Search
Holidays on the Net Home holidays on the net | Holiday Descriptionsholiday celebrations | Days & Datesdays & dates | Fun & Wacky Daily Holidaysfun & wacky daily holidays | Message Boards/Chatgreeting cards | Creditsholiday travel | Creditsemail
Chanukah on the Net Search Holidays on the Net Additional Jewish Holidays
Search

Chanukah Blog Articles

Here are the latest articles and postings about Chanukah from our holiday blog site Holiday Rap






(September 30) Today we're observing ... Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
Today is Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the Jewish New Year, and Jews worldwide are celebrating.

While Rosh Hashanah is widely known and celebrated as the New Years Day of the Jewish calendar, Rosh Hashanah actually has a fourfold meaning - It is the Jewish New Year, the Day of Judgement, the Day of Remembrance, and the Day of Shofar Blowing.

It is the Day of Judgement
As Jews worldwide examine their past deeds and asks for forgiveness for their sins

It is the Day of Shofar Blowing
As the Shofar (the rams horn)is blown in temple to herald the beginning of the 10 day period known as the High Holy Days

It is the Day of Remembrance
As Jews review the history of their people and pray for Israel

And of course it is New Year’s Day
Celebrated with it’s holiday greeting cards, special prayers, and festive and sweet foods (to ensure sweetness in the New Year)

For more information visit our celebration of the Rosh Hashanah - High Holy Days on the Net






(September 29) Tonight we're observing ... Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
Beginning at sundown tonight*, Jews begin their celebration of the High Holy Days, which are observed during the 10 day period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the most important of all Jewish Holidays and the only holidays that are purely religious, as they are not related to any historical or natural event.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is celebrated the first and second days of Tishri. It is a time of family gatherings, special meals and sweet tasting foods.

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn day of the Jewish year and is observed on the tenth day of Tishri. It is a day of fasting, reflection and prayers.

Join us for our celebration of the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - High Holy Days on the Net

*The Hebrew calendar begins at sundown, consequently all Jewish Holidays also begin at sundown.






Holiday Invite: High Holy Days on the Net


Shanah Tova!
Happy New Year!

With the Jewish season of the High Holy Days upon us,we aredelighted to invite you to come join our High Holiday Daycelebrationsat Holidays on the Net.

The Jewish High Holy Days refer to the ten-day period between the first day of the Jewish month of Tishrei, when Rosh Hashanah begins, and the tenth day of the month, when Yom Kippur falls.

These two holidays are the most significant in the Jewish calendar, a time rich in religious, spiritual and historical symbolism. On Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish people celebrate the beginning of a new year. The holiday is commemorated with special services, such as Tashlich (casting off of one’s sins), and the blowing of the shofar (and here). Rosh Hashanah is also a sacred time for ritualized family gatherings and sweet festive meals. And make your celebration a sweet and tasty one with our delicious holiday recipes.

Get the little ones interested in the holiday with our selection offun and entertaining Rosh Hashanah crafts and holiday related coloring pictures. Send holiday greetings to your friends and family with our Rosh Hashanah eGreeting Cards.

Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the Days of Awe. During this ten-day period, the Jewish people stand before G-d, praying for forgiveness for their sins and hoping to be inscribed in the Book of Life. Then on Yom Kippur, which is also called the Day of Atonement, the Jewish people fast for 25 hours, during which they atone for their sins.

Wehope that you will find something at Holidays on the Net that will help you better enjoy and appreciate these High Holy Days. We really look forward to seeing you at our High Holy Days celebration!

Happy Holidays and Shanah Tova!

Holidays on the Net






(June 09) Today we're observing ... Shavuot

05222007mmm.jpg

Shavuot (Jewish - beganlast night atsundown)
Today continues the observation of theJewish holiday commemorating the anniversary of the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai.

Also known as the Feast of the Weeks, which celebrates the harvest season in Israel. Shavuot, which means “weeks”, refers to the timing of the festival which is held exactly 7 weeks after Passover.

