What are Judaism festivals?

Answer 1

Starting from January: Jan: the birthday of the trees (Tu B'Shvat) Mar:Purim Apr:Passover (Pesach) May: Israel's birthday (Yom Ha'Atzmaut), Shavuot Sep: Jewish New Year (Rosh HaShanah) Sep and Oct: Sukkot Oct: Finish reading the Jewish Torah (Simchah Torah) Dec: Festival of lights (Chanuka)

The complete list of Jewish holidays is:

Tu B'Shevat

Fast of Esther

Purim

Pesach (Passover)

Lag B'Omer

Shavuot

Fast of Tish'a B'Av

Rosh Hashanah

Fast of Gedaliah

Yom Kippur

Sukkot

Hoshanah Rabbah

Shemini Atzeret

Simchat Torah

Channukah

Shabbat (every Friday sundown to Saturday sundown)

Answer 2

Pesach/Passover, in the spring, commemorates the exodus of the Jewish People from Egypt.

Shavuot is 50 days from the second day of Passover, commemorating the day God gave the Torah.

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year, at the very end of the summer.

Yom Kippur is a week later, and is called the day of atonement. We are supposed to fast and pray and make peace with anyone who we've wronged and then our sins are forgiven.

Sukkot is in the fall, and we move out of the house to live in a hut to commemorate God's protection of the Jews from the elements in the wilderness. It is also a reminder of our belief that everything in this world is temporary.

Hanukkah, in the winter, commemorates the success of the revolt of the Maccabees which led to the Temple being returned to them, and a miracle that took place then when the oil of the menorah in the newly recaptured lasted for seven extra days.

Purim, at the end of the winter, is a celebration of the story of Esther, when the Jews were saved from a threat to wipe out the entire Jewish People.

_________

Correction: Channukah is a minor holiday during which we are allowed to work.

Answer 3

Judaism has many holidays and Holy Days. The main holy days are:

1 Rosh Hashanah - The Jewish New Year

2 Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement

3 Sukkot - Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles)

4 Pesach - Passover

5 Shavuot - Feast of Weeks - Yom HaBikurim

The holiest day on the calendar is Shabbat (The Sabbath) which occurs every Friday night at sundown to Saturday night at sundown.

This is a list of most of the major holidays and minor festivals:

1 Rosh Hashanah - The Jewish New Year

2 Aseret Yemei Teshuva - Ten Days of Repentance

3 Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement

4 Sukkot - Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles)

5 Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

6 Hanukkah - Festival of Lights

7 Tenth of Tevet

8 Tu Bishvat - New Year of the Trees

9 Purim - Festival of Lots

10 Pesach - Passover

11 Sefirah - Counting of the Omer

12 Lag Ba'omer

13 Shavuot - Feast of Weeks - Yom HaBikurim

14 Seventeenth of Tammuz

15 The Three Weeks and the Nine Days

16 Tisha B'av - Ninth of Av

17 Rosh Chodesh - the New Month

18 Shabbat - The Sabbath

19 Yom HaShoah - Holocaust Remembrance day

20 Yom Hazikaron - Memorial Day

21 Yom Ha'atzmaut - Israel Independence Day

22 Yom Yerushalaim - Jerusalem Day

Answer 4

A Jewish holiday or festival is a day or series of days observed by Jews as a holy or secular commemoration of an important event in Jewish history. In Hebrew, Jewish holidays and festivals, depending on their nature, may be called yom tov ("good day"). A "Yom Tov" has similar obligations and restrictions to the Sabbath (Shabbat), with the exception that you can cook, carry, and transfer fire (from a pre-existing flame). The origins of various Jewish holidays generally can be found in Biblical "mitzvot" (commandments), rabbinical mandate, and modern Israeli history.

The main religious festivals for Jewish people are:

Rosh Hashanah: (The Jewish New Year) Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year, day of memorial and the day of judgment, in which God judges each person individually according to their deeds, and makes a decree for the following year. The holiday is characterized by the special mitzvah of blowing the shofar. According to the Torah, however, this is the first day of the seventh month of the calendar year that marks the beginning of a ten day count to Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) considered by Jews to be the holiest and most solemn day of the year. Its central theme is atonement and reconciliation. Eating, drinking, bathing, anointing with oil, and marital relations are forbidden. Fasting begins at sundown, and ends after nightfall the following day.

Sukkot , the Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles) a 7-day festival, also known as the Feast of Booths, the Feast of Tabernacles, or just Tabernacles. It is one of the three pilgrimage festivals mentioned in The Bible. The word sukkot is the plural of the Hebrew word sukkah, meaning booth. Jews are commanded to "dwell" in booths during the holiday. This generally means taking meals, but some sleep in the sukkah as well. There are specific rules for constructing a sukkah.

