Jewish Festivals and Celebrations

PesachMeaning of name?

When does it take place?

What is it celebrating?

How is it celebrated?

Passover

At the beginning

of Spring

Freedom from

slavery in Egypt

The exit and

rush for a new home

With a ritual

meal called “sedar”

The Sedar celebrates Jews freedom from Egypt

Each item on the table is a reminder of their liberation

ShabbatMeaning of name?

When does it take place?

What is it celebrating?

How is it celebrated?

Holy days of

Sabbath

Every Friday at

sundown until Saturday at sundown

The 4th

Commandment“keep the Sabbath day”

Dinner with

family Prayer Reading the

Torah NO WORK!!!(the extent depends on what type of Judaism is practiced)

SukkotMeaning of name?

When does it take place?

What is it celebrating?

How is it celebrated?

Booths = name

cam from the huts that they built in the desert during the Exodus

Sukkot takes

place in the fall and represents a time of rejoicing at the harvest

The Hebrews

dependence on God when they were in the desert and dependence on the harvest

On the last

day of Sukkot they complete the annual reading of the Torah

A new cycle

begins

HanukkahMeaning of name? When does it take

place?What is it celebrating?

How is it celebrated?

It recalls the

fight for political independence under the Maccabees

The Maccabees win back the temple but there is only enough oil to light a lamp for one night…the miracle is that it lasted 8 nights!

In December Has become a gift

giving time because it falls in line with the Christian celebration of Christmas

Political

independence under Maccabees

8 candles are

lit for 8 successive nights

A time for gift

giving and retelling of the story