jewish celebrations

jewish celebrations in United Kingdom, for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020.

the World	2018	2019	2020
Tou BiChvat	wednsday 31st january	monday 21st january	monday 10th february
Chouchane Purim	thursday 1st march	thursday 21st march	tuesday 10th march
Pessah	31st march – 7th april	20th – 27th april	9th – 16th april
Lag BaOmer	thursday 3rd may	thursday 23rd may	tuesday 12th may
Shavuot	20th – 21st may	9th – 10th june	20th – 30th may
Tichea BeAv fast	22nd – 23rd july	11th – 12th august	30th – 31st july
Roch Hashanah	10th – 11th september	30th september – 1st october	w19th – 20th september
Yom Kippur	18th – 19th September	9th – 10th October	28th – 29th September
Sukkot	23 – 30th September	13th – 20th October	2nd – 9th October
Simchat Torah	2nd october	22nd october	11th october
Hannukah	2nd – 10th december	22nd – 30th december	10th – 18th december

In the Jewish calendar you find celebrations that come from the Torah and ones that derive from the rabbinical institution.

The date of the Torah Jewish celebrations

Among the most important religious celebrations of the Jewish calendar are Shabbat, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

The Sabbath - which takes place every 7th day of the week - is a celebration reminiscent of the creation of the universe; Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur are the celebration of forgiveness;

and Pessah / Sukkot (Jewish Passover), celebrate the pilgrimage of Jews as they leave Egypt.

The New Year celebrations recall the judgment and also the forgiveness of the man. There is also the Hoshana Rabba and the Simhath Torah. On the 9th of each month, the fast is celebrated in Tishâ Béav, another Jewish religious celebration.

As every year, the 2018 Jewish celebrations will be respected to commemorate historical events, which the ancient sages have transmitted by tradition.

In the coming year calendar we will celebrate Purim (March 24th) and Hanukkah (December 17th to 24th). Just like Yom Hashoah (April 28th) a ceremony to honour the six million Jews who lost their lives in the Nazi camps.

Yom Ha'asma'ut (May 6th) celebrates the independence day of the State of Israel. Two other Jewish celebrations remain: Tu Bishvath (January 16th) and Shavuoth (June 4th).

The meaning of Jewish celebrations

The Jewish celebrations in 2018 will continue a long tradition that allows you to meet in community or family, to revitalize spiritually, morally and physically.

Rosh Hashana: New Year's Day

Rosh Hashana commemorates the anniversary of the creation of the world and begins the period of the 10 days of penance that precedes Yom Kippur, the Great Forgiveness. This solemn celebration which lasts 2 days makes it possible to review the past year, reflect on your own life orientations and make good resolutions.

The actions of each ones are judged by the divine authority. Rosh-Hashana is synonymous with banquets and reunions with family and the opportunity to wish each other a happy new year by tasting apples dipped in honey.

Sukkot: the celebration of the huts

Sukkot is a celebration that lasts 7 days just after Yom Kippur. The tradition is that you build a hut, the Sukkah in which you live and you receive family, friends and neighbours to share a meal. The roof of the Sukkah must imperatively consist of elements coming from the ground like branches or foliage and you must see the stars in the sky across.

This temporary place of residence recalls the precarious dwellings that sheltered the Hebrews during the crossing of the desert. Returning to the sukkah every year marks the denial of a rich permanent residence on earth and the recognition of God as the only shelter.

Yom Kippur: the Great Forgiveness

Yom Kippur is certainly the most famous Jewish celebration in the world. It marks the end of the 10 days of penance that follow the feast of Rosh Hashana. Also called the Great Forgiveness, this celebration allows the practitioner to obtain divine forgiveness, to be absolved of his faults and to free himself to start the new year.

The faithful usually wear white clothes for prayers.

Hanukkah: the Light Festival

This celebration celebrates the reconquest of the temple of Jerusalem and its purification. It is marked by the lighting of candles on a candlestick (menorah) with 9 branches all accompanied by prayers to commemorate the victory of light, symbol of spirituality, on darkness.

Chanukah recalls the miracle that happened in the Temple of Jerusalem and which allowed a vial of pure oil (undefiled by the pagans of Antiochus) to burn for 8 days while it contained enough to burn for a day only. 8 candles for 8 days, the 9th is used to light up the others.

Hanukkah is also the occasion for festivities, festive meals, tasting of donuts fried in olive oil and the distribution of presents and money to children.

Tu Bishvat, the New Year of the Trees

This celebration also called the "New Year of the Trees" celebrates the renewal of nature. It marks the end of winter and the time of sap rising in the tree before spring. In Hebrew, "Tu" means the number 15 and Bishvat the month of Shevat (the 15th of the month of Shevat).

This festival also recalls the eternal bond of the Jewish community with the land of Israel. The celebration want trees to be planted in Israel to drive back the desert and mark the close bond between man and nature. Jews who can not be there at that time can donate to plant a tree on their behalf.

On this occasion Jews eat fruits and recite praises to God.

Pessah, the Jewish Easter

Pessah celebrates the exit of Egypt from the Hebrew people led by Moses and his liberation from slavery after 400 years of enslavement.

God, seeing the distress of the people, sent Moses to convince Pharaoh to let his people go and serve him. Faced with the refusal of obedience to the divine order, God sent 10 devastating plagues on Egypt, the last of which was intended to kill all the firstborn.

Death, however, spared the children of Israel by "jumping over" their houses, hence the name of Pessah meaning "the jump" in Hebrew. The Pessah celebration lasts 8 days in the early spring from the 15th to the 22nd of the Jewish month of Nissan.

During festive meals Jews eat the paschal lamb and Matsa, an unleavened bread.

Shavuot, the gift of the Torah at Mount Sinai

Shavuot celebrates the gift made by God to Moses of the Decalogue and the Torah on Mount Sinai, 7 weeks after Moses' departure from Egypt of the people of Israel.

The day before Jews take a ritual bath of purification. It is also customary to devote all night to the study of the Torah, which should allow the human being to attain perfection.

Shavuot takes place 7 weeks after Pessah, which is why it is also known as the Jewish Pentecost.

It is an opportunity for festive meals and consumption of dairy products because soon after receiving the Torah, the Jewish people who did not have time to prepare kosher meat to respect the laws of Ch'hita, consumed dairy products.