One of the major Jewish holidays is Passover. This holiday commemorates the Jew’s liberation from slavery in Egypt, which is told in the book of Exodus. The word Passover comes from the idea that God passed over the houses of the Israelites when the firstborn sons of the Egyptians were killed. The Jews marked their doorsteps with lamb’s blood to signify that they were children of God. Passover is celebrated each spring for eight days during the month of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar.
About 3000 years ago, the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians. They were forced to do hard work with little food, and they had no freedoms. Moses was commanded by God to lead the Jews out of slavery. Moses asked the Pharaoh to free the Jews. Each time he refused, and a plague fell on the Egyptians. After the tenth plague, in which the firstborn in every Egyptian house dies, the Pharaoh agreed to let the Jews go. They wandered in exile for forty years before they found their promised land.
Passover is celebrated by Jews all over the world to remember the first momentous event in Jewish history. This year, Passover begins on April 20th. The most important night is the first night. On the first night, a special family meal called the Seder is held. Symbolic foods, such as matzo, are eaten during the Seder. Matzo is unleavened bread, which is eaten because the Jews had to leave Egypt so fast that they didn’t have time to wait for their bread to rise. The meal is preceded by prayers and songs from the Haggadah. The Haggadah tells the story of Passover, and each person at the table reads from it.
During the Seder it is traditional for the youngest child to ask four questions. The answers to these questions give the meaning of Passover. The Passover ceremony includes the drinking of wine. One cup of wine is set aside for the prophet Elijah.
Servitude is a usual part of African ritual. Tribes would often use trade to obtain slaves by going to the head chief and trading for livestock. Not only did various tribes trade with the people of their countries, but with the Europeans of other nationalities as well. There were times that tribes would go to war and keep chiefs and prisoners of war were kept as slaves, to trade with European countries. Many times slaves were sold due to being punished, or to rape and other various crimes.
This is the most significant time of the Jewish year, as it marks the chance for repentance and forgiveness in the eyes of God. During the High Holidays, Jews cleanse their souls and get the chance to start fresh with an unburdened conscience and the intention of doing better in the coming year (Layton, 2014). Before Rosh Hashanah begins, members of this Jewish tradition make amends for the wrong doing that may have occurred during the previous year. Rosh Hashanah allows for reflection and setting forth a path of ethical and spiritual purity for the New Year (Rosh Hashanah, 2014). The phrase Rosh Hashanah literally translates to "Head of the Year."
Of all the Jewish holidays, the most sanctified is the time of the Jewish New Year. This is a very solemn time and enlightening celebration. The celebration of Rosh Hashanah is a time where an appreciation for the creation of the universe, creatures, and even humanity are reflected upon. The Jewish people personally analyze individual faults and this is when we the positive and negative aspects of the year are thought about. The preparation to better oneself is the main idea of this holiday because Jews want to be forgiven so they can live happy and confidently.
Becoming a slave was terrible; someone was either born a slave or kidnapped. When slavery first started, white Europeans went into Africa and kidnapped African Americans. As the years went on this process became too difficult for the Europeans, so they established hundred of trading station along Africa’s West Coast. Local African rulers and black merchants delivered the captured people to the posts and them sell as slaves.
Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah heads the year of Jewish festivals and. traditions. The. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and is usually celebrated for two days in September or October, depending on the weather. when it falls in the Hebrew calendar.
In Colonial America indentured slavery happen gradually. The colony of Virginia was one place the “terrible transformation” took place. There were Africans and poor whites that came from English working class, black and whites worked side by side in the fields. They were all indentured servants as servants they were fed and housed. After their time was served, they were given “freedom dues,” with that came a piece of land and supplies. Black and whites became free. The English would not enslave non-Christians slaves; they could be set freed by converting to Christianity (PBS Online, nd).
Here in the United States of America on the forth Thursday in November each year we, as a nation and as individual families, celebrate Thanksgiving. For most Americans we bring out our best dishes and have an enormous meal with turkey, dressing, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie. Families gather together, we eat until we are stuffed, we play games and watch football, but why? Have we lost the true meaning behind the beginning our nation? We have our tradition but somehow we have lost them important meaning of the treacherous start of a nation. Like various other cultures that have a celebration of thanks the Jews have a Passover celebration with rich family meal inundated with tradition and meaning. They have not forgotten why they celebrate. The hardship that they endured and the pivotal point in the transformation of their freedom to a better life is vividly remembered with Passover each year and passed down from generation to generation. If we reincorporate the true story of thanksgiving into our celebrations, we should be able to ensure a change in ourselves and our families to come together and become a stronger nation.
