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And Holidays Year Celebrations As Laid Down in Thetalmud

And Holidays Year Celebrations As Laid Down in Thetalmud

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referred to as the Jewish NewYear, it is not High days the first month of the Jewish calendar. In fact,Passoveris celebratedinthe first month of the Jewish calendar. is just one of four symbolic New and holidays Year celebrations as laid down in theTalmud. Kippur is regarded as the holiest day of the Jewish year. It is a day of and . One ofthe traditions associated DELIA O'MEARA http://landscaping.about.com/cs/pests/ with Sukkoth, is the erection of a booth Systems Administrator a/ rabbit p.htm - information aboutthe decorated with fruit. origins of the Easter bunny and Easter eggs; November/December sees the celebra- he year has flown by once again and http://altreligion.about.com/library/ tion of , the Feast of Dedication, the festive season is upon us. The weekly/aa040702a.htm - more information which commemorates the reclaiming of the T lastquarter ofthe yearis packed aboutthe pagan origins ofthe Easter bunny temple after the defeat of the Syrian king with important holy days, feast days and and Easter eggs; Antiochus IV. The Menorah candelabra festivals. From September onwards, every www.shagtown.com/days/Christmas.html with nine receptacles for candles, and the mainstreamreligiousgroup celebrates spe- - trace traditions back to its lighting of a candle each day of the festival, cial days - celebrate Rosh Hashanah paganroots; plays animportant partinthe celebrations. ( Jewish NewYear), which is followed by www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/festivals/ Toread more aboutthese and other Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) shortly Christmas/html - more information about , access these web sites: thereafter; Muslims begin the fast for the the link between the celebration of the www.shagtown.com/days/j2.html -for month of , which culminatesin Eid winter solstice and Christmas; information on the ; al-Fitr; Hindu's celebrate Divali; while www.holidayorigins.com/Christmas.html - www.holidayorigins.com -selectthelinks Christians look forward to celebrating linksto Santa Claus, carols,Christmascards, to the various Jewish holidays (, Christmas. Christmas, trees, etcetera; Pesach,,Rosh Hashanah,Yom I thought that it might be interesting to www.tartans.com/articles/celtchristmas.html Kippur, Sukkoth and Hanukkah). look at the origins of these and other days, - read aboutthe Celtic origins of Christmas, www.everythingjewish.com -selectthe which are celebrated throughout the year. withlinks to holly and mistletoe; link to Origins. Christian holy and feast days www.-central.net/Christmas/ - www.historychannel.com/exhibits/holi- various links to the origins of Christmas, days/hanukkah/index.html -thehistoryand Easteris the most significant annual Santa Claus and Christmas stockings; traditions of Hanukkah. Christian feast day, with Christmas fol- www.historychannel.com/exhibits/holidays/ lowing a close second. So you can imagine Islamic holy days christmas/world.html -linkstoChristmas my consternation, when researching the traditions,Santa Claus and Christmas The two most important events of the origins of these feast days, finding that both trees; Islamic calendar are the Eid ul-Fitr, which havetheirrootsinpaganfestivals. Thename www.ccg.org/english/s/p235.html -an comes after the month-long fast of Easter is derived from the Anglo-Saxon article published by the Christian Churches Ramadan, and the Eid ul-Adha atthe end of pagan goddess of spring,Eostre or Easte. of thatgoesinto greatdetail aboutthe the . Even the seemingly innocuous Easter bunny various pagan-Christian connections to The holy month of Ramadanis a special and Easter eggs are pagan symbols, repre- Easter and Christmas. month of the year, when Muslims fast from senting fertility and rebirth. dawnto sunsetevery day.The fastends with Christmas haslinks tothe festival of Jewish holy days and feast days the sightingofthenewmoon andculminates Saturn, Saturnalia, celebratedin ancient There are a number of important Jewish withthe celebration of Eid ul-Fitr. Rome, atthe end ofthe harvest, as wellas holy days and feasts. The dates on which OneofthefivepillarsofIslam,orcentral Mithra, the god of the sun. The Mithraic these days are celebrated, are determined religiousdutiesofevery Muslim, is tomake a winter festival coincides with the celebra- by the solar calendar. pilgrimage to Mecca. This is known as the tion of the winter solstice. The Romans Pesach () commemorates the Hajj. All Muslims around the world join the decorated pine trees withimages of story found in Exodus 12, describing the pilgrimsin Mecca in celebrating Eid ul-Adha Bacchus for the festival of Saturnalia. Mis- exodus of the Jews from Egypt. The Pass- on the tenth day of the last month of the tletoe was hung over the doorway by the over meal, or Seder, is particularlyrichin Islamiccalendar.Usually a sheepis sacrificed druids to appease the woodland spirits. traditions and customs. The format of the and the meat distributed to family, friends Even Santa's reindeer were inherited from meal, food eaten and traditions followed at and the poor. the Nordic god Odin. the Seder, have been carried down for The following web sites will provide infor- You mightfind some ofthese web sites of centuries. mation on these holy days and celebrations: interest: www.shagtown.com/days/easter.html September/October has a number of www.shagtown.com/days.islam.html - - it will help you to determine the date on importantfeastdays and holy days. Rosh information on Islam, the Islamic calendar which Easter will fall; Hashanah, (the Jewish NewYear), is fol- and various religious holy days and holidays. www.holidayorigins.com/html/easter.html lowed byYomKippur, (the Day of Atone- www.ummah.org.uk- this site contains - supplies information on the origins of the ment) and Sukkoth, (the Feast of information on Ramadan,Eid ul-Fitr, the name andlinks to traditions associated with ). Although Rosh Hashanahis Easter;

