Jewish Student Weekly

The nature and reason behind some of the festivals celebrated by Jews are different and hence they may be referred to as good day or fast or festival.

The Jewish New Year is called Rosh-ha-Shanah in which God sees the deeds of a person through the past year and gives a judgement for the coming year. According to Judaism the world was finally created on this day and two days together form Rosh-ha-Shanah. It is considered by Jews to be one long day

There is a festival called Yom Kippur where all Jews pray to God to atone for the sins they have committed. It is a day of fasting where people fast from sundown until night falls on the next day. Bathing, drinking, eating and conjugal relations are not allowed on this day and it ends with the breaking of the fast in the night.

The time between the two above days are the ten days during which a person is supposed to review his acts over the past year, atone for them. Fasting and praying is also done and people confess before God to repent for their sins.

One of the most important Jewish festivals is Hanukkah which is also knows as the festival of lights. It is the most well known festival among non-Jews and is celebrated to mark the defeat of the Seleuicid Empire who had come in the way of the people of Israel practicing Judaism.  Only the non-orthodox Jews celebrate this festival as the orthodox believe that it is insignificant.

A very important day for all Jews is Shabbat or Sabbath. Every week one day is taken as a day of rest and treated as a holiday. This Friday night to Saturday night is the Jewish Shabbat which is the most important holy day for Jews the world over.