Israeli festivals

Topic: "Perception of China" in Israel.

　　1. RoshHashana The Jewish New Year is the beginning of the year of the Jewish calendar (lunar calendar). It is one of the most important festivals for Jews. During the festival, the whole country has a two-day holiday. In the church, the horn was blown to talk to God, hoping to get God’s blessing. Friends meet to say "ShanaTova". According to tradition, people eat apples dipped in honey during the New Year, which indicates that the new year is sweet and beautiful.

　　2. YomKippur Yom Kippur is the tenth day after the Jewish New Year and is an important religious festival. Jews set this festival to confess to God and ask for forgiveness. Judaism stipulates that during Yom Kippur, you should fast for one day and pray and meditate in the church. When people meet in church, they wish each other a good evaluation from God. Yom Kippur ended with the melodious sound of horns in the evening.

　　3. Sukkot (Sukkot) This festival is to commemorate the life of living in a hut during the 40-year exile in Sinai after the Jewish ancestor Moses led the Jews out of Egypt. Therefore, the festival is in the harvest season, so it is also called the harvest festival. It is the main feature of every household to build a straw shed during the festival. The festival is celebrated for eight days. During this period, the IDF usually holds tank exhibitions in Tel Aviv’s municipal square.

　　4. SimhatTorah It usually takes a year for Jews to read Jewish classics. The Simhattorah is designed to celebrate the completion of reading, and the religious atmosphere is strong. This festival is a happy festival, so people (mainly Christians) should sing, dance and eat sweets. In the celebration ceremony, an essential item is to take down the scroll and walk seven times in your hand.

　　5. Hanukah Festival is to commemorate the success of Macabies’s uprising against the Greek invaders and the freedom of Jews. Legend has it that during the Jewish temple period, the seven olive oil lamps in the temple kept on burning, but they were eventually broken due to the destruction of the Greek invaders. After the victory of Macabies Uprising, I hope to rekindle the oil lamp. People looked around and found only enough olive oil for one day, but this olive oil was miraculously ordered for eight days until the new olive matured and new oil was added. Since then, Jews have set up festivals to commemorate this day when God helped them. This festival lasts for eight days, with two days off at the beginning and the end. The main celebration ceremony is to light a candle every day. Candlesticks with nine candlesticks are specially designed for this festival. Among them, the higher one in the middle is designed to ignite the other eight. At the beginning of the festival, people eat a special potato cake and then exchange gifts.

　　6. Purim means drawing lots. It is said that a wicked official hated a Jew who had offended him and set a date for killing all Jews by drawing lots. A Jewish woman who became a queen executed the wicked official and saved the Jews by playing around. During festivals, theaters usually put on plays about this story. People (mainly children) also wear masks about the characters in the story to attend the party, so some people call it the masquerade festival. At the party, people usually eat a special triangle cookie, which symbolizes the ear or hat of a bad official.

　　7. The Passover (Pessah) originated from the Bible Exodus. When Moses led the Jews out of Egypt to the Red Sea, he raised his staff to separate the Red Sea, and the Jews walked out of the Red Sea smoothly, while the chasing Egyptian army was submerged in the sea. The festival is celebrated for eight days, with two days off at the beginning and the end. Before the festival, people should remove all fermented pasta from their homes. During the festival, it is forbidden to sell and eat fermented food, and only a special unleavened pancake called Matsa can be eaten to commemorate the day when Jews could not eat fermented cakes when they left Egypt because of time constraints.

　　8. Holocaust Remembrance Day (also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day) In order to commemorate the six million Jews killed by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945, the Knesset passed a decree in 1951, establishing the 27th of the Jewish calendar (April in Gregorian calendar) as Holocaust Remembrance Day. During the festival, orthodox Jews all over the world will fast for one day. Every family lights candles and reads the Jewish scripture Kadish. In Israel, an assembly or procession attended by the President, the Prime Minister and other important figures will be held to mourn the victims and celebrate the survival of the Jewish nation. At 10 o’clock in the morning, the national whistle sounded for two minutes, and the people stopped all work and stood in silence for the victims.

　　9. IDFMemorialDay This festival is set on the day before Independence Day to commemorate the soldiers of the National Defence Force who have given their lives to protect national security since the War of Liberation. At 8 o’clock the night before the festival, the national whistle sounded for one minute, and the people stood in silence. The National Defence Force also held an official commemorative ceremony at 8: 00 on the same day, attended by the President. At eleven o’clock the next morning, whistle again for two minutes.

　　10. IndependentDay was established to commemorate Israel’s independence in 1948. At eight o’clock the night before the festival, the Knesset held a formal celebration ceremony in Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, with the participation of parliamentarians and cabinet members. The ceremony included lighting 12 torches and firing salutes. The main activities on the day of the festival include a parade of the National Defence Forces, an air show, a reception hosted by the President for diplomatic missions and outstanding soldiers, an international Bible contest and an Israel Prize awarding ceremony. In addition, municipal governments also hold entertainment parties and set off fireworks.

　　11. Lagba-Omer means the 33rd day after the first day of Passover. According to legend, the Jewish rabbi Akiva organized Jews to recapture Jerusalem from the Romans on this day and lit a bonfire to inform the surrounding villages. Since then, Jews have commemorated the story of Achiwarabi and his recapture of Jerusalem with bonfires.

　　12. Jerusalem Day is a festival to commemorate Israel’s unification of Jerusalem in 1967. During festivals, there are usually grand celebrations in Jerusalem. The main celebration ceremony was held in front of the Western Wall at sunset the day before. Before the ceremony began, eighteen candles were lit to commemorate the soldiers who died in the battle to recapture Yecheng, followed by a thanksgiving ceremony. On the day of the festival, mass parades and other celebrations are held.

　　13. The forty-ninth day after the first day of Pentecost Passover is the day to commemorate Moses’ acquisition of the Ten Commandments. Therefore, the festival is catching up with the harvest of wheat and fruit, so it is also called the harvest festival. This is a happy festival, people should decorate their homes with flowers, and have a rich holiday meal with milk and cheese the night before the festival. Read the Ten Commandments on the festival day. At present, this festival has basically evolved into a children’s festival.

　　14. Tesha b ‘av means the ninth day of the Jewish calendar. According to legend, the Jewish temple was destroyed twice on this day. Jews commemorated this sad day with fasting.

Editor: Wang Yilin