Biblical Feasts.
A Guide to the Torah Feasts
The Torah outlines seven major feasts, also known as Festivals of the Lord, that commemorate significant events in Jewish history and celebrate God’s relationship with the Jewish people. These feasts are observed with specific rituals, foods, and commemorations.
Important
The dates of these feasts are determined by the Hebrew calendar, a lunisolar calendar that follows both the cycles of the moon and the sun. This means the dates on the Gregorian calendar shift slightly each year.
Shabbat (The Sabbath)
Friday, 6pm - Saturday, 6pm
- Dates: Every week, from sunset Friday to nightfall Saturday.
- Commemoration: Marks the creation of the world and God’s rest on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3).
- Observance: A day of rest, dedicated to prayer, study, and family time. Work and specific activities are restricted.
- Food: Traditional Shabbat meals often include wine, challah bread, and special dishes.
- Rituals: Lighting candles, reciting blessings over wine and bread (Kiddush), attending synagogue services.
- Historical Changes: Shabbat observance has remained a cornerstone of Jewish practice throughout history.
Passover (Pesach)
April 2
- Dates: Nisan 15-21 (March/April)
- Commemoration: The Exodus from Egypt and liberation from slavery (Exodus 12-14).
- Observance: Central focus is a Seder meal with symbolic foods like matzah (unleavened bread) and bitter herbs, retelling the story of the Exodus (Haggadah). Homes are rid of leaven (chametz).
- Food: Matzah, bitter herbs (maror), roasted shank bone (zeroa), charoset (symbolizing mortar), wine.
- Rituals: Seder meal, removal of chametz, attending synagogue services.
- Historical Changes: The rituals and symbolism of Passover have remained largely consistent, although the centralized temple sacrifices no longer occur.
Chag HaMatzah (Festival of Unleavened Bread)
April 3–9
- Dates: Nisan 15-22 (March/April) – Follows directly after Passover.
- Commemoration: The hasty departure from Egypt, where there was no time for bread to rise (Exodus 12:39).
- Observance: Focuses on avoiding leavened bread and eating matzah.
- Food: Matzah is the primary bread eaten.
- Rituals: Avoiding chametz, attending synagogue services.
- Historical Changes: Similar to Passover, the core practices haven’t changed significantly.
Shavuot (Festival of Weeks/Pentecost)
June 2
- Dates: Sivan 6-7 (May/June)
- Commemoration: The giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai and the beginning of the harvest season (Exodus 19:1, Leviticus 23:15-16).
- Observance: A time for learning and celebrating the Torah. Often associated with dairy foods.
- Food: Dairy dishes like cheese blintzes and cheesecakes are traditional.
- Rituals: Studying Torah, attending synagogue services, reading the Book of Ruth.
- Historical Changes: Shavuot has become more associated with learning and confirmation ceremonies in recent times.
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
September 27
- Dates: Tishrei 10 (September/October) – Ten days after Rosh Hashanah.
- Commemoration: The holiest day of the year, a day of fasting and atonement for sins.
- Observance: A complete fast from food and drink, attending synagogue services, prayers for forgiveness.
- Food: No food or drink is consumed for 25 hours. After the fast, a light meal is eaten.
- Rituals: Confession of sins (Vidui), attending synagogue services, Kol Nidre prayers (annulment of vows).
- Historical Changes: The core practices of Yom Kippur have remained consistent, emphasizing fasting and atonement.
Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles/Booths)
October 2–9
- Dates: Tishrei 15-22 (September/October) – Five days following Yom Kippur.
- Commemoration: The Israelites’ dwelling in booths during their wandering in the desert after the Exodus (Leviticus 23:39-43). It also celebrates the fall harvest.
- Observance: Building and dwelling in a temporary sukkah (booth), celebrating the harvest.
- Food: Special meals are eaten in the sukkah.
- Rituals: Building and decorating a sukkah, eating meals in the sukkah, holding the arba’at minim (four species: palm frond, citron, myrtle, and willow branches).