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Hajj and Eid ul-Adha. There are also www.shagtown.com/days/allsouls/html - fact or folklore, is not known. NewYork, numerouslinks to other sites. All Soul's Day. with Irish roots dating back to the immi- www.cleverclickster.com/mayatime/muer- grants, who cameintheirdroves during the Hindu festivals tos.htm - El Dia de los Muertos. Potato Famine, celebrates St Patrick's Day In November this year,Hindus celebrated www.houstonculture.org/mexico/muerto- by holding an annual St Patrick's Day Deepavalior Divali, which celebrates the sorig.html - origins of El Dia de los Muertos Parade. return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after his pluslinkstovariousaspectsofthisfestival. www.holiday-central.net/st__ patricks__ day__ 14-year exile and the triumph of good over www.sherylfranklin.com/holidays/ origins.asp - has variousinterestinglinks. evil. Towelcome and honor Lakshmi, the veterans__ day.html - Remembrance Day and www.st-patricks-day.com/index.asp - goddess of goodluck, wealth and benevo- information on flag etiquette. read about St Patrick and related aspects. lence, lamps are lit, houses are decorated www.kidsdomain.com/kids/links/ Salute__ www.saintpatricksdayparade.com/NY. with garlands and designs are drawn onthe to__Veterans.html - links to sites for kids, newyorkcity.htm -StPatrick'sDayParade, floorsin differentcoloured powders to which have been checked for appropriate NewYork. welcome guests. content. April Fool's Day Readmore aboutthe festivalof Divaliand www.betterworldlinks.org/book80/htm - The origin of April Fool's Day is not clear, other Hindu festivals: links to Hiroshima Day and related subjects. but may be connected to the changeover www.indiatravelite.com/indianfestivals - www.sadako.org/sadakostory.htm -the from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in various festivals arranged by month. storyofSadakoandthe1000cranes. 1582. Prior to thatdate,NewYear was www.diwalimela.com/about-diwali/ Other holidays celebrated for eight days culminating on index.html - Divalicustoms and traditions, 1April. recipes andlinks to other Divalisites. There are various holidays and festivals http://wilstar.com/holidays/aprilfool.htm - http://members.tripod.com/ ì jennifer__ spread throughoutthe year. Perhaps you some suggested origins of April Fool's Day. polan/.html -thestoryofDivali. justtakethem for granted, or perhaps you www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/april- Remembering the dead mightlike to find out aboutthe origins of fool/ - top100 April Fool's Day hoaxes of all these festivals. Listedbeloware some ofthe time. Manycountries, cultures and religions set mostcommonholidays and some ofthe web aside a day to remember the dead. Some of sites for information on origins and traditions. TheRunningoftheBulls these memorial days are quite solemn, IthoughtthatI'daddthisforthoseofyou New Years Day wholiketolivedangerously.TheRunningof whileothersusetheoccasiontocelebrate 1Januaryisgenerallycelebrated as the and remember the departed. the Bulls in Pamplona is part of the Fiesta of calendar NewYear. As we have seen, the San Fermin, whichis heldin July eachyear. All Souls'Day on 2 November, comme- date ofthe NewYear can differ between morated by Christians, is dedicated to the www.runtheplanet.com -typeinthekey- religious groups and even cultures. The word Pam plona,thenscrolldownandclick souls ofthe departed, especially those in Chinese NewYear occurs between purgatory. Origins link this feast day to an on the Running ofthe Bullslink. You will f ind 21 January and19 February. information aboutthe route and running ancientfestival ofthe dead. It was believed www.holidayorigins.com -followthelinks thatthe dead visited the homes ofthe living tips. to NewYear's Day and Chinese NewYear. www.sanfermin.com/guia/in__ encierrol.shtml and`soulcakes'wereleftoutfor themto eat. http://wilstar.com/holidays.newyear.htm - In Mexicothis feastdayis called El Dia delos - origins and history ofthe Running ofthe origins and traditions of New Year. Bulls. Muertos, or the . There is www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty.mroth.438.