Judaism: Festivals and Holy Days

1. Judaism: Festivals and Holy Days

2. High Holy Days • Rosh Hashanah • Days of Repentance • Yom Kippur

3. Rosh Hashanah Time of Year: September Reason for Holy Day: • The head of the Year (New Year) • Celebrates both remembrance and the birthday of the world Customs: • Traditional Jews will wear white as a symbol of cleansing • Begins 10 Days of repentance which will end with Yom Kippur • The shofar (rams horn) is blown • Begins at sunset with a candle lighting at sunset and a blessing Food Eaten: • Bread or fruit in honey as a wish for a sweet year • Fish

4. Days of Repentance Time of Year: 10 Days following Rosh Hashanah in September Reason for Holy Day: • God judges humanity during this time • Ask for forgiveness for sins Customs: • Orthodox Jews observe ritual kaparot/expiation using live chickens • Light candles in memory of departed family members • Will not wear leather shoes as respect for “not wearing the skin of any of the creator’s creatures.” Food Eaten: • Day before Yom Kippur Jews will eat a big meal in preparation for a fast the next day

5. Yom Kippur Time of Year: 10 Days after Rosh Hashanah in September Reason for Holy Day: • Most holy day of the year = White Sabbath = Day of Atonement • Males over the age of 13 and females over the age of 12 will fast for: • Penance for wrong doing • Display of self discipline Customs: • Focus on spiritual not material things • Will not have sexual relations, wash body (other than eyes and fingers) or wear any lotions or cosmetics

6. Pilgrim Festivals • Passover • Shavuot • Sukkot

7. Pesakh/Passover Time of Year: March/April Reason for Festival: • Reminder of Jewish history of slavery/freedom exile/home Customs: • After 10 plagues, Jews had little time to flee Egypt (not time to let the bread rise) • All grains and breads are cleaned from the house – house is cleaned top to bottom • Later, bread will be hidden throughout the house and family must go on a silent search to find it – collected and burned Food Eaten: • Next day, will eat unleavened bread – Matzah – to become humble • Followed by Seder Feast

9. Shavuot/Pentecost 50 days later after Passover Time of Year: May/June Reason for Festival: • Counting of the Omer – an offering brought to the priests in Jerusalem Customs: • A seven week period of mourning – no weddings or celebrations • Considered a bridge between celebrating freedom from slavery and the establishment of Jewish Law when Moses brought the Israelites to Sinai and received the Torah. • Celebrate first harvest but also study of the Torah

10. Sukkot/Booths Time of Year: September 5 days after Yom Kippur Reason for Festival: • make a Harvest offering (tied to Exodus and agricultural cycle) Customs: • Will build a Sukkah – a small building of woven materials that has a trellis so when inside you can see the stars represents the 40 years after Exodus from Egypt when Jews wandered homeless and the 2 millennia of the Diaspora (temporary house). Try to eat and sleep in the structure

11. Other Important Festivals • Hanukkah • Purim

12. Hanukkah Time of Year: November/December • Reason for Celebration: Celebration of the Maccabees (The Hammers), who engaged in civil war against Hellenized Syrians between 165-163 B.C.E. and liberated the Jews • Eventually drove Syrians out of Israel and cleansed the Temple Customs: • Lighting of the Hanukiyah (Menorah) Food Eaten: • Latkes – potato and onion fried in oil (in honour of the sacred oil lamps)

13. Purim Time of Year: February March Reason for Celebration: • Spring festival • At the heart of Purim is the story of Esther, • Purim means “lots” – casting of lots to pick a day for massacre by Haman Custom: • People dress up in costumes and go to synagogue, perform plays Food Eaten: • Triangular pastries