Judaism
1) Purim- commemorates the deliverance from Haman's plot to annihilate all the Jews of the Persian Empire. As described in the Book of Esther.
2)
Pesach- commemorates the Exodus
and freedom of the Israelites from ancient
Egypt. As described in the Book of Exodus, Passover
marks the "birth" of the Children of Israel who become the Jewish nation, as the
Jews' ancestors were freed from being slaves of Pharaoh and
allowed to become followers of God instead.
3)
Lag B’Omer- The
origins of the holiday begin with the time of Rabbi Akiva. The Talmud (Yevamot 62:2)
states that 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva's students died
from a mysterious divine-sent plague. The Talmud then goes on to say that this
was because they did not show proper respect to one another, befitting their
level. Jews celebrate Lag Ba’Omer as the traditional
day that this plague ended.
4)
Shavuot- It marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer and the day the Torah was given at Mount Sinai. It is one of the three Biblical pilgrimage festivals (shalosh regalim)
mandated by the Torah.
5)
Rosh
Hashanah- rabbinic literature and the liturgy itself
describe Rosh Hashanah as "The Day of Judgment" (Yom ha-Din)
and "The Day of Remembrance" (Yom ha-Zikkaron).
Some midrashic descriptions depict God as sitting upon a throne, while books
containing the deeds of all humanity are opened for review, and each person
passing in front of Him for evaluation of his or her deeds.
6)
Yom Kippur- is the Day of Atonement. The day
is commemorated with a 25-hour fast and intensive prayer.
7)
Sukkoth- is the plural of the Hebrew
word sukkah, meaning booth or hut. During this
holiday, Jews are instructed to construct a temporary structure in which to eat
their meals, entertain guests, relax, and even sleep. The sukkah
is reminiscent of the type of huts in which the ancient Israelites
dwelt during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from
8)
Shmini Atzeret- literally the "Eighth Day of
Assembly". "Seven"
-- represented by the seven days of Sukkot -- is the
world of nature. "Eight" -- represented by Shmini
Atzeret -- is that which is beyond nature. “The Jewish people, says the Talmud, are
beyond nature. We have survived every imaginable persecution, exile, hardship
and expulsion. And still, we have achieved and thrived far beyond our numbers.”
(www.aish.com)
9)
Simchas Torah- means "rejoicing with the Torah". The
annual cycle of reading the Torah is completed and begun anew
10) Chanukah- The holiday was called Hanukka
meaning "dedication" because it marks the re-dedication of the
11) Shabbat- which literally means "to cease," with the implication of "ceasing from work." This clarifies the often-asked theological question of why God needed to "rest" on the seventh day of Creation according to Genesis. When it is understood that God "ceased" from his labor rather than "rested" from his labor, the usage is more consistent with the Biblical view of an omnipotent God who does not "rest."
Islam
1)
Ramadan- The
ninth month of the Muslim calendar. Commemorates the month in which the Qur’an
was revealed to Muhammed. Observance involves prayer
and abstention from food, drink, smoking, and sex, from sunrise to sundown.
2)
Laylat Al-Qadr (27th night of Ramadan) - Night of
Power. The night when the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet.
3)
Eid Al-Fitr- Feast of Fast Breaking. The three days
immediately following the month of Ramadan.
4)
Eid Al-Adha- a
commemoration of Ibrahim's (Abraham's)
willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael for Allah.
5)
Yom Ashura- This
day is well-known because of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson
of the Islamic prophet Muhammad at the
Battle of Karbala in the year 61 AH
(AD 680). Furthermore Sunni
Muslims believe that Moses fasted on that day to express gratitude to God for liberation of
Israelites from Egypt. According to Sunni Muslim tradition,
Muhammad
fasted on this day and asked other people to fast.[1][2]
6)
Milad An-Nabi- is the celebration of the birthday of Muhammad, which
muslims believe is the final prophet sent by Allah to
the Earth; also known as "The Seal of the Prophets".
7)
Jumu'ah- is a congregational prayer (salat)
that Muslims
hold every Friday, just after noon. It replaces the dhuhr
prayer performed on other days of the week.