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Celebrations
 Each
Abrahamic faith observes a few major celebrations throughout
the year. Both Judaism and Islam follow a lunar calendar for
the timing of these celebrations. Some Christian feast days
are also influenced by the lunar calendar.
Some key Jewish celebrations include: Rosh Hashanah, Yom
Kippur, Passover, Shauvot, Sukkot, Chanukkah, Purim. These
celebrations recall events in the dramatic history of the
Jewish people.
Some key Christian celebrations include: Advent, Christmas,
Lent, Good Friday, Easter, and
 Pentecost.
These events mark only a few of the celebrations that
commemorate events in the life of Jesus Christ.
Some key Islamic celebrations include: Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr;
Hajj and Eid al-Adha. Ramadan is considered a holy month of
fasting and is commanded in the Qur’an. Muslims abstain from
eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset during that month.
They also focus on forgiveness and on special prayers for
that month.
 The
feast day that ends Ramadan is called Eid al-Fitr. The
ritual journey, or pilgrimage, to Makkah called the Hajj and
Eid al-Adha both commemorate events in the life of Abraham
and his family.
There are fast days, when people deny themselves the
ordinary necessities of life for a time of remembrance --
and feast days of thankfulness. Sharing food and other gifts
with family, neighbors, and needy people are common ways to
celebrate these days. People also attend special services of
worship as part of these celebrations. Back to
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