National holidays of Israel

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Mövzu: National holidays of Israel
Müəllim: Baxışova Elvina
Tələbə: Alxanlı Alturan

BAKI – 2020

National holidays of Israel

In Judaism, as in other religions, there are weekly, monthly, and annual cycles that believers take into account when building their daily lives.

The holy day for the Jews in the weekly cycle is Saturday (Saturday). It is a day of joy and rest, and today we are instructed to study the Torah, to rest, and to prepare the feast table. Jewish Saturday begins with sunset on Friday evening, according to the generally accepted calendar; the hostess lights candles and says blessings. The whole family and invited guests take part in the holiday table, during which they win wine and two special holiday breads. They usually visit the synagogue on Saturday. The Sabbath ends with the Khawdal ceremony, during which special prayers are recited, fragrances are sprinkled, and a special candle is lit.

Orthodox Jews take the Sabbath very seriously, trying not to violate numerous religious precepts; they don't work, they don't smoke, they don't drive, and so on. The Jewish reformers ignore many of the ancient prohibitions.

The beginning of the next month coincides with the new moon (Rosh-Khodesh) among the Jews. Today, additional prayers are said and another worship service is held in the synagogue. It is forbidden to fast or mourn during the new moon.

In the annual religious cycle of the Jews, the holidays, which embody a special stage in the life of the believer, have a special place. This cycle begins in the fall with the celebration of the new year (Rosh Hashanah). According to the Talmud, Rosh Hashanah is the Day of Judgment for the next year's judgement of God's actions. Today, during the worship of a special synagogue, a horn is blown from a sheep's horn (shofar), and on the first night of the new year sweets - dipped honey, apples or pies are eaten. On the second night, a freshly ripened bar is eaten as a symbol of hope for the abundance of the coming year.

Rosh Hashanah is a symbol of the beginning of 10 days of repentance. These days end with the Day of Atonement (Iom-Kuppur). He should fast in Iom-Kuppur from sunset until the evening of the next day. Many devout Jews do not wear shoes today. According to Jewish tradition, a person can be cleansed of his sins only on the day of Iom-Kuppur after receiving forgiveness for all his sins.
Five worship services are held in the synagogue; At the beginning of the first evening prayer, the most famous synagogue prayer - Kol Nidre - is sounded. Those who pray are called to repent and confess their sins: everyone who enters the synagogue kneels. While the beginning of all Jewish holidays can be celebrated for two days (according to an ancient tradition associated with possible errors on the day of the new moon), Iom-Kuppur is the only holiday that is celebrated for only one day. Iom-Kuppur is completed by the sounds of the driver.

Five days after the day of repentance, the festival of Kushey (Sukkot) begins. It lasts eight days and is ambiguous - agrarian and spiritual-historical. Kushey, an ancient harvest festival, also reminds Jews of their 40-year wanderings in the desert. On the days of sukkot, a light shalash-type building (sukku) decorated with fruits and flowers is built. The Jewish family tries to spend as much time as possible in such a hurry. Every day in Sukkot, a procession of worshipers walks around the synagogue. During the synagogue worship, the believers hold a citrus fruit (etrog) in their hands and shake a bunch of palm, myrtle and badmuk branches.

On the eighth day of the celebration of Sukkot, the annual cycle of Torah recitation ends and a new cycle begins. That is why today is called the Feast of the Torah (Simhat-tora). The merry procession marched through the synagogue seven times; believers hold in their hands valuable passages of the Torah. In the morning prayer, all men are invited to take turns reciting the Torah.

The central Jewish holiday is Easter (Passover). Today, Jews all over the world celebrate their liberation from Egyptian bondage. Only sweet bread (matsu) is allowed during the eight days of the festival. That is why Easter is sometimes called Opresnok. On one of the first two days of Easter, the whole family participates in a special Easter table (cedar) with guests. In addition to matsu, the Easter table must contain bitter herbs, charoset (a mixture of grated apples, goose and wine), eggs, mutton, vegetables, and a bowl of salt water. The host tells the story of his departure from Egypt and accompanies his speech with explanations. Those at the table are praying and drinking four glasses of wine. The Sedera ceremony includes the recitation of blessings and the singing of religious songs. Festive prayers are held in the synagogue on Easter days.

Easter has long been considered an agricultural holiday. This marked the beginning of the harvest. Seven weeks after Easter (May and June), the Feast of Sedmits begins. Although Easter was an agrarian holiday for the ancient Jews (the end of the harvest), over time it acquired a historical and spiritual meaning; it is associated with the attainment of the Law on Mount Sinai. In many communities, on the first evening of Shavuot, the Old Testament is read, and devout Jews read the Bible and the Talmud all night. In many communities, it is this day that boys and girls reach adulthood. In addition to the main holidays, there are other "small" holidays in Judaism. In particular, two holidays are celebrated, which are full of great joy and gratitude to God. During the winter festival of light (Hanukkah), the Jews remember their victory over the Greeks in the second century BC and the cleansing of the temple in Jerusalem. On each of the eight days of Hanukkah, the next candle is lit in a special eight-candle chandelier (menore). Religious hymns are sung, children play fun games (primarily spinning-drill). These days, merry banquets are organized and gifts are exchanged.