit voorheesnj.com and other Township social media platforms.
**The Voorhees Breakfast Rotary Club’s 17th Annual Community Service Awards event will be held on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at Lucien’s Distinguished Catering in Berlin. For sponsorship opportunities and more information on this signature event, visit the Voorhees Breakfast Rotary Club website
www.voorheesbreakfastrotary.org or call Nick Colanzi at 856-435-6200.
