UNESCO Regional Office - Beirut Cultural Aspects in Christian and Islamic Religions Under the Supervision of The UNESCO Regional Office – Beirut And the UNESCO Chair of Comparative Religious Studies, Mediation and Dialogue Saint Joseph University (USJ), Beirut UNESCO Regional Office - Beirut, 2011 Title of the Book: Cultural Aspects in Christian and Islamic Religions Under the Supervision of: UNESCO Regional Office – Beirut And UNESCO Chair of Comparative Religious Studies, Mediation and Dialogue Saint Joseph University (USJ), Beirut Consultative Committee Sheikh Sami Abi Al Muna; Dr. Radwan Al-Sayyid; (in alphabetical order of their Ms. Rita Ayoub; Ms. Salwa Sanyurah Ba’asiri; surname): Louis Boisset, s.j. ; Sheikh Shafiq Jaradi; Eng. Joseph Kreidi; Bishop Gregoire Haddad; Dr. Ramzi Salamah; Dr. Bishara Sarji; Mgr. Kamil Zaydan Based on the Idea of and under Eng. Joseph Kreidi the Supervision of: Follow-up and Coordination: Ms. Rita Ayoub Linguistic Revision: Mr. Henry Zoughayb; Sheikh Sami Abi Al Muna; Dr. Radwan Al-Sayyid Technical Layout: Ms. Doris Hope Marjel; Ms. Amal Nazzal Published by: UNESCO Regional Office - Beirut LB/2011/CL/PI/37 © UNESCO 2011 Cultural Aspects in Christian and Islamic Religions The ideas and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of UNESCO. The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory , city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. 2 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... 8 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 10 Foreword ........................................................................................................................... 13 Time: Perceptions and Concepts .................................................................. 17 Time in Christianity and Islam ............................................................................. 18 Time in Christianity ......................................................................................................... 19 Time in Islam .................................................................................................................. 20 Calendars, their Meaning, and the Reason why they are Used .............. 22 The Solar Calendar ......................................................................................................... 23 The Lunar Calendar ........................................................................................................ 25 Months of the Churches Calendar in General .................................................................... 26 The Month of May: Honoring Virgin Mary ................................................................... 26 The Lunar/Hegira Months ............................................................................................... 27 The specificity of some Lunar/Hegira Months .............................................................. 28 Days of the Week: Their Context and Importance ............................................................. 30 Sunday for Christians ................................................................................................. 31 Friday for Muslims ...................................................................................................... 32 Special Religious Occasions and Holidays, and their Celebrations in Christian and Islamic Religions .................................. 35 .................................................................... The Liturgical Cycle and Holidays in the Christian Religion .................... 36 Christmas and Epiphany ................................................................................................. 37 25 December and 6 January ....................................................................................... 37 Popular Customs and Habits .................................................................................. 39 Epiphany (Theophania or Aldenh) ........................................................................... 43 The New Yeast ....................................................................................................... 43 The Blessing of Water ............................................................................................. 43 The Prostration of the Magi .................................................................................... 44 3 The Blessing of Fruit ............................................................................................... 44 Lent ............................................................................................................................... 45 The Importance of Lent .............................................................................................. 45 Carnival ..................................................................................................................... 46 The Beginning of Lent ................................................................................................ 46 Sundays of Lent ......................................................................................................... 48 Palm Sunday .................................................................................................................. 48 Passion Week .................................................................................................................. 51 Holy Thursday ............................................................................................................ 52 Good Friday ............................................................................................................... 56 Holy Saturday ............................................................................................................ 59 Easter ........................................................................................................................ 59 Al-Ba’uth (Resurrection Procession) ................................................................................. 62 Ascension ...................................................................................................................... 62 Pentecost ....................................................................................................................... 62 Corpus Christi Thursday .................................................................................................. 63 The Exaltation of the Cross .............................................................................................. 64 Holidays and Special Religious Occasions & in Islam ................................. 66 Holidays ......................................................................................................................... 66 The Holy Month of Ramadan and Fasting ................................................................... 67 ‘Id al-Fitr .................................................................................................................... 70 ‘Id al-‘Adha ................................................................................................................ 74 ‘Ushur al-‘Id for the Mouwahidoon (Unitarian) Druze ............................................... 75 Religious Occasions ........................................................................................................ 76 Al-Mawlid al-Nabawi .................................................................................................. 76 The Hegira New Year .................................................................................................. 76 Laylat al-Qadr ............................................................................................................ 77 Al-‘Isra’ wal-Mi’raj ....................................................................................................... 78 ‘Id al-Ghadir ............................................................................................................... 79 Al-Nisf min Sha’ban .................................................................................................... 79 ‘Ashura’ ...................................................................................................................... 80 Remembering Al-‘Awliya’ and the Saints ........................................................ 82 Feasts of Saints in General .............................................................................................. 83 Marian Holy Days ...................................................................................................... 85 Saint Maron’s Day on February 9 ................................................................................. 88 All Saints’ Day ............................................................................................................ 89 All Souls’ Day ............................................................................................................. 89 Remembering al-‘A’immah al-Ma’sumin (the Infallible Imams) and al-‘Awliya’ (the Trusted Ones) ............................................................................................................................