Which holy day is the most important in judaism

A day devoted to self—examination, and the chance to begin the New Year with a clean slate. A celebration of the fall harvest, this holiday also commemorates the time when the Hebrews dwelt in the Sinai wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. A festival celebrating liberation from oppression, freedom of worship, and finding light in the darkest of times.

A day celebrating the saving of the Jews from a diabolical plot of destruction, as recounted in the Book of Esther. A festival of freedom that marks the Hebrew exodus from Egypt long ago. The day Jews all over the world mourn the loss of six million Jewish lives lost during the Holocaust.

The celebration of the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people, also known as the Festival of First Fruits. Rosh Hashanah The Jewish New Year—a holiday observed with festive meals and a day spent in prayer or quiet meditation. Sukkot A celebration of the fall harvest, this holiday also commemorates the time when the Hebrews dwelt in the Sinai wilderness on their way to the Promised Land.

Those who take the biblical commandment literally will even spend the nights of Sukkot in the sukkah. Sukkot is a celebration of the harvest. This is symbolised by arba'at ha-minim the four species , a special bouquet made of palm leaves, myrtle, willow branches and yellow citron. On Sukkot this bouquet is waved in all directions to thank God for the harvest. On the eighth day of Sukkot, Jews celebrate what is known as Shemini Atzeret, the end holiday of Sukkot, which marks the beginning of winter.

In addition to other prayers, the Yizkor, a memorial prayer for the departed, is recited. The holiday season concludes with Simchat Torah, a joyful holiday to celebrate the conclusion of the annual cycle of Torah readings, which means that the entirety of the five books of Moses has been read in the Shabbat morning prayers and a new reading cycle can start.

This transition is cheerfully celebrated at the synagogue: All Torah scrolls are taken out of the Aron Kodesh, the Torah ark where they are stored, and carried around the synagogue and sometimes also outdoors, while worshippers leave their seats to dance and sing.

Traditionally, many children participate in the ceremony and are presented with lavish amounts of sweets. Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, brightens the dark winter season. The term "Hanukkah" means "consecration" and stands for the rededication of the Temple following the Maccabean victory over the Hellenes around the year BCE. This gave the Jewish community enough time to press new consecrated oil.

The festival is observed for eight nights and days by lighting one additional candle of the menorah every evening until, on the last day, there are eight candles burning plus the shamash "attendant" , a special candle which is used to light the other candles. The menorah is placed in the window of the home so that it can be seen from outside and bear witness to the miracle of Hanukkah.

The ritual candle-lighting is accompanied by blessings and Hanukkah songs. Traditionally, fatty food is served to commemorate the oil miracle. This includes latkes potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts known as sufganiyot.

Children are presented with chocolate coins and play with the dreidel, a four-sided spinning top with Hebrew letters on each side nun, gimel, hei, shin , which stand for the sentence "nes gadol haya sham" "a great miracle happened there". The rules of the game are as follows: nuts, chocolate coins or similar sweets are distributed among the players and some are put into the centre of the table.

If the dreidel lands on nun, you do not get anything; if it lands on gimel, you win everything in the pot; if the dreidel lands on hei, you collect half the pieces in the pot and if it lands on shin, you have to put everything you have into the pot. On Tu BiShvat, which is celebrated in January or February, the first trees, especially almond trees, are already blossoming in Israel. There are various traditions associated with this holiday, all of them involving fruits and flowers.

Traditionally, typical dried fruits from Israel are eaten such as dates, apricots, figs, raisins and locust beans. In the late 19th century, a new tradition of planting trees to mark the beginning of spring developed in Israel.

Purim is a holiday to commemorate Queen Esther saving the Jewish people in Persia. The story is recounted in the Megillat Ester Esther scroll. The influential royal vizier Haman planned to kill all the Jews in Persia, whom he regarded as enemies. Through skilful diplomacy, the Jewish Queen Esther managed to thwart his plan. She persuaded her husband, King Ahasuerus, to allow the Jews to defend and thus rescue themselves. Every year on Purim, this story is read out in the synagogue.

Traditionally, children and adults wear colourful costumes and there is a joyful party. Whenever the name of the villain Haman is mentioned during the recital, the members of the congregation shake rattles to drown out his name in the noise.

On Purim, quite a lot of alcohol is drunk because the commandment stipulates that one should drink until one is no longer able to distinguish between Haman the villain and Mordechai the hero. The food traditionally served on Purim includes not only many sweets but also oznei Haman or hamantashen, which are shortbread triangles filled with poppy seed, chocolate or jam.

It commemorates the exodus of the children of Israel from Egyptian slavery. Since they fled unexpectedly, the Israelites did not have time to leaven their bread dough. This is why matzah, or unleavened bread, is a symbol of this holiday. During the eight days of Passover, it is forbidden to even possess leaven or leavened food chametz , especially baked goods containing yeast or leaven. To comply with this commandment, homes are thoroughly cleaned and all food that is not kosher for Passover is either given away or sold.

Passover begins with the evening of the first seder, when the story of the exodus from Egypt the Haggadah is retold and families gather for a festive dinner. Religious Jews heed additional restrictions on bathing, washing, using cosmetics, wearing leather shoes and sexual relations. These prohibitions are intended to prevent worshippers from focusing on material possessions and superficial comforts.

Because the High Holy Day prayer services include special liturgical texts, songs and customs, rabbis and their congregations read from a special prayer book known as the machzor during both Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. Five distinct prayer services take place on Yom Kippur, the first on the eve of the holiday and the last before sunset on the following day.

One of the most important prayers specific to Yom Kippur describes the atonement ritual performed by high priests during ancient times. On Yom Kippur, a single long blast is sounded at the end of the final service to mark the conclusion of the fast. Pre-Yom Kippur feast: On the eve of Yom Kippur, families and friends gather for a bountiful feast that must be finished before sunset.

The idea is to gather strength for 25 hours of fasting. Breaking of the fast: After the final Yom Kippur service, many people return home for a festive meal. It traditionally consists of breakfast-like comfort foods such as blintzes, noodle pudding and baked goods. Wearing white: It is customary for religious Jews to dress in white—a symbol of purity—on Yom Kippur. Some married men wear kittels, which are white burial shrouds, to signify repentance.

Charity: Some Jews make donations or volunteer their time in the days leading up to Yom Kippur. The chicken or money is then given to the poor. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. Rosh Hashanah commemorates The eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during the second century B.