For more information visit our Shavuot celebration - Shavuot on the Net






(June 08) Tonight we're observing ... Shavuot

05222007mmm.jpg

Shavuot (Jewish - begins at sundown)
 A Jewish holiday commemorating the anniversary of the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai.

Also known as the Feast of the Weeks, which celebrates the harvest season in Israel. Shavuot, which means “weeks”, refers to the timing of the festival which is held exactly 7 weeks after Passover.

For more information visit our Shavuot celebration - Shavuot on the Net






Holiday Invite: Shavuot on the Net

Shavuot on  the Net

Chag Sameach (Happy Holiday)!

Holidays on the Net invites you to join us for our celebration of the Jewish festival of Shavuot.

Shavuot is celebrated exactly seven weeks after the second day of Passover, which explains the name of the holiday — it literally means “weeks”. Commemorating the ancient harvest of the first fruits, Shavuot also has important religious significance for the Jewish people: The holidays marks the anniversary of G-d giving the Israelites the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.

Join us at Holidays on the Net to learn more about the unique religious customs and legends of Shavuot, including the tradition of eating dairy foods. Share the spirit of this early summertime holiday with your children, by making together Shavuot-themed crafts or cooking up a Shavuot feast in your kitchen.

This year, Shavuot will be celebrated from sundown on Sunday, June 8th until sunset on Tuesday, June 10th. In Israel, the holiday will conclude at sunset on June 9th.

We look forward to seeing you this Shavuot atShavuot on the Net

Happy Holidays,
Holidays on the Net






Dispatches from an American in Israel: Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day)

Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day)
The sun has set on Israel??s 60th Independence Day celebrations, but my ears are still ringing from the fireworks shows last night ?? and my belly is still stuffed from the barbeques today.

Last night, at 8 p.m. Israel officially said goodbye to Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) and kicked off the start of the 60th Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day) in grand fashion. Every municipality across the country hosted multiple fire works shows ?? in fact, from my rooftop balcony, I was able to catch at least 4 different displays from neighboring towns.

The rest of the night was like one big traveling band: Israel??s favorite pop artists from today and yesteryear headed out on their annual one-night-only tour. Popular singers like Danny Sanderson and Gidi Gov knocked out 30-minute sets and then quickly moved on to the next city ?? which I guess is one of the advantages of being a super star in a country where 80 percent of the population lives within 2.5 hours or each other.

Today, every single soul in Israel celebrated independence in precisely the same fashion: With a barbeque. Not the most vegetarian-friendly holiday, Yom HaAtzmaut is universally celebrated over a plate of charred skewers. (My barbeque host ironically called today ??The Festival of Beef?.) While many patriots prefer elbowing with their fellow countrymen for space at one the country??s national parks, I took the cushier route and accepted an invitation to a cookout in someone??s backyard.

Earlier in the day, there were parades and more concerts ?? and even a fun local exhibition of the Tank Corps. Soldiers let kids clamor up to the top of their armored vehicles and demonstrated krav magah techniques.

Whether you??re a die-hard patriot or not, the 60th Yom HaAtzmaut was undoubtedly a moving day ?? filled with the comraderie that comes from being a part of something bigger than yourself. That, and eating too many hotdogs.






Dispatches from an American in Israel: Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day)

Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day)
At 8 o??clock tonight, a piercing minute-long siren jarred me out of my daydreaming as I washed up the dinner dishes.  That siren, like the one last week on Yom HaShoah, is intended to do just that: Jar us. Startle us.  Drown out every distraction so that we focus our minds and hearts on the personal pain and national tragedy of Israel??s fallen soldiers.

The Yom HaZikaron siren reconnects Israel??s 7 million citizens with the loss of the 22,437 soldiers who have been killed in combat. Since last Yom HaZikaron, 132 more soldiers have been killed.

Regardless of your politics, the reality of loss is at times staggering. I don??t know a single person here who is untouched by it.  Everyone knows someone ?? a friend, a colleague, a parent, a sibling, a child ?? who has been killed or wounded in the army.