The Simchat Torah, also known as the "Joy of the Torah", is a Jewish holiday that celebrate 's the completion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and sets the beginning of a new cycle. It is a joyous day in which celebrates the Jewish love for the Torah and its studies. The Simchat Torah is celebrated on the second day of Shemini Atzeret, which follows immediately after the eight-day festival of Sukkot. It is an annual custom that is observed on the 22nd to 23rd of Tishrei, in which this year lands on the 24th of October. Beginning at sunset, it is celebrated by removing all the Torah scrolls out of the ark in the synagogue and spend the evening singing, dancing, and rejoicing. Then,
In the beginning of slavery, it has been recorded in history that 20 enslaved Africans were delivered to a colony in Jamestown, Virginia. The people of the English colony need them to establish a system of labor exploitation.
The Jewish people's problems began long before the Common Era; they were persecuted long ago by King Nebuchadnezzer. Because of the treaty that was signed with King Nebuchadnezzer the Jews were uprooted from their home in Jerusalem and were forced into exile in the city of Babylon. The Jews were not treated poorly, though they were bitter because of being taken away form their beloved Jerusalem. Due to this bitterness they became more intensely Jewish than ever before. (1)
The act of slavery was widespread around the globe, seen in places like: the Sumerian society; Greece; the central Nigerian Society, Nupe; and of the course, the United States (Ember). Although slavery was common in all of these places, what differed is how the slaves were obtained and maintained. One of the earliest documented history of slavery dates back to 3000 B.C. in the Sumerian society (Ember). Since this society was very complex, slaves were common in Sumer. The slaves were often captives brought back from war. This way of ...
The Babylonian Exile or Captivity was a forced exodus of the Jews to Babylon. This was known as the ultimate punishment for the people of Israel because of their inability to uphold the covenant with YHWH. The exile began from a revolt in Judah that led to conquest by the Babylonians in 598 B.C.E. The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, the Holy City for the people of Judah, was the aftermath of this happening. About twenty thousand citizens were deported to Babylon where they resided for approximately seventy years. When the Babylonians were conquered by the Persians under Cyrus, the people of Judah were allowed safe return back to Jerusalem, given a free degree of self-rule. The Exile had the effect of reminding the Jews of the importance in keeping the covenant with YHWH as it brought about identity changes, reestablishment of community life and distinction of religion.
Jewish families celebrate Passover to commemorate the freedom and exodus of the Israelites (Jewish slaves) from Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II. When the Pharaoh Ramses II freed the Israelites, they fled so quickly that there wasn't time to bake their breads. Instead the Israelites packed the raw dough, which they quickly baked in the hot sun into hard crackers called Matzohs as they fled through the desert. The exodus of the Israelites took place over 3000 years ago, but the Israelites were not the first to harness solar power for cooking, neither were they the last. Solar cooking has had a long rich history and has important implication for the future. Solar cooking is an important link in understanding the sun’s power, is a sink of innovation and technology, is widely applicable around the world, has social, economic and ecological benefits, and is the answer to some of the world’s biggest natural resource shortages. Although, solar cooking is an industry that has yet to be revolutionized into an efficient home appliance, therefore, there are many avenues for innovation and technological advancement to be explored.
Semana Santa is primarily to celebrate the death of Christ. They take this week to commemorate his death and to confess their sins. They value the thought of suffering and sacrifice. The holiday was started in 1521 when Marqués de Tarifa came back from the Holy Land to Spain. He established the Via Crusis or Stations of the Cross. This started the celebrations of Semana Santa and the holiday has evolved greatly over the years.
Some Easter customs have come from this and other pre-Christian spring festivals. Others come from the Passover feast of the Jews, observed in memory of their deliverance from Egypt. Formerly, Easter and the Passover were closely associated. The resurrection of Jesus took place during the Passover. Christians of the Eastern church initially celebrated both holidays together.