The Customs of Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah falls on the first of Tishri, a Jewish month which falls
in September. It is regarded as a high holy day, on which all normal
activity ceases. Even those Jews who are not particularly observant
will make an effort to attend the synagogue. It is known as Yomim
Norain, or day of awe.
It is a day on which one should show humility to God and acknowledge
that whatever our intentions may be we will descend into sin. On this
day one should become particularly aware of sin, as it is a day for
reflection. It is not intended to be a negative activity, but to
induce positive behavior, as it is very brave to face up to weaknesses
and mistakes
.
Rosh Hashanah is a one-day festival, and is called the New Year
festival. The word Rosh means 'head', and Hashanah means 'year', with
the implication that it is the start of a new year. It is also
referred to as Yom Teruah, the day of the blowing of the horn, or
shofar. Another name for it is Yom Haldim, or Day of Judgement. It
comes from the book of Leviticus, part of the Tenakh-
'In the seventh month, keep the first day as a solemn rest, a memorial
proclaimed with the blasts of horns.'
Preparations for Rosh Hashanah begin in Elul, the month prior to
Tishri, as the customs are extended to Elul. The shofar is sounded in
services, and special prayers called Selicoth, or pardon, are recited.
People go and visit the graces of deceased relatives. It is also the
best time for Tzedakah, or charity. During Elul, all disputes must be
settled.
Rosh Hashanah begins in the evening, as this is the start of the
Jewish day. They have a festive meal, ...
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...stakes. Yom Kippur helps Jews to learn from their past actions, and
show their humility to God. Though it is a solemn day for Jews, they
do not see it as something negative, because they are repenting for
their sins, and trying to erase them. By confessing, and repenting,
the guilt that they may feel for their wrong actions can be erased,
and their conscience cleared.
However, spending a whole day thinking about everything you have done
wrong over a period of a year can be a very daunting idea. It could be
a very destructive action, if one does not go about it in the right
way. Jews see Yom Kippur as something positive, as it is a learning
experience, but if it is not seen as something good, no good can come
of it. If it is carried out with the right attitude and outlook, it
can be a very healthy helpful thing to do.
The Amish Religion and Catholicism are actually quite similar. They both use the bible; both celebrate Holidays relating to Jesus like Christmas, Easter, Good Friday, Pentecost, and the day of Ascension. The Amish have districts, which are similar to different diocese for Catholics; they celebrate communion but only twice a year, and perform baptisms also. A difference is their beliefs on war. Amish believe in peace and pacifism, while Christians will go to war, and believe in the Just War doctrine. Christians also join the world with advances in technology, while the Amish want to stay away from outer influences. Overall there are many similarities that most people would not know about the ideas of the Amish religion compared to Catholicism.
Hanukkah is a religious holiday celebrated by the Jewish, it involves the burning of eight candles, one each day. Some people say that Hanukkah is basically a Jewish Christmas, but its not, no holiday is celebrated is the same way as Hanukkah. Also, what holiday has more than three names, Hanukkah does. Its names are Hanukkah, Chanukah, Festival of Lights, the Feast of Dedication, and the Feast of the Maccabees.
In The Latino Holiday Book: From Cinco de Mayo to Dia de Los Muertos: The Celebrations and Traditions of Hispanic-Americans, by Valerie Menard, there are numerous amounts of traditions and celebrations for Latinos, most separated by the seasons. In the spring, there are the celebrations of Renewal. During the first week of March, Cuban Americans celebrate Calle Ocho, a celebration similar to Mardi Gras. Named after the street called Little Havana, Miami, this celebration is reserved for salsa dancing to merengue and salsa music as well as eating and drinking before Lent, a tradition where one of the Christian faith sacrifices something for a month. While celebrated mostly by Cuban Americans, the ten day celebration has a multicultural crowd from blacks to other Latinos.
historical data as being too easily flawed. It is the very nature of reminiscence that it is
At a surface level the native people of Nacirema are foreign, barbarous, and outlandish. Scenes of cosmetic torture and life-threatening practices instill a sense of recitation and awe in readers of Western values. This is exactly what author, Horace Miner, intended in his essay, Body Ritual Among the Nacirema. His critique of Western culture, specifically the United States, is apparent in several aspects beyond the one-layer deep reverse-spelling of “American”, Nacirema. Miner opens the door for discourse on Eurocentrism by his critiques via extended metaphors of physical vanity, medical obsession, and fixated materialism.¬¬¬
“Body Ritual among the Nacirema” by Horace Miner was a very interesting read. It took me a while to actually, fully understand the meaning of the article. The first time that I read through the article I was dumbfounded on how strange the rituals described in the article were. I genuinely thought that the author was describing a very primitive culture found in a remote area of the Americas and did not have the slightest clue that the author was talking about the American culture found in the United States. Originally, the article made me wonder how, in such an advanced world, there could still be such a primitive culture as the one described in the article. The article “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” by Horace Miner opened my eyes to how another person may look at the American culture and how strange it may seem to them.
