Holidays in Judaism

    I believe that there should be excused days off of school and work for students and employees with any type of religious holiday. It is their time to celebrate and pray with their family. It is unfair that we acknowledge Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter, but fail to acknowledge Jewish holidays like Passover or Yom Kippur. I believe this is because of a lack of education on these holidays and their role in Jewish culture. This blog will help inform you of their prominence in Judaism.

    There are major holidays or celebrations in Jewish religion; Passover, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Passover, the first of the 3, (based off the calendar year) commemorates the liberation of the Children of Israel after they were led out of slavery by Moses. Passover always begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, which in 2021 falls on March 27th. The celebration lasts 8 days. Families eat large meals or feasts together while recounting the story as narrated in the Haggadah. The house must be cleaned from top to bottom to rid the house of any chametz. There are numerous other procedures and rules, such as the first born male must fast on the day, the meal must be eaten in a specific order, and there must be special readings at the synagogue each day. Passover is unique because of it's length, it lasts 8 days in total.

    Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year festival. Unlike many other culture's new years, it celebrates the creation of the world. It is a celebration that lasts 2 days. It also begins the Days of Repentance, which builds until Yom Kippur, the final days of the celebration. Rosh Hashanah also has a Judgement Day, when God balances someone's good deeds of the previous year, with the bad deeds and decides what he next year will look like. There are also special services at the Synagogue. The holiday serves to remind of God's great power.

    The 3rd major holiday of Judaism, Yom Kippur closes the Days of Repentance. God makes his final decision for what the next year will look like for everyone. They spend almost the entire day in the Synagogue praying alongside family. Everyone is expected to fast from food and drink for 25 hours. People do the Kol Nidre prayer. This is believed to be an extremely powerful prayer to God. Not only are you supposed to fast, but there are 5 total prohibitions on Yom Kippur; eating or drinking, bathing, anointing the body with oil, wearing leather shoes, and sexual relations. The holiday begins at sundown and lasting for 25 hours.

    These 3 holidays, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur are vital parts of Judaism. Jewish people, whether at work or in school, should be given excused absences to do their rituals and celebrate alongside loved ones. Christians are given breaks for their major holidays, why can't Jewish people, and for that matter, anyone wishing to celebrate a major religious holiday should be given a leave of absence to spend the holiday with family.