Judaism: Judaism: Festivals and Holy Festivals and Holy

DaysDays

High Holy DaysHigh Holy Days

Rosh HashanahRosh Hashanah Days of RepentanceDays of Repentance Yom KippurYom Kippur

Rosh HashanahRosh HashanahTime of YearTime of Year: September: SeptemberReason for Holy Day:Reason for Holy Day: The head of the Year (New The head of the Year (New

Year)Year) Celebrates both remembrance Celebrates both remembrance

and the birthday of the worldand the birthday of the worldCustoms:Customs: Traditional Jews will wear Traditional Jews will wear

white as a symbol of cleansingwhite as a symbol of cleansing Begins 10 Days of repentance Begins 10 Days of repentance

which will end with Yom which will end with Yom KippurKippur

The shofar (rams horn) is The shofar (rams horn) is blownblown

Begins at sunset with a Begins at sunset with a candle lighting at sunset and candle lighting at sunset and a blessinga blessing

Food Eaten:Food Eaten: Bread or fruit in honey as a Bread or fruit in honey as a

wish for a sweet yearwish for a sweet year FishFish

Days of RepentanceDays of RepentanceTime of YearTime of Year: : 10 Days following Rosh Hashanah in 10 Days following Rosh Hashanah in

SeptemberSeptember

Reason for Holy Day:Reason for Holy Day: God judges humanity during this timeGod judges humanity during this time Ask for forgiveness for sins Ask for forgiveness for sins

Customs:Customs: Orthodox Jews observe ritual Orthodox Jews observe ritual

kaparot/expiation using live chickenskaparot/expiation using live chickens Light candles in memory of departed Light candles in memory of departed

family membersfamily members Will not wear leather shoes as respect for Will not wear leather shoes as respect for

“not wearing the skin of any of the “not wearing the skin of any of the creator’s creatures.”creator’s creatures.”

Food Eaten:Food Eaten: Day before Yom Kippur Jews will eat a big Day before Yom Kippur Jews will eat a big

meal in preparation for a fast the next daymeal in preparation for a fast the next day

Yom KippurYom KippurTime of Year:Time of Year: 10 Days 10 Days

after Rosh Hashanah in after Rosh Hashanah in SeptemberSeptember

Reason for Holy Day:Reason for Holy Day: Most holy day of the year Most holy day of the year

= White Sabbath = Day = White Sabbath = Day of Atonement of Atonement

Males over the age of 13 Males over the age of 13 and females over the age and females over the age of 12 will fast for:of 12 will fast for: Penance for wrong doingPenance for wrong doing Display of self disciplineDisplay of self discipline

Customs: Customs: Focus on spiritual not Focus on spiritual not

material thingsmaterial things Will not have sexual Will not have sexual

relations, wash body relations, wash body (other than eyes and (other than eyes and fingers) or wear any fingers) or wear any lotions or cosmeticslotions or cosmetics

Pilgrim FestivalsPilgrim Festivals

PassoverPassover ShavuotShavuot SukkotSukkot

Pesakh/PassoverPesakh/PassoverTime of YearTime of Year: March/April: March/April

Reason for FestivalReason for Festival:: Reminder of Jewish history of Reminder of Jewish history of

slavery/freedom exile/homeslavery/freedom exile/home

Customs:Customs: After 10 plagues, Jews had little After 10 plagues, Jews had little

time to flee Egypt (not time to time to flee Egypt (not time to let the bread rise)let the bread rise)

All grains and breads are All grains and breads are cleaned from the house – house cleaned from the house – house is cleaned top to bottomis cleaned top to bottom

Later, bread will be hidden Later, bread will be hidden throughout the house and throughout the house and family must go on a silent family must go on a silent search to find it – collected and search to find it – collected and burnedburned

Food Eaten:Food Eaten: Next day, will eat unleavened Next day, will eat unleavened

bread – Matzah – to become bread – Matzah – to become humblehumble

Followed by Seder Feast Followed by Seder Feast

Shavuot/PentecostShavuot/Pentecost50 days later after Passover50 days later after PassoverTime of YearTime of Year: May/June: May/June

Reason for Festival: Reason for Festival: Counting of the Omer – an offering Counting of the Omer – an offering

brought to the priests in Jerusalem brought to the priests in Jerusalem

Customs:Customs: A seven week period of mourning – A seven week period of mourning –

no weddings or celebrationsno weddings or celebrations Considered a bridge between Considered a bridge between

celebrating freedom from slavery celebrating freedom from slavery and the establishment of Jewish and the establishment of Jewish Law when Moses brought the Law when Moses brought the Israelites to Sinai and received the Israelites to Sinai and received the Torah.Torah.

Celebrate first harvest but also Celebrate first harvest but also study of the Torahstudy of the Torah

Sukkot/BoothsSukkot/BoothsTime of YearTime of Year: September 5 : September 5

days after Yom Kippurdays after Yom Kippur

Reason for FestivalReason for Festival: : make a Harvest offering make a Harvest offering

(tied to Exodus and (tied to Exodus and agricultural cycle)agricultural cycle)

Customs:Customs: Will build a Sukkah – a Will build a Sukkah – a

small building of woven small building of woven materials that has a trellis materials that has a trellis so when inside you can see so when inside you can see the stars represents the 40 the stars represents the 40 years after Exodus from years after Exodus from Egypt when Jews wandered Egypt when Jews wandered homeless and the 2 homeless and the 2 millennia of the Diaspora millennia of the Diaspora (temporary house). Try to (temporary house). Try to eat and sleep in the eat and sleep in the structurestructure

Other Important Other Important FestivalsFestivals

HanukkahHanukkah PurimPurim

HanukkahHanukkahTime of Year: Time of Year: November/DecemberNovember/December Reason for Celebration:Reason for Celebration:

Celebration of the Maccabees (The Celebration of the Maccabees (The Hammers), who engaged in civil Hammers), who engaged in civil war against Hellenized Syrians war against Hellenized Syrians between 165-163 B.C.E. and between 165-163 B.C.E. and liberated the Jewsliberated the Jews

Eventually drove Syrians out of Eventually drove Syrians out of Israel and cleansed the TempleIsrael and cleansed the Temple

Customs:Customs: Lighting of the Hanukiyah Lighting of the Hanukiyah

(Menorah)(Menorah)

Food Eaten:Food Eaten: Latkes – potato and onion fried in Latkes – potato and onion fried in

oil (in honour of the sacred oil oil (in honour of the sacred oil lamps)lamps)

PurimPurimTime of YearTime of Year: February : February

MarchMarch

Reason for Celebration:Reason for Celebration: Spring festivalSpring festival At the heart of Purim is the At the heart of Purim is the

story of Esther, story of Esther, Purim means “lots” – Purim means “lots” –

casting of lots to pick a day casting of lots to pick a day for massacre by Hamanfor massacre by Haman

Custom: Custom: People dress up in costumes People dress up in costumes

and go to synagogue, and go to synagogue, perform playsperform plays

Food Eaten:Food Eaten: Triangular pastriesTriangular pastries