- Historical Changes: The agricultural focus of Sukkot has diminished somewhat, but the building of sukkahs remains a central tradition.
Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)
Trumpets (Yom Teruah)
October 2 - 4
- Dates: Tishrei 1-2 (September/October)
- Commemoration: The Jewish New Year and a time for reflection and repentance.
- Observance: A time for introspection, attending synagogue services, and blowing the shofar (ram’s horn).
- Food: Symbolic foods like apples and honey for a sweet new year.
- Rituals: Attending synagogue services, blowing the shofar, Tashlich ceremony (symbolic casting away of sins).
- Historical Changes: Rosh Hashanah has remained a solemn and introspective holiday.
Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah (Eighth Day of Assembly/Rejoicing with the Torah)
October 23
- Dates: Observed on the eighth day following Sukkot in Israel, or on the ninth day outside of Israel (September/October).
- Commemoration: The conclusion of the annual cycle of Torah readings and the beginning of a new cycle.
- Observance: Rejoicing in the Torah, synagogue services include completing the Torah reading and starting anew.
- Food: Special meals are often enjoyed.
- Rituals: Completing and beginning the Torah reading, Hakafot (processions with Torah scrolls).
- Historical Changes: Simchat Torah has become a joyous celebration of the Torah’s enduring wisdom.
Hag HaBikkurim - The Festival of the First Fruits
April 14
Bukkurim (singular: bikkurim) isn’t actually one of the seven major Torah Feasts. However, it is connected to the Festival of Shavuot (Hag HaBikkurim – The Festival of the First Fruits).
Here’s what you need to know about bikkurim:
- Meaning: Refers to the first fruits of the harvest brought as an offering to the Temple in Jerusalem during the ancient period.
- Biblical Reference: Described in Exodus 23:19, Deuteronomy 26:1-11.
- Observance: Practiced during the Second Temple period. Following the harvest, the first fruits were brought in a procession to the Temple. A special declaration was recited by the person bringing the offering, expressing gratitude to God for the land and its bounty.
- Who Participated: Primarily farmers observing this practice.
- Food: The first fruits of various crops like barley, wheat, grapes, figs, and pomegranates were brought.
- Rituals: Procession to the Temple, recitation of a special declaration.
- Historical Context: Bukkurim symbolized gratitude for the land and its produce. It also reinforced the connection between the people and the Temple.
- Today: With the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, the practice of bikkurim in its original form ceased. However, the concept of gratitude for the harvest and the importance of agricultural offerings are still reflected in prayers and rituals during Shavuot.
Chanukah (Festival of Lights)
December 11
Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah or Hanukkah, isn’t one of the seven major Torah Feasts outlined in the Torah itself. However, it’s a widely celebrated and important holiday in Judaism. Here’s a breakdown of Hanukkah:
- Meaning: Known as the Festival of Lights, it commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after a successful Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE.
- Commemoration: Focuses on the miracle of a small cruse of oil lasting for eight days, allowing the rekindling of the Temple menorah.
- Dates: Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which usually falls between late November and late December in the Gregorian calendar.
- Observance: The central tradition is the nightly lighting of the menorah, a candelabrum with nine branches. One candle is lit on the first night, with an additional candle lit on each subsequent night until all eight candles are burning on the last night.
- Food: Traditional foods associated with Hanukkah include fried foods like potato latkes (pancakes) and doughnuts, which symbolize the oil used in the miracle.
- Rituals: Lighting the menorah with prayers and blessings, playing dreidel (a four-sided spinning top with Hebrew letters), exchanging gifts, and enjoying special meals with family and friends.
- Historical Context: Hanukkah celebrates religious freedom, resistance against oppression, and the importance of tradition.
While not explicitly mentioned in the Torah, Hanukkah has become a cherished holiday in Jewish tradition, marking a time for family, light, and historical reflection.
Additional Notes:
Many of these feasts have specific blessings and prayers associated with them. Observance levels can vary depending on individual religious practice. These holidays are often celebrated with family gatherings and special meals.