Significant Jewish Holidays

Holidays/ Celebrations

By: jseven 26-Aug-2012

Introduction:

The most significant Jewish holidays have deep significant spiritual meaning and have been celebrated for hundreds of years. I am honored to celebrate them as a child of God and know that He will keep his promises and calender concerning the meaning of these holidays.

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is the first day of the Jewish calender and starts on the sunset of a September date and last for two days and ends on the second night at sunset. This is a very holy celebration of the creation of Adam and Eve, a day of judgment and the blowing of the shofar. The cry of the shofar calls for repentance in mankind and also rejoices in the coronation of their King. Rosh Hashanah begins the ten days of repentance and ends with Yom Kippur. No work is permitted during this holiday.

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur begins 10 days from the end of Rosh Hashanah and begins at sunset, ending the following night at sunset. Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year for Jews and requires fasting and prayer during the holiday. Before the fasting and prayer begins, honey cakes and a festive meal are served. The next 26 hours is a time to reflect, repent and acknowledge God as the purifier of our souls and accept His atonement for the sins. Many prayers are said and reflected upon. No work is permitted.

Chanukah

Chanukah is always starts on a Saturday sunset sometime in December and ends 8 days later at sunset. It is also called "The Festival of Lights." It is a celebration of the time the Jews were overcome by their enemies and became victorious when a small army of them fought back and defeated their foes. The lamp in the restored temple miraculously burned for 8 days on only one day's worth of olive oil. It is the triumph of light over darkness as God always wins over evil. Food and festivity are part of this happy holiday.

Purim

Purim is held in March and is a deep and thankful remembrance of the time Queen Esther saved her people from being wiped out by an evil man who wanted to kill all Jews. Her real name was Hadassah and she was made the queen of a king who had no idea of the Jewish God. She called her people to fast and went before the king to beg for her people to be saved. This was an act she could have been killed for, but she risked her life for all of her people. Fasting and feasting is done during Purim. It last from sunset to the following night at sunset and no work is to be done.

Passover

Passover is a very solemn time for the Jews as it was God's mighty deliverance of His people out of Egypt and the hand of the evil Pharaoh. Everyone ate unleavened bread and put blood over their doorpost to protect their household from the death angel God sent to Egypt. They escaped and went through God's miraculous opening of the Red Sea. It lasts eight days and no food with leavening is allowed in the home during this time in memory of Moses and his leading of the Jews out of Egypt.

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duckletshut 10/22/2012
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I've heard of a few of these - thanks for the info
snowfence 8/27/2012
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Thanks for the list of significant Jewish holidays.
goodselfme 8/27/2012
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You have explained these well with reverence and heart. My long time girl friend celebrates these with her new husband even though she herself is Catholic.