Religious Holidays

Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. Christmas is preceded by 40 days of spiritual preparation called Advent.  Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Yule is the time of greatest darkness and the longest night of the year. This time is celebrated as the “return of the Sun God” where He is reborn of the Goddess.

Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and nights of candle lighting. In Hebrew, the word “hanukkah” means “dedication,” and it commemorates the re-dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem in 165 B.C.E.

The Immaculate Conception of Mary is the conception of the Virgin Mary without, according to the Roman Catholic Church, any stain of original sin.

On this day, the Catholic and Protestant churches celebrate all believers, known and unknown, alive and dead.

This festival begins on the fifth day after Yom Kippur and is one of the most joyous holidays. Sukkot helps commemorate the period in which the children of Israel were wandering in the desert. People live and eat in temporary dwellings during the festival.

The Day of Ashura commemorates, for Shi’a Muslims, a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.

Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath, meaning no work can be performed on this day. It includes a complete fast and solemn services. “Yom Kippur” means “Day of Atonement.”

Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah is the first of the High Holy days or Days of Awe; it is a time of prayer, reflection, and services.

This holiday, celebrated in the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches, celebrates the birth date of Mary, mother of Jesus.