Minor Jewish Holidays

Some Jewish holidays don’t have the status of a major holiday, but they’re still fun and comprise an important part of Jewish life.

Hanukah

Whether you spell it Hanukah, Chanukah, Hannukah, or one of the million other ways people spell it, this is a fun holiday, but not a major one.  That’s right, all you Americans; it only got made into a big thing so that the Jewish kids didn’t feel left out at Christmas time…

When: December for eight nights

What: We light the menorah, one more candle each night, and we eat jelly donuts and potato pancakes (known as latkes).  Some families exchange presents.

Why: Around 167 BCE, there was a guy named King Antiochus IV (head of Greece-Syria) who wouldn’t let the Jews practice Judaism.  We don’t like that.  Then the Maccabees, led by Judah Maccabee, fought back and won.  In the process, the Temple was ransacked (they put pigs’ blood in it to hit us where it hurts).  The Menorah in the Temple only had enough oil to last for one day, but it lasted for eight.  It was a miracle.  Hence the eight nights of Hanukah.

Purim

Also known as Jewish Halloween.  The costumes are pretty much where the similarities end, though.

When: Around March for one day

What: We dress up, listen to the Book of Esther, give little gift packages to our friends, have a big meal, eat triangle-shaped cookies called Hamentaschen, and get really drunk (yes, you read that right).

Why: In ancient Persia, under King Achashverosh, there was a guy named Haman who wanted to kill all the Jews.  Luckily, King Achashverosh had married this really beautiful young woman named Esther, who had kept it a secret that she was a Jew.  She bravely went to the King and pleaded for him to reverse the decree to kill the Jews that Haman had gotten him to pass.  He listened to her.  Now the day that all of the Jews were supposed to be killed is a holiday where we celebrate Queen Esther and us narrowly avoiding getting killed.

Tisha B’av

The day when all sad things happened (think destruction of both Temples, expulsion of Jews from various countries, and so on).  Even if a sad thing didn’t happen on this day, this is the designated day for mourning it.  We fast from sundown to sundown, without eating or drinking anything, and remain in such a state of mourning for the day that we do not greet our friends, we sit on the ground rather than on chairs, and we say our prayers rather than singing them.  We also listen to Aicha (the Book of Lamentations), which is hauntingly beautiful.

Tu B’Shvat

Birthday of the trees.  We eat dried fruit.  True story.

Fast Days

We have a few minor fast days throughout the year, when we commemorate sad or serious things that happened.  Minor fast days go from sunup to sundown, with no food or water during the fast.