Simchat Torah- means "rejoicing with the Torah". It actually refers to a special ceremony which takes place on the holiday of Shemini Atzeret. This holiday immediately follows the conclusion of the holiday of Sukkot. In Israel, Shemini Atzeret is one day long and includes the celebration of Simchat Torah. Outside Israel, Shemini Atzeret is two days long and Simchat Torah is observed on the second day, which is often referred to by the name of the ceremony.

The last portion of the Torah is read, completing the annual cycle, followed by the first chapter of Genesis. Services are especially joyous, and all attendees, young and old, are involved.

Chanukah (Hanukkah) , the Festival of Lights - marks the defeat of Seleucid Empire forces that had tried to prevent the people of Israel from practicing Judaism. Judah Maccabee and his brothers destroyed overwhelming forces, and rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem. The eight-day festival is marked by the kindling of lights - one on the first night, two on the second, and so on - using a special candle holder called a Chanukah menorah.

Purim, the Festival of Lots commemorates the events that took place in the Book of Esther. It is celebrated by reading or acting out the story of Esther, and by making disparaging noises at every mention of Haman's name. In Purim it is a tradition to masquerade around in costumes and to give Mishloakh Manot (care packages, i.e. gifts of food and drink) to the poor and the needy. In Israel it is also a tradition to arrange festive parades, known as Ad-D'lo-Yada, in the town's main street. Sometimes the children dress up and act out the story of Esther for their parents.

Pesach (Passover) commemorates the liberation of the Israelite slaves from Egypt. No leavened food is eaten during the week of Pesach, in commemoration of the fact that the Jews left Egypt so quickly that their bread did not have enough time to rise.

The first seder begins at sundown on the 15th of Nisan, and the second seder is held on the night of the 16th of Nisan. On the second night, Jews start counting the Omer. The counting of the Omer is a count of the days from the time they left Egypt until the time they arrived at Mount Sinai, where they received the laws of God from Moses.

Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks) is one of the three pilgrim festivals ordained in the Torah, Shavuot marks the end of the counting of the Omer, the 7 weeks between Passover and Shavuot. According to Rabbinic tradition, the Ten Commandments were given on this day. During this holiday the Torah portion containing the Ten Commandments is read in the synagogue, and the biblical Book of Ruth is read as well. It is traditional to eat dairy meals during Shavuot.

Shabbat (The Sabbath) Jewish law accords Shabbat the status of a holiday, a day of rest celebrated on the seventh day of each week. Jewish law defines a day as ending at nightfall, which is when the next day then begins. So, Shabbat begins at sundown every Friday night, and ends at nightfall Saturday night. It is the first holiday mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, and God was the first one to observe it.

Answer 5

• Festivals and holy days
  

Shabbat - every Saturday (from Friday at sunset until Saturday after twilight)
Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year, 2 days
Yom Kippur - a fast day, the Day of Atonement, 1 day
Pesach - Passover - 7 or 8 days
Shavuot - Feast of Weeks; Yom HaBikurim - 1 or 2 days
Sukkot - Feast of Booths - 7 days
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah - 1 or 2 days

• Minor holidays and occasions (in which work is not forbidden):
  

Rosh Chodesh - the new moon, every 29 or 30 days
Hanukkah - the Festival of Lights - 8 days
Tu Bishvat - New Year of the Trees - 1 day
Purim - 1 day, followed by 1 day of Shushan Purim
Sefirah - Counting of the Omer - 49 days
Lag Ba'omer - 1 day
The Three Weeks and the Nine Days (days of mourning preceding Tisha b'Av)
Tu B'Av - 1 day

Answer 6

Many of these holidays are found in Leviticus ch.23. Other occasions are more recent; specifically Purim (2375 years), Hanukkah (2200 years), and the fasts marking the Destruction of the Temple (Zechariah 7:3 and 8:19).The holidays begin at sunset and last until after nightfall around 25 hours later. They serve to enrich the Jewish year and to connect the people with their past.
All of these days are marked by added prayers and Torah-readings; and each has its specific observances.

