Jewish Holy DaysBasics/Corrections

Overview of Holy Days• The Jewish calendar is lunar, meaning…it follows the cycle of

the moon, so holy days do not fall on the same date every year.

• Each holy period has a distinct emotion associated with it:• Happiness• Sadness• Repentance • Gratitude

Rosh Hashanah (say: “rawsh-hawsh-awe-nah”)

• What: Jewish New Year/ Day of Judgment/ Day of Remembrance• Recalls creation of the world• Remembrance of Jews as special people

• When: Happens in Fall• How to celebrate: Reflect on misdeeds/sins/debts of the

past year and prayers of forgiveness

• ***Shofar = ram’s horn blown every day of the month prior to Rosh Hashanah to signal new year and remind people that they stand before God

Yom Kippur (say: “Yohm Key-poor”)

• What: The Day of Atonement• Most important and sacred• It is a day of intense reflection

• When: 10 days after Rosh Hashanah • How to celebrate: • Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, God judges deeds and

decides the fate of your next year• Prayers for forgiveness and asking forgiveness from those you

have wronged• Fasting, abstaining from pleasures• Mood is solemn and serious

Sukkot (say: “sue coat”)• What: Commemorates the years the Jews spent in the desert

on the way to the Promised Land (Canaan)• Used to be more associated with the harvest and God’s bounty

• When: Not long after Yom Kippur• How to celebrate:• Sukkot = “shelters”

• Building of flimsy booth/hut to remind self that only source of real security is God (sukkah)

• Also reminds Jews of conditions faced in desert• Rejoicing with citron, palm branch, myrtle branch, and willow

branch

Simchat Torah (say: “sim-hhhot tore-ah” with throaty h”)

• What: Celebrates the Torah• When: 8th/Last day of Sukkot• How to Celebrate:• Torah scrolls are carried around with singing and dancing• Signifies the end of the cycle of reading the Torah that took place

all year• Now readings can begin from beginning again

Hanukkah (say: “Hhhhhhanooka” or “..-nucka”)

• What: Hanukkah means rededication• “Miracle of Light”• When temple was defiled then rededicated, a candle needed to

remain burning. • Oil for one night, burned for 8

• When: Early winter (sometimes late fall)• 8 day celebration

• How to celebrate: • One candle, each night is lit on a menorah• Games played with children (dreidel)• Small gifts are given to children each of the 8 nights

Tu B’Shevat (say: “too beesh'vat”)

• What:• New Year for Trees• Related to tithing/finding out age of trees

• When fruit trees are planted, can’t eat fruit for 3 years, 4th year goes to the Temple

• When: July/August• How to celebrate:• Eating of fruits• Planting of trees

Purim (say: “Poor-im”)

• What: Celebrates time when Jews in Persia were saved from extermination by Esther (the queen)• Marks the end of the reading of the book of Esther

• When: late winter• How to celebrate:• Happy festival• Carnival-like celebrations• Reading of Book of Esther and reenacting it through plays

Pesach/Passover (say: “Pey-sachhhh”)

• What: Commemorates the liberation of the children of Israel who were saved out of Egypt by Moses• When God sent plagues upon Egypt, one was to kill the firstborn of

every household. Jews smeared lamb’s blood over door frame for the angel of death to know to skip that house or to “passover” the house

• When: first lunar month/spring (usually around the Christian holy day of Easter)

• How to celebrate:• Seder = memorial meal

• Unleavened bread (matzah) is important • (Jews didn’t have time to let bread rise before they had to leave Egypt)

• Lamb• Salad of nuts and fruits

• During meal, story of the Exodus is told

Yom Hashoah (say: “Yohm ha-show-ah”)

• What: memorializes the Shoah (Holocaust)• New holiday

• When: April or May

• How to celebrate:• Very sad• Theme is “never again!”• Rituals still being worked out…most focus on services to honor

those who died

Shavuot (say: “Shah-voo-oat”)

• What: • Began as a celebration of the harvest (“Feast of Weeks”)• Now a day to renew the covenant with God• Day of gratitude for the Torah given to Moses

• When: 50 days after Passover

• How to celebrate:• Dairy products eaten• Ruth celebrated (foreigner committed to the Torah)• Some have confirmation ceremonies when teens

reaffirm their Jewish beliefs

Tishah B’Av(say: “Teesha beh-ahv”)

• What: • Commemorates a series of tragedies that have befallen the

Jewish people on or around this day• Destruction of 1st and 2nd temples in Jerusalem• Beginning of Holocaust

• When: 9 weeks after Shavuot (May-June)

• How to celebrate:• Very sad• Prayers and fasting• Not widely observed after the creation of Israel