You’ve heard of Hanukkah but what about Purim, Rosh Hashanah, and Sukkot? If you’ve ever been interested in Judaism or Jewish holidays and traditions, then read on to learn more.
You might be a bit confused as to when are the Jewish holidays and you’re not alone. While we can count on Valentine’s Day falling on February 14th or Christmas being on December 25th, it’s different with the major Jewish holidays. The reason for this is that most of us go by a calendar that’s based on the sun while the Jewish calendar is based on the phases of the moon. Families still celebrate the Jewish holidays in order; they’re just on a calendar that most people aren’t used to. As for the most important Jewish holidays, they’re mostly religious in nature, although there are some non-religious ones. These include Independence Day, Jerusalem Day, and Victory in Europe Day. Israel celebrates a holiday similar to Valentine’s Day, Tu B’Av, as well as a Memorial Day, Yom HaZikaron. There are also national holidays to celebrate Israeli leaders, including Rabin Day, Ben-Gurion Day, Jabotinsky Day, and Herzl Day.
List of Jewish Holidays, Their Meanings, and Traditions
Here, we’ll look at what are the main Jewish holidays as well as their customs, traditional foods, and cultural significance.
Jewish Holidays in September
It’s best to learn the Jewish holidays explained based on the Jewish calendar, starting with the New Year, Rosh Hashanah. This day typically falls in September, although it may sometimes be in early October. Rosh Hashanah is characterized by two days of celebration in honor of the first month of Tishrei, the seventh month. During this holiday, Jews sound the horn of a ram, as described in the Torah, and they also recite or remember the teshuva, or the repentance of sins. Some symbolic foods include honey-dipped apples to signify a sweet New Year as well as dates, gourds, leeks, and pomegranates.
Sukkot, or the Festival of Tabernacles, is celebrated on the 15th day of Tishrei and lasts seven days. In the past, this was a day to make a pilgrimage to the old Jerusalem Temple. Jews use the first day as a day of rest while the remaining days include a waving of the “Four Species,” or four types of plants (three branches and one leaf of a fruit tree). Families also build a sukkah (a tabernacle or booth), which is reminiscent of the makeshift shelter that the Israelites stayed in during their journey to the Promised Land. In addition, meals are eaten in the Sukkot.
Jewish Holidays in October
The fall Jewish holidays vary since the calendar changes slightly each year. Yom Kippur falls either in September or October and is the Day of Atonement, the holiest day in Israel. This day is commemorated with a full-day fast and hours of prayer, most of it taking place in the synagogue. Prayer is focused on repenting and asking God’s forgiveness for sins. This is the day when many Jews that believe they are closest to God and therefore the focus is on prayer rather than work, bathing, and interacting with others.
Jewish Holidays in December
Hanukkah almost always falls in December and is one of the favorite Jewish holidays for kids. Commonly known as the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah remembers the rededication of Jerusalem’s Second Temple after the Maccabees rebelled against the Seleucid Empire. Hanukkah lasts for eight nights and each night includes the lighting of a candle on the menorah. This ritual represents the miracle that the Maccabees experienced in which their one-day supply of oil lasted them through eight nights. It’s also customary to eat oil-based foods such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyah (jelly doughnuts). Kids may also play dreidel, a spinning top inscribed with abbreviated Hebrew words for “A great miracle happened there.”
Jewish Holidays in March
Purim typically falls in March and is also referred to as the Festival of Lots. It commemorates the story in the Book of Esther in which the Jews are saved from certain death by the hands of Haman, a royal official in the Persian Empire. This is a day of “feasting and gladness” in which gifts are given, feasts are eaten, and prayers are recited from the Scroll of Esther. The tone of Purim is celebratory and gleeful and it’s not uncommon to see people laughing, wearing costumes, and spending time with friends.
Jewish Holidays in April
Passover in Israel is a major holiday that celebrates the story of Exodus, in which the Jews are delivered from the hands of Egypt to the Promised Land by God. It’s a day of redemption over oppression and it traditionally involves a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Passover lasts for seven days and includes the Seder, a ritual meal consisting of prayer and traditional foods such as bitter herbs, boiled egg, matzah, parsley, romaine, and sweet fruit paste. Each food item on the Seder plate has its own significance. For instance, the bitter herbs represent the bitterness of the Israelites’ enslavement by Egypt while the sweet fruit paste symbolizes the mortar that the Israelis used to build Pharaoh’s structures.
Jewish Holidays in May
The middle of May is around the time that Jews are celebrating Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks. Not only does it celebrate the wheat harvest but it’s also a day to remember God’s gift of the Torah to the Israelites on Mount Sinai, as told in Exodus. Today, this is a day for breaking bread together, attending special prayer services, and refraining from doing work. There is an emphasis on re-introducing or re-discovering the importance of the Torah. Excitement surrounds this holiday and there’s great food too. Cheese blintzes and other cheese-filled foods are served and there is both a celebratory day meal and night meal.
The Jerusalem Old City private tour can transport you to the historically significant landmarks of Israel’s most religious city. Learn more about the history of Judaism as well as what are the Jewish holidays’ significance all year round. Ben Gurion VIP service ensures that you get there safely and hassle-free.
