SC - AM's article

Tue Nov 3 07:24:56 PST 1998

Here is my list of Jewish holidays and the observances and food that go
along with each of them.  The dates are marked with a * which denotes a
floating holiday, a full explaination is in the introduction of the book.
 So consider the calendar dates as a basic idea of when these holidays
occur.  Any additional observance information would be welcome.  
	Mistress Christianna
JAN 29
Tu Bi-Sh'vot* - Jewish - "the 15th of Sh'vot" or the New Year of the
Trees- families plant a tree for each child born that year, cedars for
boys and cypress for girls. When the child married, the tree would be cut
down for a post for their wedding canopy.  Trees are blooming in the Land
of Israel now, and the fruits of those trees are eaten, oranges, dates,
figs, raisins, carob beans, and almonds.  
MAR 16
Purim* - Jewish - "The Feast of Lots".  Only a Jew named Mordechai
refused to bow to Haman, wicked advisor to King Ahasuerus of Persia, and
Haman wanted to kill the Jews.  He convinced the king to draw a lot (or
pur) to decide the day of slaughter.  But the king's beautiful queen,
Esther, who was Jewish, asked him to save her people, and the king
remembered that Mordechai had warned him of a plot on his life.  He
proclaimed the Jews would live, and hanged Haman on the gallows he had
built for Mordechai.  On this day the Book of Esther is read, and people
drown out every mention of Haman with noisemakers and stomping feet.
Masks and costumes are worn, especially by companies of amateur actors
called Purim Shpieler (Purim Players), who act out the Purim story.
Triangular cakes filled with poppyseed or fruit are served called Haman
Taschen.  ('Purim' also means 'dice'.)
APRIL 22
Passover* - Jewish - "The Festival of Freedom".  More than 3,000 years
ago, the Jews were slaves in Egypt, building the pyramids.  One day God
spoke to the shepherd Moses from a burning bush, telling him to lead the
suffering Jews out of Egypt. But Pharaoh would not let the Jews go, even
though God struck Egypt with many plagues, including locusts, fire, and
hailstones. Finally Moses told Pharaoh that a tenth and last plague would
kill all the Egyptian's first born sons. As a signal to the Angel of
Death, the Jews sacrificed a lamb and sprinkled some of the blood on
their door posts, and the Angel "passed over" (pasah) their homes when he
came to kill the Egyptians. After this plague, Pharaoh finally gave in.
The Jews quickly left, and the waters of the Red Sea parted to let them
through. By now, Pharaoh had changed his mind and sent soldiers in
pursuit. The waters closed over the Egyptians. Today, to celebrate,
Jewish families eat a ceremonial dinner called the seder at which they
retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt, and serve special foods that
commemorate it. The matzah, a flat, unleavened bread, recalls the haste
with which the Jews had to leave Egypt: They couldn't wait for their
bread to rise. Blessings and songs also celebrate this day of freedom.
The Last Supper was a Passover feast.  The first Good Friday (the day on
which Christ died) was during Passover.
MAY 21
Shavuot* - Jewish - The "Festival of Weeks" comes exactly seven weeks
after Passover. It celebrates Moses' return from the top of Mt. Sinai in
the desert. He brought his people two stone tablets with God's Ten
Commandments, the fundamental laws of the Jewish faith. Shavuot was
originally an agricultural holiday to celebrate the beginning of the
wheat harvest, when farmers brought some of their bounty to the Temple in
Jerusalem. Today many Jews eat a dairy meal to symbolize the promised
land, " a land flowing with milk and honey".   At the age of 16, Jewish
teens go through a Confirmation ceremony on Shavout, to be counted among
all of the Jews in the world. ("Shabuoth", "Shovuos")
AUG 5
Tisha be-Av* - Jewish - This is a day of mourning and fasting in memory
of the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem,
which both happened on the same date (the "Ninth of Av"). In 586 BC, the
Babylonians destroyed the First Temple, and the Jews rebuilt it. In 70AD,
the Romans burned down the Second Temple, and a long period of Jewish
exile began. People read the sad poetry of the Book of Lamentations and
also grieve for all those times in history when Jews have suffered.
SEPT 11
Rosh ha-Shanah* - Jewish - Meaning "Head of the New Year", this holiday
marks the beginning of the High Holy Days, which continue for 10 days
until Yom Kippur. Celebrated at the beginning of the Hebrew Month Tishri,
the first month of the year, to commemorate the creation of the world,
which according to tradition started in 3761 BCE. (See Oct. 7th) The
story of Abraham, whose faith in God was so great that he was willing to
sacrifice his son, Issac to Him, is read during services. God relented
and Abraham sacrificed a ram instead, and a ram's horn is blown during
the service. Special food eaten includes the round loaf of Challah bread,
to signify that the year comes around to a new beginning, and apples
dipped in honey to make the New Year sweet. Ten days of self-examination
and repentance reach their fulfillment in Yom Kippur, the Day of
Atonement.
SEPT 21
Yom Kippur* - Jewish - "Day of Atonement" is the holiest day on the
Jewish calendar. They believe that God studies a book of everyone's deeds
during the past year on the first ten days of the New Year. On the tenth
day, Yom Kippur, He decides how each person will live in the year to
come. Many Jews fast from the sundown the day before until the sun sets
on Yom Kippur. They pray that God will forgive them their sins and that
they will live well in the New Year. A taper large enough to burn for 24
hours is lighted in each home to remember the dead.
OCT 1
Sukkot* - Jewish - The "Feast of Booths" commemorates the period after
the exodus from Egypt when  Jews wandered in the desert for 40 years.
During harvest times, they lived in temporary huts, or "Sukkot". Many
Jews build a "sukkah" out of branches or hay and leave them up for the
nine days of the festival, eating and sometimes sleeping in them. 
("Succoth" - Jewish Thanksgiving Day)
OCT 8
Simhat Torah* - Jewish - Each synagogue has its own hand-lettered scrolls
of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. During a year of weekly
services the entire Torah is read, and on Simhat Torah, "Rejoicing in the
Law" the final book is completed and the cycle begins again. In
celebration
everyone dances and sings, passing the Torah scrolls to one another.
DEC 10
Hanukkah* - Jewish - More than 2,000 years ago, when the Syrian King
Antiochus IV occupied Jerusalem, he forced the Jews to worship the Greek
Gods.  For three years, Judah the Maccabee led a rebellion against the
Syrians, and when he finally defeated them, the Jews could worship freely
again. To rededicate the Temple, they cleaned it from top to bottom, and
then had to relight the 'menorah', a candelabrum. But only enough oil
could be found for 1 day, and it would take 8 days to get more oil.
Incredibly, the little bottle of oil did last for 8 days, and Hanukah
celebrates both this miracle and the "Rededication". An 8 day
celebration, families light one candle the first night, 2 candles the
second night, and so on.  There are songs, stories, presents, prayers,
and games of chance with tops called dreidels.

>From "366 Days of Celebrations, or, A Year Full of Reasons to Throw a
Party" by Christine Seelye-King

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