Tonight, at sundown, begins the Jewish celebration of Passover. Jews will also celebrate today Birkat HaChamah (Blessing of the Sun), an ancient ritual held every 28 years.

According to Jewish lore, the sun is in the exact position each 28 years as it was when God created the sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day (as recounted in the Bible’s Book of Genesis).
The Blessing of the Sun is all about gratitude and appreciation of nature. Around the world, services will be held outdoors. Jews have celebrated this event more than 200 times, including in 33 A.D., the year …read more

We got to check out the Stick Puppet Party Purim kit from Tigercandy Arts the other day. As you can see, everyone jumped right in and helped me test it out.
The kit comes with everything you need except scissors and crayons or markers. There was even a container of glue.
Make sure you keep the cover of the kit handy, because it provides a guide for how your finished puppets should look. We didn’t really look at the cover until we were done, so our puppets looked very different. The important thing is that we had fun making them, though!
The puppet …read more

Today, October 9 (2008), is Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. The observance began last night at sunset and continues through today. Yom Kippur, one of the most holy days in the Jewish calendar, marks the end of ten days of contemplation and prayer that begins on Rosh Hashanna.
Most able-bodied Jews fast for 24 hours from sunset on Yom Kippur eve to sunset on Yom Kippur. The day itself is spent in prayer and reflection on the preceding year. The breaking of the fast is celebrated with a feast for family and friends.
(photo © Newscom)

The Jewish holiday season is nearing. Rosh Hashanah, the traditional Jewish New Year celebration, begins at sunset on September 29. Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement begins on October 8 at sunset. In addition to prayer and contemplation, both holidays are accompanied by a feast for family and friends. In the video below, Jewish chef Sheliah Kaufman shares recipes and tips for cooking for Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.

In addition to being the month of Halloween, October is Apple Month, National Book Month, Seafood Month, and Caramel Month. It’s also Vegetarian Month and German-American Heritage Month. Below are just a few of the daily holidays we’ll be talking about in October:

October 1 – World Vegetarian Day
October 3 – World Animal Day
October 6 – German-American Day
October 8 – Yom Kippur
October 13 – Columbus Day
October 13 – Thanksgiving in Canada
October 16 – Bosses Day
October 18 – Alaska Day
October 21 – Apple Day
October 26 – Austria National Day
October 31 – Halloween
(photo © Newscom)

The Jewish celebration, Passover, begins on Saturday, April 19 at sundown. The holiday commemorates the Jews’ exodus from Egypt and slavery. I’ve asked fellow blogger and friend, Jill Miller Zimon of “Writes Like She Talks” to share a few thoughts about Passover. This is what she writes:
The story of the Exodus that Jews read, discuss and sing about during Passover, aka Pesach, never changes: Jews suffer. Pharaoh is cruel. Plagues plague. Jews leave. Moses parts the Red Sea. They all make it to the Promised Land, but are very constipated (an inside joke about digestive issues that will …read more

Passover, the Jewish festival that celebrates the Jews’ exodus from slavery in Egypt, begins on April 19 (2008) at sunset. The eight-day celebration is marked with prayer and meals with family and friends.
Food is an important part of the Passover celebration, but there are strict guidelines that can make cooking for the Passover meal a little challenging. Certain foods are prohibited, including:

leavened bread
cakes and crackers
cereal
wheat, barley, oats, rye
corn, millet
legumes (beans and peas)
Most Jewish households use (unleavened) matzo instead of bread during the holiday season. The people at Cabot Creamery in Vermont have created several unique recipes using matzo, including …read more

Today is the first full day of the Jewish celebration of Purim (it began at sundown on Thursday), the holiday that commemorates the Jews deliverance from the Persian Empire’s plans to destroy them, as told in the Bible’s Book of Esther.
Rather than tell you about Purim myself, I’d like to have my friend, Jill Miller Zimon explain the traditions of the holiday. Jill, in addition to being the mother of three, is a political blogger who has been interviewed by Public Radio and CNN, among others in association with her blog, “Writes Like She Talks.” As good as her politicial …read more