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Jewish Holidays and Why They are
Celebrated There was a time in which I wanted to try to
learn the holidays and celebrations of other cultures, and looking at Jewish
ones was one of the first I was interested in. One of my issues with deciding
to eventually stop trying to do that is that between just about 3 different
cultures, there are so many of these holidays, celebrations, and rituals. I
managed to get through a few months, and today I could likely just program
all in to my phone and be done with trying to remember anything. I also
wanted to try to look in to how some different religions operate partially
due to wanting to find more subjects to be aware of that might be good for my
researches. I feel that attempting that would not come out fruitful in the
end. I believe what I have listed here is the extent of what I went through
one year. --Image to the
left is me, Olli Copperwolf, and was taken by me in what’s known as an event
mascot/fursuit to some.-- |
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Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times
some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits
and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences
are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God
created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the
truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected
if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God
and prayer. The fact that the word 'require' is used, it frees a person to
have a choice on whether or not to take on any of
the fasting days. If a person chooses to participate, then they may in
secret. To let people know that you are fasting, if
you decide to, is to draw attention to yourself instead of to God. This verse
is also within the New Testament, therefore replacing any need to actually follow any prior actions necessary before the
death of Jesus. This allows for a person to make any personal fasting days that
he desires in his relationship with God. If food is given though, no matter
what it is, it should not be rejected. When a person fasts, he should still
do it in secret by placing the oil on his head and reading the following
verses out loud : Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.—Mark 1:15
; Repent, and hear the good news.—Mark 1:15 ; "And whenever you fast, do
not look dismal, like the hypocrites. Truly I tell you, they have received
their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so
that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in
secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.". Other
verses can be added, but must relate to repenting. Fasting does not need to be a set amount of days or any particular time of year; not currently anyway. Long days
of fasting in the past was used alot as not only a
way to be reverant towards God, but it was
typically done during certain parts of the season for longer periods of time
due to the way harvests used to have to be due to a shortage usually around
the first of the year, and no new crops really sprouting up until later in
the year. This is a big reason why fasting times, such as Lent, lasts so long
and why the portions allowed are only a certain amount per day. February : - Fun - Day before Mardi Gras - Shrove Monday - Eat eggs mixed
with leftover meat. Just named after the traditional dish of the day. No real
history overall behind this one. - Fun - Day before Ash Wednesday - Mardi Gras - Celebrate
heavily before the begining of a 40
day fasting. Begin the day with pancakes. Originally based off of earlier
pagan festivities, but was adopted into the Holy
Roman Catholic church at some point. - Holy - Ash Wednesday - Just a day to ask for forgiveness and
review a person's status with God. Only veggies are to be eaten on this day.
Oil is to be placed on the head in the shape of a cross upon awakening and
after cleaning the face. That way the worship is done secretly and doesn't
point to the individual, but all goes to God. * 2010 - February 17 * 2011 - March 9 * 2012 - February 22 * 2013 - February 13 * 2014 - March 5 * 2015 - February 18 * 2016 - February 10 * 2017 - March 1 * 2018 - February 14 * 2019 - March 6 March : - Holy - Festival of Lots - March 10th - Commemorates the
deliverance of the Jewish people of the ancianet Persian
Empire from Haman's plot to annihilate them. For any Christian wishing to
celebrate this in the midst of the 40 days, they may
if they are devout to celebrating it for what it is. Characterized by public
recitation of the Book of Esther, giving mutual gifts of food and drink,
giving charity to the poor, and a celebratory meal. Other customs include
drinking wine, wearing of masks and costumes, and public celebration. Jewish exiles from the Kingdom of Judah who had been living in
the Babylonian captivity (6th Century BCE) found themselves under Persian
rule after Babylonia was in turn conquered by the Persian Empire. According
to the Book of Esther, Haman, royal vizier to King Ahasuerus planned to kill
the Jews, but his plans were foiled by Esther, who was made queen after his
previous queen Vashti was dismissed, and Mordechai, a palace official who
raised Esther when her parents died, and who was her cousin. The Jews were
delivered from being the victims of an evil decree against them and were instead
allowed by the King to destroy their enemies, and the day after the battle
was designated as a day of feasting and rejoicing. - Fun - Arbor Day - March 12th - Celebration of trees. Includes
planting them or providing care for them or both. - Holy - Annunciation - March 25th - Day to feast and drink
(alone) in worship to God to commemorate God's gift to Mary of being
impregnated with the baby, Jesus, without ever having been touched by a man before ; a virgin birth. Today is the beginning of our salvation, And the revelation of the eternal mystery! The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin As Gabriel announces the coming of Grace. Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos: "Rejoice, O Full of Grace, The Lord is with You!" Quran: From chapter 2 [45] (Remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam (Mary)!
