A Day of Atonement
One of the most important holidays in Judaism is, Yom Kippur, which means “the day of covering” (Molly). It is considered as the holiest holi(day) of the year, the day in which people are the closest to God (Chabad). There are many steps and rituals that are performed before celebrating Yom Kippur, as well as during the holiday. During this day, people are able to repent for their sins, to change the path that they have chosen, as well as the last appeal, before God passes judgment (Rich). This Jewish holiday is different than others due to the fact it is considered the holiest holiday of the year; there are five (seven) prayer services that are held during it, the five prayer services take up a whole day.
In addition to being known as the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur’s has said to have derived from the word parallel word redeem from Psalm 49:7 (Parsons). Yom Kippur is celebrated for almost 26 hours, and during those 26 hours, people are not allowed to; drink, eat, wash their bodies, wearing leather on their feet, as well as being intimate with their significant other (Chabad). It is also considered as a Sabbath, but during this time, no work at all is allowed (Rich). During this time, prayers are said using the prayer book the Machzor, which is only used during this holiday and Rosh Hashanah (Rich).
Before Yom Kippur starts, people perform the Kaparot atonement; during this time people ask to receive honey cake, which shows acknowledgement of being recipients of God (Chabad). During this, one is able to prayer a prosperous year to come, as well as doing more charity acts. In the late afternoon before Yom Kippur, people eat the pre-fast meal, which is followed by blessing their children, as well as lighting ...
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...r the portion of repentance a portion is devoted for people to retell the stories of some of the early Jewish sages, and how the martyred their selves. The service ends with the “Araonic benediciton” (Parsons).
Works Cited
Chabad. What is Yom Kippur? - The holiest day of the year. Fasting and atonement, solemnity and joy . . . 2013. 01 Novemeber 2013 http://www.chabad.org/holidays/JewishNewYear/template_cdo/aid/177886/jewish/What-is-Yom-Kippur.htm
Molly, Michael. Experiencing the World's Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2013.
Parsons, John J. What is Yom Kippur? - The holiest day of the year. Fasting and stonement, solemnity and joy. 01 November 2013 http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Fall_Holidays/Yom_Kippur/yom_kippur.html
Rich, Tracey R. Yom Kippur. 2011. 01 Novemeber 2013
http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday4.htm
Judaism is one of the oldest religious practices all over the world. It literally gave a start to two the most popular religions nowadays: Islam and Christianity. It seems that everybody must be familiar with the basics of this religion, though it is not true. The majority of people know only a few attributes or ceremonies that Judaism is using until modern times, such as Menorah (the candelabrum with seven branches), Star of David (traditionally known as the symbol of Judaism) and, let’s say, the Bar Mitzvah ceremony. What people are missing (apart from the associations) is how truly symbolic all of them are in the practice of Judaism. Bar or Bat Mitzvah, for example, present practically the basis of Jewish culture and religion. The idea of how and why it became so important is what we will try to look through.
The Jewish religious tradition of Rosh Hashanah celebrates the birthday of the world and a time of divine judgment. It is then followed by another holiday, called Yom Kippur ten days later. These two traditions are called the High Holidays. Rosh Hashanah encapsulates four major and interconnected themes, which are: The Jewish New Year, The Day of Shofar Blowing, The Day of Remembrance, and The Day of Judgment (Layton, 2014). This is the most significant time in the Jewish year, as it marks the chance for repentance and forgiveness in the eyes of God. During the High Holidays, Jews cleanse their soul and get the chance to start fresh with an unburdened conscience and the intention of doing better in the coming year (Layton, 2014).
The Holocaust or the Ha-Shoah in Hebrew meaning ‘the day of the Holocaust and heroism’ refers to the period of time from approximately January 30,1933, when Adolf Hitler became the legal official of Germany, to May 8,1945. After the war was over in Europe, the Jews in Europe were being forced to endure the horrifying persecution that ultimately led to the slaughter of over 6 million Jews with about 1.5 million of them being children as well as the demolition of 5,000 Jewish communities.
birthday of the world. according to Jewish tradition, all peoples and nations are judged on Rosh Hashanah, not just Jews.
Smith, Huston. World’s Religions: A Guide to our Wisdom Traditions. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1994.
Smith, Huston. The Illustrated World's Religions: A Guide to Our Wisdom Traditions. San Francisco: Harper SanFrancisco, 1994. Print.
...as a very important day. Diwali; the word itself meaning “row of lights,” is another prominent Hindu holiday and occurs on what we know as New Year Eve—December 31st. It is a festival lights in which last for a five days. The lighting of candles signifies the welcoming of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Gambling is a norm on Diwali as it is seen as a way of assuring good luck for the upcoming year. The fourth day of Diwali is especially significant as it is the beginning of the lunar month of Karttika. On this particular day many celebrate religious customs to signify the New Year according to the Vikrama calendar (“Religion Facts,”n.p).
Oxtoby, Willard G., and Alan F. Segal. A Concise Introduction to World Religions. Oxford, Canada: Oxford University Press, 2007.
This holiday is an annual event meant to celebrate and commemorate the departed. Day of the Dead is celebrated on first two days of November and is a day in which the dead spirits return to Earth to visit their loved
Every religion embodies a plethora of recognized rituals that are significant to its teachings. Customs exclusive to each religion can include acts such as: attending a weekly mass, praying five times a day at specified hours, celebrating the transition from childhood to manhood, along with endless others. The similarity shared amongst all religious rituals is that the follower of faith must believe whole-heartedly in what he/she is doing or saying. Dhikr, or the remembrance of God, is a ritual based in Islam that does not receive the attention it deserves from mainstream Muslims, and is highly under appreciated for its value (Robson 238). Its myriad versions allow it to be very personal, whereas other rituals are more structured, which is
Eastman, Roger. The Ways of Religion: An Introduction to the Major Traditions. Third Edition. Oxford University Press. N.Y. 1999
...fter Rosh Hashanah by fasting and praying all day. Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish year. Every Saturday of the week is called Shabbat and is described as the day that God used as a day to rest after creating the world. There are also three traditional “Pilgrimage festivals”. Passover and season of rejoicing are both eight-day fruit harvested festival that celebrate Israelites success while Festival of weeks is a wheat-harvest festival that commemorates God’s revelation of the Torah on Mount Sinai. In the modern state of Israel a few other national Holidays are acknowledged to commemorate a historical event. These holidays include Jerusalem day, Independence Day, Memorial Day, and day of the Shoah. Day of the Shoah or Yom Hashoah is remembrance of the six million Jews killed during the Holocaust. 50-70% of the victims of the Holocaust were Orthodox Jews.
Hopfe, L. M., & Woodward, M. R. (2007). Religions of the World (10th ed.) New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Confession is one of the most challenging sacraments to engage in on a psychological level. It is often painful because it infers that one has done something wrong and it asks one to examine their lives and the mistakes they have made during it. However, integrated into to the Sacrament of Reconciliation is forgiveness. The peace and comfort given by confession outweigh the pain and guilt experienced be before it. The three main aspects of Reconciliation I will focus on is guilt, confessing, and forgiveness. I will show how man is naturally inclined to the aspect, how the aspect ties into the sacrament, and the benefits of partaking in the sacrament.
Easter is a religious holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his death by crucifixion about 2,000 years ago. For Christians, Easter is a day of religious services and the gathering of family. In many churches Easter comes after a season of prayer, abstinence, and fasting called Lent. This is observed in memory of the 40 days' fast of Christ in the desert. In Eastern Orthodox churches Lent is 50 days. In Western Christen religions Lent is observed for six weeks and four days.