Holidays

Holidays in Islam

Islam has two holidays according to the Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad. One of them is Eid ul-Fitr. It is celebrated after Ramadan, the ninth month of Hicri, the lunar Islamic calendar. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, with the exception of little children, travelers, and ill people. Eid ul-Fitr is celebrated for 3 days. Sadaka-i Fitr (charity) and Zekat (obligatory alms) are often given to the poor on Eid and before Eid.

The other holiday in Islam is Eid ul-Adha. It lasts 4 days beginning on the 10th day of the last month of the Islamic year, which is also the month of the hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca). Eid ul-Adha symbolizes for Muslims the faithfulness of Prophet Ibrahim in being ready to sacrifice his son Prophet Ismail to God. Thus, sacrificing a lamb, a sheep, or a camel is meant to show the faithfulness of Muslims to God. The meat is shared among the family, neighbors, and the poor according to the Qur'an.

As preparation for the Eids, Muslims clean their houses and get new clothes and gifts for their families and friends. The celebration begins with Eid prayers offered at large mosque gatherings. Mosque members wear their best clothes to give thanks to God.

Holidays in Christianity

Christmas is one of the most widely celebrated holidays of Christianity. It is a celebration of Jesus' birthday. The period of Advent (from the Latin word for “coming” or “arrival”), in which Christians prepare for the coming of Jesus, lasts between 3 weeks (if December 25 falls on Monday) and 4 weeks (if it falls on Sunday). This period also is a time of preparing the inner self to receive Jesus in spirit. Christians celebrate Christmas in their own homes with the family. They give presents to their families, relatives, and friends as a symbol of the personality of Jesus. Christmas trees are customary symbols of this holiday.

[Page 529]Easter is another holiday of Christianity. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion. Lent is the time of spiritual and physical preparation for Good Friday and Easter Day.

The holiday of Ascension celebrates the resurrected Christ's ascension into heaven. Pentecost commemorates the gift of the Holy Spirit to the disciples following the ascension. Also called Whitsunday (White Sunday), Pentecost traditionally was the day on which new members to the church were baptized and admitted to the church.

Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday of Christians but commemorates a meal shared between the Pilgrim Fathers and Native Americans in the 17th century, though it has subsequently become a time to thank God for the blessings of a prosperous life. It is also a holiday in American civil life. Halloween is another nonreligious (to most people) holiday with different myths about its origins, though the term comes from the “hallowed eve” before All Saints Day, a time to remember the Christian saints and, by extension, all revered ancestors. A longtime belief is that the spirits of death come out on Halloween. Nowadays, its celebration is marked by somewhat macabre fun.

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