- nothing morbid or sad aboutthe celebra- CHINA/chinese__ new__ year.html -linkstothe tion and it is the most popular holiday in origin, traditions, taboos and superstitions Originallyan Americanholiday,Halloweenis Mexico. Families get together to honour surrounding the Chinese NewYear. becoming more and more popularin South their ancestors, are built and candyin Africa. Celebrated on 31October, the form of skulls and sugar skeletons are Valentine's Day Halloween or All Hallows Eve is synon- eaten. This holiday is celebrated on14 February ymous with children dressing up as ghosts, Most countries set aside a day to with various tokens of affection being sentto goblins and witches and goingdoor-to-door remember those who diedin war. loved ones - cards, chocolates, flowers, et trick-or-treating. November11is just such a day. Sometimes cetera. But who was Saint Valentine? www.shagtown.com/days/halloween.html called ,Remembrance Day or www.shagtown.com/days/valentine.html - - history and customs of Halloween. Armistice Day,countriesworldwide usethis origins of Valentine's Day. www.halloweenishere.com/history2.html - day to honour those who gave their lives in www.holidays.net/amore/ -variouslinksto historyofHalloween,trick-or-treating, war. its origins, traditions and recipes. Jack-O-Lanterns, masks and pumpkins. www.historychannel.com/exhibits/valen- Hiroshima Day,6 August, is observed to http://home.att.net/ ì rlynj/halorigins.htm commemorate the dropping of the first tine/history.html -thehistoryofValentine's -originsofHalloweenandlinkstoother atomic bomb. The dayis observed with Day. interesting sites. specialvigils andpeacemarches. People fold St Patrick's Day www.serve.com/shea/germusa/hal- paper cranes and send themto Sadako's Being of Irish decent,I couldn'tleave this one low.htm -originsofHalloweenwithlinksto monumentin Hiroshima Peace Park. out. St Patrick's Dayis celebrated on17 manyrelated sites. You can obtain information on the origins March. It is difficult to separate the facts Guy Fawkes andtraditions associatedwiththese days on about St Patrick fromthe myths and Onthe nightof 5 November,bonfires are the following web sites: legends. He is supposed to have banished set alight, effigies are burned and fireworks the snakes from Ireland, but whether thisis % Kaapse Bibl., Nov/Des 2004 41 INTERNET

are set off. This commemorates the BoxingDay day on which the alms boxes were opened thwarted conspiracy to blow up the British Why26DecemberiscalledBoxingDayis and the money distributed to the poor. Houses of Parliament by a group of English not veryclear.Varioustheories aregivenfor www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/box- Catholics. Before the plot could be carried thenamingofthisholiday.Somebelievethat ing.asp - some theories aboutthe origins of out,Guy Fawkes was caughtinthe cellar of itoriginated during the reign of Queen . the parliament with 36 barrels of gun- Victoria. Smallboxes of gifts and money www.homemadesimple.ca/en__ CA/living/ powder. were given to the servants and merchants. boxing__ day/shtml- origins and traditions. www.bonefire.org/guy/index.php - Another theory is that servants were Ihopethat youenjoyaccessing these sites history of the Gunpowder Plot. expected to workon Christmas day. As a and reading about your favourite holiday,as www.guy-fawkes.com/ - history and thank you, the servants were given 26 much as I didresearching theirorigins and legends of Guy Fawkes and Bonfire Night. December as a holiday and received boxes traditions. of gifts. Yet another theoryis thatit was the Happy holidays.

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