Portal:Judaism/holidays
holidays Shabbat
Portal:Judaism/holidays/Shabbat
Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest and seventh day of the week, on which Jews remember the traditional creation of the heavens and the earth in six days and the Exodus of the Hebrews, and look forward to a future Messianic Age. Shabbat observance entails refraining from work activities, often with great rigor, and engaging in restful activities to honor the day. According to halakha, Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night. Shabbat is ushered in by lighting candles and reciting a blessing. Traditionally, three festive meals are eaten: in the evening, in the morning, and late in the afternoon. The evening dinner typically begins with kiddush and another blessing recited over two loaves of challah. Shabbat is closed the following evening with a havdalah blessing. Shabbat is a festive day when Jews exercise their freedom from the regular labors of everyday life. It offers an opportunity to contemplate the spiritual aspects of life and to spend time with family. (Read more...)
holidays Rosh Chodesh
Portal:Judaism/holidays/Rosh Chodesh
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Rosh Chodesh is the first day of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the appearance of the new moon. Contrasted with the astronomical definition of new moon - which is not visible to the naked eye - the new moon in the Hebrew calendar is marked by the day and hour that the new crescent is observed. It is considered a minor holiday, akin to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot. When a month consists of thirty days, the final day is considered the first day of Rosh Chodesh of the following month.
holidays Rosh Hashanah
Portal:Judaism/holidays/Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im ("Days of Awe") which usually occur in the early autumn of the Northern Hemisphere. Rosh Hashanah is a two day celebration which begins on the first day of Tishrei, the first month of the Jewish calendar. The day is believed to be the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of mankind’s role in God’s world. Rosh Hashanah customs include sounding the shofar and eating symbolic foods such as apples dipped in honey. The common greeting on Rosh Hashanah is "Shanah Tovah", which, in Hebrew, means "(Have) a good year". (Read more...)
holidays Fast of Gedalia
Portal:Judaism/holidays/Fast of Gedalia The Fast of Gedalia is a Jewish fast day from dawn until dusk to lament the assassination of the righteous governor of Judah of that name, which ended Jewish rule following the destruction of the First Temple.