The luminarias (the small candles burning in the paper bags on the ground) represent a symbol of hope for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, and were sold to benefit WomanSpace Inc., a non-profit organization providing emergency and crisis services, counseling and legal assistance in Mercer County.
Gee, my friends and I did something like that in the 60’s only the paper bags were on fire and we left what I would now call human-sourced popourii in the bags. But the current usage is much nicer and serves a better purpose.
Ah, that explains it. My wife and I drove to Pennington last night for a party and noticed luminaria all over the place. I was trying to figure out where it all came from.