Sikh Religious Holidays and Celebrations Vaisakhi marks the time for harvest of winter crops and is significant for farmers. Vaisakhi Festival is also celebrated as a Thanksgiving Day. After waking up early Sikhs visit gurdwaras to express thanks to God for the good harvest. Vaisakhi is also celebrated by performing the energetic bhangra dance. It was on a Vaisakhi Day in the year 1699 that the Tenth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, founded the Order of Pure Ones and gave a unique name to Sikhs. He declared that all males are named Singh and females Kaur to. By doing so, he eliminated the differences of high and low and established that all human beings were equal.

Hindu Religious Holidays and Celebrations Diwali is known as the festival of lights and lasts four days. The origins are unclear but it could be a harvest festival, a celebration of the marriage between Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu, or a festival to worship Mother Kali, the dark goddess of strength. By lighting up homes and the skies with firecrackers, Hindu’s are showing respect to the heavens for all the good things people have received. According to one belief, the sound of fire- crackers are the sounds of joy from the people living on earth, making the gods aware of their good fortune. In each story of Diwali is the lesson of victory of good over evil.

Islamic Religious Holidays and Celebrations Ramadan is celebrated as the month the Qur’an was spoken to Muhammad. Muslims fast from sun-up to sun-down for the entire month. This is done to develop and strengthen the powers of self control and to attain nearness to God. It is also done to teach Muslims to be charitable and generous with their belongings. Hajj is an essential part of Islam and is required of Muslims to preform at least once in their lifetime as long as they are physically and financially able to do so. Muslims who make the journey are required to spend five days in the desert surrounding the city of Mecca. Muslims travel between specified points to perform rituals that are found in the Qur’an. Hajj is preformed to honor Abraham, who was given many difficult tasks by God. Muslims are asked to endure harsh conditions so they can understand Abraham’s struggles and learn patience.

Jewish Religious Holidays and Celebrations Yom Kippur is known as the day of Atonement (making up for the bad things you’ve done.) It is considered one of the most important holidays in the Jewish religion. It is believed that everyone’s name and fate is written in a book and on the day judgement the book and your fate are sealed. However, Yom Kippur is the only day of the year in which you can ask for forgiveness and change your fate in God’s book. Most of their day is spent in the synagogue in prayer. A horn is blown to signify the end of Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year in which reflection on the previous year and plans for the new year are made. Work is not allowed on Rosh Hashanah and the day is spent at the synagogue listening to sermons and sitting in prayer. One popular ritual is Tashlikh, in which people walk to a form of running water (river or stream) and turn out their pockets into the water to symbolically send away their sins. Jews celebrate by eating bread and apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year.

Christian Religious Holidays and Celebrations Christmas is celebrated by Christians as the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is a celebration of God’s love and brings healing and strength to Christians worldwide. Christmas is traditionally celebrated by decorating the home with lights and a tree. Christians give and receive presents in celebration of Jesus’s birth. Christians also attend church either the day before Christmas or on Christmas day. Easter is a holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus’s resurrection is extremely significant to Christianity as it symbolizes the power of Jesus and the ability to be spiritually resurrected with Jesus after death. The day is spent at church listening to a sermon and then the rest of the day is spent with the family. Eggs are also decorated to celebrate the day. Eggs were originally dyed red in the memory of the blood of Christ and symbolize the empty tomb after Jesus’s resurrection.

Name: _____________________________________________ Date: ____________________________ Period: Religious Holidays/Celebrations Chart ChristianityJudaismIslam Hinduism Sikhism Choose one holiday and explain how it has changed our world