

JEWISH
SEASONAL DAYS OF CELEBRATION AND HOLY DAYS

Sponsored link.

Origins:
Conservative Jews and Christians generally agree that the main seasonal days
of celebration that are mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) were
established by God and recorded by Moses. Religious liberals and many historians
believe that the ancient Israelites took the three ancient harvest festivals of
the Pagan Canaanites (Creation, Revelation and Redemption) and reworked them
into the Jewish festivals of Tabernacles, Shavout and Passover. 1
In modern times, Jews refer to the weekly Sabbath as the Shabbat; other
holy days are now called festivals, feasts, holy days or holidays.

High Holy Days: 3
Year |
Rosh Hashanah* |
Yom Kippur |
5757 AM |
96-SEP-23 |
96-OCT-02 |
5758 AM |
97-OCT-02 |
97-0CT-11 |
5759 |
98-SEP-21 |
98-SEP-30 |
5760 |
99-SEP-11 |
99-SEP-20 |
5761 |
00-SEP-30 |
00-OCT-09 |
5762 |
01-SEP-18 |
01-SEP-27 |
5763 |
02-SEP-07 |
02-SEP-16 |
5764 |
03-SEP-27 |
03-OCT-06 |
5765 |
04-SEP-15 |
04-SEP-24 |
5766 |
05-OCT-03 |
05-OCT-12 |
5767 |
06-SEP-22 |
06-OCT-01 |
5768 |
07-SEP-12 |
07-SEP-21 |
5769 |
08-SEP-29 4 |
08-OCT-12 5 |
This essay continues below.

Sponsored link:

Other holy days:
Year |
Sukkot* |
Hanukkah* |
Purim |
Pesach* |
Shavout* |
5757 AM |
96-OCT-7 |
96-DEC-06 |
97-MAR-23 |
97-APR-22 |
97-JUN-11 |
5758 |
97-OCT-16 |
97-DEC-24 |
98-MAR-12 |
98-APR-11 |
98-MAY-31 |
5759 |
98-OCT-05 |
98-DEC-14 |
99-MAR-02 |
99-APR-01 |
99-MAY-21 |
5760 |
99-SEP-25 |
99-DEC-04 |
00-MAR-21 |
00-APR-20 |
00-JUN-09 |
5761 |
00-OCT-14 |
00-DEC-22 |
01-MAR-09 |
01-APR-09 |
01-MAY-28 |
5762 |
01-OCT-02 |
01-DEC-10 |
02-FEB-26 |
02-MAR-28 |
02-MAY-17 |
5763 |
02-SEP-21 |
02-NOV-30 |
03-MAR-28 |
03-APR-17 |
03-JUN-06 |
5764 |
03-OCT-11 |
03-DEC-20 |
04-MAR-07 |
04-APR-06 |
04-MAY-26 |
5765 |
04-SEP-30 |
04-DEC-08 |
05-MAR-25 |
05-APR-24 |
05-JUN-13 |
5766 |
05-OCT-18 |
05-DEC-26 |
06-MAR-14 |
06-APR-13 |
06-JUN-02 |
5767 |
06-OCT-07 |
06-DEC-16 |
07-MAR-04 |
07-APR-03 |
07-MAY-23 |
5768 |
07-OCT-04 |
07-DEC-05 |
08-MAR-21 |
08-APR-20 |
08-JUN-09 |
5769 AM |
08-OCT-14 |
08-DEC-22 |
|
|
|
* First day

Description of the seven holy days:
Date/Month |
Name |
Alternative name and meaning |
1st of Tishri |
Rosh Hashanah; "Head of the Year" |
The Jewish New Year, and the anniversary of
the completion of creation. |
10th of Tishri |
Yom Kippur; "Day of Atonement" |
A day of fasting and praying which
occurs 10 days after the first day of Rosh Hashanah. The holiest day in the
year. |
15th of Tishri |
Sukkot; "Season of our rejoicing; Feast of
Tabernacles" |
The Feast of Booths
is an 8 day harvest festival; a time of thanksgiving. This was considered the
most important Jewish festival in 1st cent. CE |
25th of Kislev |
Hanukkah, Chanukah; "Feast of Dedication" |
The Feast
of Lights is an 8 day Feast of Dedication. It recalls the war fought by
the Maccabees in the cause of religious freedom. |
14th of Adar |
Purim; "Feast of Lots" |
The Feast of Lots
recalls the defeat by Queen Esther of the plan to slaughter all of the Persian Jews, circa
400 BCE. |
15th Nissan |
Pesach; "Passover" |
The 8 day festival recalls the
exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt circa 1300 BCE. A holiday
meal, the Seder, is held at home. |
6th of Sivan; 50 days after Pesach |
Shavouth; "Festival of Weeks" |
Pentacost (a.k.a. Feast of Weeks)
recalls God's revelation of the Torah to the Jewish people. |
Rules for calculating Rosh Hashanah and Passover are available online at:
http://quasar.as.utexas.edu/ 
Reasonable care has been taken to prepare this list. Sources often differ, so check
elsewhere if the precise date is important. 
References:The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above
essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
-
Stephen M Wylen, "Holidays mark victory of light over darkness,"
The Bergen Record, 1999-DEC-2
-
Seymour Rossel, "Basic Judaism: Jewish Holy Days," at: http://www.rossel.net/
-
Bill Jeffery, "AST 309--Time: Easter, Rosh Hashanah and Passover,"
University of Texas, Austin, at:
http://quasar.as.utexas.edu/
-
Fact Monster, "Rosh Hashanah is Jewish New Year," at:
http://www.factmonster.com/
-
Fact Monster, "What is Yom Kippur?," at:
http://www.factmonster.com/

Copyright © 1996 to 2005 by Ontario Consultants on
Religious Tolerance
Last update: 2005-DEC-01
Author: B.A. Robinson

| |