Passover

• Passover, Pesach in Hebrew, is one of the most commonly celebrated Jewish festivals and commemorates Moses leading the Israelites to freedom from their enslavement under the Egyptian Pharaoh. The holiday begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month Nissan, which spans over the months of March and April, and lasts for eight days. During the celebration, no food containing wheat or grain may be eaten. The first two nights of Passover includes a Seder, a ritual meal, which tells the story of Passover. Translated literally, seder means order.
  
  

Purim

• Purim, or the Festival of Lots, is a one-day celebration which occurs in February or March. It is based on a historical story from the Book of Esther in which the new queen, Esther, uses her faith to preserve the Jews of Persia from death. The Festival of Lots is known as one of the more joyous of the Judaism festivals. Participants read the story of Esther aloud while embellishing through commentary and fancy clothing. A special food eaten at the festival is Hamantaschen, a triangular cookie filled with poppy-seeds, jam or fruit.
  
  

Shavout

• Shavout celebrates the gift of the ten commandments from God to Moses. The festival takes place seven weeks after Passover and lasts for two days. Traditionally dairy products and vegetables are eaten during Shavout, though meat is also consumed. Flowers are traditionally displayed.
  
  

Yom Kippur

• Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, is the end of the Days of Awe, which begin at the end of Rosh Hashanah. It is considered the holiest day of the Jewish year, as it is the day when all Jews have their fates sealed for the coming year. Each individual participating in the holiday is to focus on his or her service to God. In doing so, participants must abstain from eating, drinking, washing, bathing, wearing leather shoes, applying lotion, applying perfume or having marital relations starting sundown on the previous evening and ending at sundown on Yom Kippur.
  
  

Rosh Hashanah

• Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, occurs between September and October. Rosh Hashanah takes place on the first and second days of the Jewish new year and is a festival for celebration, personal reflection and repentance. Round breads, apples and honey are traditional foods for this holiday.
  
  

Succot

• Succot is a festival which begins five days after Yom Kippur and commerates the temporary dwellings where the Israelites lived after their exodus from Egypt. It is sometimes called the festival of booths. The festival occurs for eight-days during which Jews lived and dined in booths, known as Succahs, which have walls made of wood and ceilings with minimal coverage in order to see through to the stars.
  
  

Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

• Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah immediately follow Succot, and celebrate the end of the reading of the complete Torah, which takes one year. The festival celebrates not only that the reading has ended, but that it can begin again anew, making it one of the happiest of the Jewish festivals. Dancing with the Torah and the distribution of candy to children are two ways that this holiday is observed.
  
  

Hanukkah

• Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, lasts for eight days in December. The holiday celebrates the victory of the Jews over the Hellenist Syrians in 165 BC: a group of Jews called the Maccabees revolted and won battles against the Syrians and restored the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. To light the Holy Temple, a candelabra was needed. A miracle occurred when the only oil found, enough for one day, kept the candelabra lit for eight nights. To celebrate Hanukkah candles are lit for all eight nights, food cooked in oil is consumed, gifts are given, and parties and celebrations are common.