No fruitful information On the edge of winter comes November, re-introducing early evenings, brisk air and leafless trees but, before the dormancy of winter settles in, the annual compensation of Thanksgiving brings families and friends together to celebrate life with food. Common on most tables, turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie fill our stomachs and warm our hearts. Each Thanksgiving brings about the recognition of a year’s worth of changes and last Thanksgiving is no exception.
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is a short story depicting an annual event that takes place on the very same day each year in a small town. The reader learns that all residents of the town must attend, including the children. Jackson thoroughly describes the setting and the characters in the story to ensure the reader will not question the importance and significance of this day. As Jackson draws the reader into the event, she purposefully leaves the unspeakable outcome of this lottery drawing until the end. Jackson uses an obsolete and antiquated tradition to expose human evilness and hypocrisy.
“Rituals and Traditions; It Takes a Tribe,” written by David Berreby and “Indians: Textualism, Morality, and the Problem of History” written by Jane Tompkins, both exemplify a typical controversial topic in the United States of America today. The US prides there self on the basis of freedom, and how Americans are made up of individuals with backgrounds from all around the world. Many consider the US to be a “melting pot”, a society where cultures are just blended together and not recognized fully on their own, where as others consider the US to be a “salad bowl”, where people of international cultures hold fast to their traditions and practices and coexist with the cultures around them. Both authors of the readings propose that generally speaking,
Jewish Historical Origin/ Time of Year The Jewish religious tradition of Rosh Hashanah celebrates the birthday of the world and a time of divine judgment. It is then followed by another holiday, called Yom Kippur, ten days later. These two traditions are called the High Holidays. Rosh Hashanah encapsulates four major and interconnected themes, which are: The Jewish New Year, The Day of Shofar Blowing, The Day of Remembrance, and The Day of Judgment (Layton, 2014).
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.
Hinduism is a complex religion that has a variety of beliefs and traditions. In the nineteenth century, the British had to categorize the people living in the region of the Indus River for census purposes thus getting the name Hindus by foreigners. Today they have a preference of being labeled as "Sanatana Dharma (eternal religion)" (Pg 79)
Textbooks in today’s schools still tell the same story that has been handed down from generation to generation. Every year children dress up and put on plays about the famous story of the first Thanksgiving. No one knows the truth though or at least people pretend to not know the embarrassing truth of our “founding fathers.” Textbooks today give the candy coated version of good saintly Englishmen come to a better world and find good neighbors willing to help in their time of need.
The Traditions and Holidays of Great Britain Every nation and every country has its own traditions and customs. Traditions make a nation special. Some of them are old-fashioned and many people remember them, others are part of people’s lives. Some British customs and traditions are known all over the world. From Scotland to Cornwall, Britain is full of customs and traditions.
There are traditions and or rituals that we participate in year after year, even though we have forgotten what the meaning is or where it has come from. Every one of us has experienced some type of ritual or tradition in some form or fashion. Wedding and marriage rituals and traditions also fall true to this. There are different cultures that celebrate in different ways all over the world. There is a tradition for Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and South America, North America and even Caribbean traditions and Oceania traditions. I suppose there is a tradition or ritual for every corner of our world and for every tribe. I have even seen weddings for animals. Everyone seems to be getting into a ceremony! Within all of these different ceremonies, traditions and rituals have changed over the years. To go back hundreds of years ago, some couples did not even know each other when they were to be married, or paired up by the tribes or royal parents to choose the couple that would best suite the family. Just imagine not even meeting the one that you are supposed to marry and spend the rest of your life with until the day of the ceremony. These traditions were kept sacred and carried out just because that is the way that it has always been done. Most wedding ceremonies would consist of the same rituals and traditions that would be carried on down from generations. Most people doesn’t even know what most of the traditions mean. Unfortunately with time, and more modern ways, these rituals are being changed.