• Shabbat - every Saturday (from Friday at sunset until Saturday after twilight)

Link: More about Shabbat

• Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year, 2 days

Link: More about Rosh Hashanah

• Yom Kippur - a fast day, the Day of Atonement, 1 day

Link: More about Yom Kippur

• Pesach - Passover - 7 or 8 days

Link: Passover and the Seder

• Shavuot - Feast of Weeks; Yom HaBikurim - 1 or 2 days
• Sukkot - Feast of Booths - 7 days

Link: More about Sukkot

• Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah - 1 or 2 days

Minor holidays and occasions (in which work is not forbidden):

• Rosh Chodesh - the new moon, every 29 or 30 days

Link: The Hebrew calendar

• Hanukkah - the Festival of Lights - 8 days

Link: The founding of Hanukkah

• Tu Bishvat - New Year of the Trees - 1 day
• Purim - 1 day, followed by 1 day of Shushan Purim

Link: Purim and Queen Esther

• Sefirah - Counting of the Omer - 49 days
• Lag Ba'omer - 1 day

Link: What is Lag Ba'omer

• The Three Weeks and the Nine Days (days of mourning preceding Tisha b'Av; see below)
• Tu B'Av - 1 day

Fast days:
Judaism has six yearly fasts. The fasts start shortly before dawn and end at twilight, except for Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av which start the evening before at sunset and last for 25 hours.

• Tzom Gedalya; the day after Rosh Hashanah
• Asara B'Tevet - 10th of the month of Tevet
• Shiva Asar B'Tamuz - 17th of Tamuz
• Tisha B'Av - 9th of the month of Av
• Ta'anit Esther - the day before Purim
• Yom Kippur

Four of the above fasts are in mourning for various stages in the destruction of the Temple, and are mentioned in Zechariah 8:19.

Link: The destruction
The Fast of Esther commemorates the danger that the Jews were in, during the events described in the Book of Esther.

The sixth fast, Yom Kippur, is the Day of Atonement, commanded in Leviticus 23:26-32.

Each festival has its specific purpose and laws:

• Rosh Chodesh marks the beginning of each Hebrew month (all of which are lunar) and is a minor holiday.
  
• On Rosh Hashanah, the shofar (ram's horn) is blown, to mark the beginning of the Jewish year.

• Yom Kippur is a fast day on which Jews pray for forgiveness for all their sins. No eating, drinking, or bathing is allowed. Wearing leather shoes is also prohibited.
• On Pesach, leavened bread, cakes, pasta etc. are forbidden; and unleavened Matzah is eaten. Passover begins with the Seder-meal, commemorating and retelling the story of the Exodus. Matzah and ceremonial foods are eaten at the Seder.

• On Shavuot the custom is to stay up all night studying Torah to mark the date that God gave the Ten Commandments.
• Sefirah - In the weeks between Pesach and Shavuot, we count the Omer, symbolizing the anticipation we felt in the days leading up to the Revelation at Mount Sinai. These weeks are a time of introspection and improvement.
• On Sukkot, Jews eat all their meals in outdoor arbor-canopied booths (Sukkah) in order to commemorate the Israelites' wanderings in the desert. Some will also sleep in the Sukkah. During the morning prayers on these days, we take the 4 minim consisting of a Lulav (young palm branch), an Etrog (Citrus Medica; citron), three Haddassim (myrtle branches) and two Aravot (willow branches).
• Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah - In Israel, these two occasions are observed on the same day (the eighth day from the beginning of Sukkot), while elsewhere they are kept separately (on the eighth and ninth days). This is a time of great rejoicing, with Shemini Atzeret symbolizing our close relationship with God (Rashi commentary, Numbers 29:35-36), and Simchat Torah celebrating the completion of the yearly cycle of reading the entire Torah scroll.

Link: More about Torah-scrolls

• On Hanukkah the 8-branched menorah is lit in the home; on the first night one candle, on the 2nd night 2 candles, until all 8 candles are lit on the 8th night.

• On Purim the story of Esther is read from a Megillat-Esther scroll and food baskets are given to friends and charity to the poor.

Reasons for the holidays:

Every one of them has as its purpose "remembering the Exodus from Egypt" (as stated in our prayers and the kiddush over wine). In addition, Passover is a Thanksgiving to God for the barley-harvest, Shavuot is a thanksgiving to God for the wheat-harvest, and Sukkot is a thanksgiving to God for the ingathering of grain.

Shavuot also celebrates the Giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, and Sukkot commemorates God having protected us in the wilderness.

It may also be noted that it is instinctive and a moral and emotional need to celebrate in front of God every so often. This was Cain's motivation in making his offering in Genesis ch.4 without having been commanded.

Had God not given us the Torah-festivals listed above, we might instinctively seek out those of the Canaanites, which the Torah warns against (Exodus 34:15) immediately before listing the Jewish festivals (in the following verses).

Answer 7

I do know of one but not them all i know of Passover