Verily, Allâh gives you the glad tidings of a Word
("Be!" - and he was! i.e. 'Isâ (Jesus)
the son of Maryam (Mary)) from Him, his name will be the Messiah 'Isâ
(Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), held in honor in this world and in the
Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allâh."[46]
"He will speak to the people in the cradle and in manhood, and he will be one of the
righteous."[47] She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no
man has touched me." He said: "So (it will be) for Allâh creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only:
"Be!" - and it is.[48] And He (Allâh)
will teach him ('Isâ (Jesus)) the Book and
Al-Hikmah (i.e. the Sunnah, the faultless speech of the Prophets, wisdom),
(and) the Taurât
(Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel).[49] And
will make him ('Isâ (Jesus)) a Messenger to the
Children of Israel (saying): "I have come to you with a sign from your
Lord, that I design for you out of clay, a
figure like that of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird
by Allâh's Leave; and I heal him who was born
blind, and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by Allâh's
Leave. And I inform you of what you
eat, and what you store in your houses. Surely, therein is a sign for you, if
you believe.[50] And I have come confirming that
which was before me of the Taurât (Torah), and to
make lawful to you part of what was
forbidden to you, and I have come to you with a proof from your Lord. So fear
Allâh and obey me.[51]
Truly! Allâh is my Lord and your Lord, so worship
Him (Alone). This is the Straight
Path. [edit] From chapter 19 An Armenian miniature from the Roslin Gospels, 1287. [16] And mention in the Book (the Qur'ân,
O Muhammad (peace be upon him) the story of) Maryam (Mary), when she withdrew
in seclusion from her family to a place facing east.[17] She placed a screen
(to screen herself) from them; then
We sent to her Our Ruh (angel Jibrîl
(Gabriel)) and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all
respects.[18] She said: "Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Gracious (Allâh)
from you, if you do fear Allâh."[19] (The
angel) said: "I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you
the gift of a righteous son."[20] She said: "How can I have a son,
when no man has touched me, nor am
I unchaste?"[21] He said: "So (it will be), your Lord said: 'That
is easy for Me (Allâh): And (We wish) to appoint
him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (Allâh),
and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by Allâh).' "[22] So she conceived him, and she
withdrew with him to a far place (i.e. Bethlehem valley about 4–6 miles from
Jerusalem).[23] And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a date-palm.
She said: "Would that I had died before this, and had been forgotten and
out of sight!"[24] Then (the babe 'Iesa
(Jesus) or Jibrîl (Gabriel)) cried unto her
from below her, saying:
"Grieve not: your Lord has provided a water stream under you.[25]
"And shake the trunk of date-palm towards you, it will let fall fresh
ripe-dates upon you."[26] "So eat and drink and be glad. And if you see any human being,
say: 'Verily! I have vowed a fast unto the Most Gracious (Allâh) so I shall not speak to any human being this day.'" May: - Holy - Ascension - 40 days after Easter - Marks the day when
Jesus Christ ascended up into Heaven. It was 40 days
after his resurrection from the dead, which was on Easter Sunday (in A.D.
30). If you begin with Easter Sunday (April 12, 2009) and count 40 days, you
end up on Thursday, May 21. After his suffering, he (Jesus) showed himself to these men (the
apostles) and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them
over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one
occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father
promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water,
but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy
Spirit.” So
when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to
restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates
the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the
Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in
all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and
a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when
suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they
said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has
been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen
him go into heaven.” Acts 1:3–11, NIV |