In Israel, all 18 year-olds, boys and girls alike, are conscripted into the army.  Men serve for three years of active duty ?? and another 20 years of reserve duty.  Women serve at least two years.  The country has fought seven wars in its 60 years of existence.

This Yom HaZikaron, more than around one and a half million people will visit a military cemetery ?? that??s one in every seven citizens (an astonishing statistic for me, as an American, who grew up so removed from the fundamental message of Memorial Day.)

Tomorrow at 11 am, the nation will honor another two minutes of silence, after which 40-some memorial ceremonies will take place at each of the nation??s military cemeteries.  Television and radio stations dedicate their programming tonight and tomorrow to remembering the fallen soldiers. Entertainment venues are closed.  There is an air of mournful respect for all ?? profound personal loss for many.

At 8 pm tomorrow night, Memorial Day will come to a close and Israel will begin celebrating its 60th Independence Day. This transition ?? from mourning to rejoicing ?? reminds the nation that from death comes life.  For 25 hours, Israelis mourn their fallen soldiers.  And then they allow themselves to celebrate the gift of national independence.

photo credit: flickr






Dispatches from an American in Israel: Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)



Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)
Tomorrow morning at 10 a.m., a siren will sound throughout the entire country of Israel. Pedestrians will stop in their tracks. Traffic will come to a standstill. Everyone will stand ?? young and old, religious and secular, feet planted firmly, head bowed in somber and rapt attention.

A nation of nearly 6 million Jews will remember and honor the 6 million who were murdered in the Holocaust.

Yom HaShoah v’HaGvurah, which literally means the Day (of Remembrance) for the Holocaust and for Heroism, began tonight, on the 27th day of the Jewish month of Nisan, just one week after the conclusion of Passover. The holiday will conclude tomorrow evening. The date, chosen by the Israeli parliament in 1951, also marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.

In addition to that haunting siren, Yom HaShoah will also be marked tomorrow at school-wide assemblies across the nation. Remembrance is even an integral part of the TV schedule: For 25 hours, beginning tonight and concluding early tomorrow evening, cable and public stations run only programming that is connected to the Holocaust and World War II. A number of tonight’s talk shows featured interviews with survivors who are now in their late 80s. Most restaurants have also shut their doors, at least for tonight ?? some even closed as early as 4 p.m. Movie theatres are also closed tonight.

Yom HaShoah is the first of three national (non-religious) holidays in Israel, which fall during the seven-week period between the end of the Passover and the start of Shavuot. Next Wednesday night, May 7th, is the intensely somber Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron). The following day, the country will transition from a week of national mourning to a day of total jubilation: Israel’s 60th Independence Day (Yom HaAtzmaut).

Visit our “Don’t Let the Light Go Out” - A Multimedia Remembrance In Honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day - Yom Ha’Shoah






(April 20) Today we're celebrating ... Passover


Passover
Today is the 1st day of Passover (which began last night). The 8 day observance commemorates the freedom and exodus of the Israelites (Jewish slaves) from Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II.

A time of family gatherings and lavish meals called Seders, the story of Passover is retold through the reading of the Haggadah. With its special foods, songs, and customs, the Seder is the focal point of the Passover celebration.

Join us for our updated Passover 2008 celebration - Passover on the Net







Free
Chanukah Screensavers and Desktop Wallpaper




All images, animation, text, video, java, javascript, audio, html
© Copyright 1995-2008, Studio Melizo
Reproduction or other use without written consent is illegal

[ HOME ] [ STORY ] [ MENORAH ] [ DREIDEL ]
[ GOODIES ] [ STAMP ] [ CRAFTS ] [ CARDS ]


A Production Of
holidays on the net
Holiday Celebrations on the World Wide Web
Sponsored by
melizo.com
Studio Melizo
Web Design and Maintenance
Questions, Problems, or Comments?
holidayboss@holidays.net

Free
Chanukah Screensavers and Desktop Wallpaper