Yeshua and the FALL Festivals;

YESHUA and the FALL Festivals: DIVINE Pictures of Things to COME! 👏🏻

FALL Festivals 2022 will be a significant time! 

Passover and Easter overlap in 2022. Here’s why they have more in common than you might expect. Easter 2022 brings two major religious holidays — Easter and Passover. As in many years past, they share calendar space in 2022. While dates for the observances change each year, the first night of Passover 2022 — Friday, April 15 — lands on Good Friday, which is an important part of Easter during the Holy Week preceding Easter Sunday (April 17). At the outset, Easter and Passover may seem far apart in purpose, ritual and imagery. But the common roots of the two holidays become overwhelmingly apparent when you discount any perceived chasm between chocolate rabbits and marshmallow chicks and matzo and gefilte fish.

The Passover-Easter connection

Passover marks the biblical story of Exodus, of the Jews and their leader, Moses, fleeing slavery in Egypt with the help of divine intervention.

Easter, widely considered the most important day of the Christian calendar, commemorates the resurrection of Jesus as told in the Gospels of the New Testament.

“Passover and Good Friday through Easter go together like a hand and a glove,” says David Kraemer, librarian and professor of Talmud and rabbinics at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. “They’re actually designed to go together.”

Still, if you think that simply means Jesus, a Jew, attended a Passover Seder just before he died, read on. The bond between the two springtime holidays manifests in a series of meaningful ways — from the names of the holidays to when, how and why we celebrate them.

It’s in the name

First, let’s take the names of the holidays. The actual origin of the name is unclear, but “Easter” has been associated with a pre-Christian Germanic goddess, Eostre (this is up for debate, as is the existence and origin of Eostre), or a word for “dawn” (that also contributed to the formation of the word “east”). But many other languages call the holiday some variation of Pasqua (Italian) or Pascua (Spanish).

“You’re actually hearing the closeness of the two holidays,” says Gary Rendsburg, professor of Jewish studies at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. “You’re hearing the Hebrew word ‘Pesach,’” he says, which is Passover in English.

Kraemer says there was no Latin word for Passover, so the name came from “Pesach.”

“Properly speaking, ‘Pascua’ is Christian Passover,” he says.

Why “Passover”? Because according to Exodus, the angel of death “passed over” the homes of Israelites during the plague in which the first-born male of each family was to be killed, because the Jews had marked their doorposts with lamb’s blood.

Why is Easter sometimes on Passover and sometimes not?

In 2022, Passover and Easter converge, as they commonly do. This year, Good Friday falls on the first night of Passover, April 15, and Easter falls on the second full day of Passover on April 17. (Jewish holidays start the night before the first day. Passover, which is commonly celebrated with Seders — ritual meals — on the first two nights, lasts a total of eight days and ends on Saturday, April 23.)

But in 2016, the holidays were nearly a month apart because of a “leap month” in the Jewish (lunar) calendar. And in other years, the holidays can be days or weeks apart. There’s a larger reason for that, one that speaks to Easter’s roots in the Jewish holiday.

“Originally, Passover and Easter would have been the same time every year,” says Douglas Estes, assistant professor of New Testament and practical theology at South University in Columbia, South Carolina.

From the second century through part of the fourth century, Easter was celebrated on the Sunday after Passover began (which is where it falls this year), says Bruce Morrill, a Jesuit priest and professor of theological studies at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

“Christian churches around the Mediterranean only began celebrating Easter as a feast well into the second century,” Morrill says. It grew out of a desire to have a Passover associated with the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Passover is observed starting on the 15th of the month of Nisan on the Jewish calendar, during the full moon. But Morrill says that in the fourth century, it was determined that Easter should always fall on the Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox (March 20).

(Christians in the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrate Orthodox Easter on Sunday, April 24, just after the end of Passover week, because their observance is centered around the Julian calendar, not the Gregorian calendar.)

Jesus, Passover and the sacrificial lamb

Many who claim basic knowledge of Passover and Easter may know that Jesus was a Jew who died during the time of Passover. The question of exactly when he died is laden with enduring symbolism.

The period known as the “paschal triduum” (notice the “Pesach” reference) starts with the Thursday before Easter. Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, commemorates the Last Supper, the night before the death of Jesus.

On Good Friday, the Gospel of John is read, in which Jesus is said to have been executed by the Roman authorities during the slaughter of the Passover lambs in the daytime, while the preparations for the holiday were underway.

The Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke, which are read on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, differ in their account, putting the death of Jesus the day after the Passover meal with his disciples (as depicted in the Leonardo da Vinci painting “The Last Supper”), Morrill says. It follows that Gospel of John is the source of the image “Christ as the lamb who has been slain,” he says.

At that time, Jews would be going to the temple to get their Passover lambs after the animals were sacrificed. Today, the lamb shows up on the Passover Seder plate in the form of the zeroah, or shank bone (which is not eaten).

Was the Last Supper a Passover Seder?

It’s accepted that Jesus was executed around the time of Passover. But was Jesus really at a Passover Seder before his death?

That, of course, depends on whether you subscribe to the Gospel of John or the other version of the story that does put Jesus at the Last Supper on the night before his crucifixion. Even if you assume the latter to be true, there is some room for debate. Especially if you make a distinction between “Seder” and “Passover meal.”

“Many people think that the Last Supper was a Seder meal,” Rendsburg says. “I’m of that group that thinks not.”

That’s because the version of the Passover meal that we call the Seder wasn’t developed until later, he says, pointing to evidence from the Gospels and Jewish literature that talks about Jews going to the temple for sacrifices and to celebrate holidays. By contrast, the Passover Seder we know today is an in-home affair.

Kraemer disagrees.

“The Last Supper is obviously the Passover meal, later what we would call the Seder,” he says.

The Seder, which means means “order” and describes the procession of the ritual meal, with its plate of symbolic foods (matzo, bitter herbs, shank bone and more) and reading of the story of the Exodus in the Passover Haggadah (“telling”), evolved at a later time, after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D. But that’s immaterial, Kraemer argues.

“Before the Seder developed, there was already the Passover eve meal,” he says. “It was clearly the Passover meal.”

Freedom, redemption and salvation

Regardless of when he actually died — during the run-up to the Passover meal or after — the image and symbol of Jesus as the lamb cuts to the heart of Easter.

In the New Testament — the Book of Revelation and the Epistle to the Hebrews — Jesus is referred to as “the paschal lamb,” Kraemer says. His sacrifice “through the crucifixion, like the slaughter of the lamb, is both what symbolizes and brings about deliverance — redemption,” he says.

Estes says that for Christians, the idea of the resurrected Jesus as the sacrificial Passover lamb is the fulfillment of the Passover story, starting with what God did through Moses “and then even more so, what God did through Jesus.”

Early Christians celebrated Passover, and Estes says he’s seen an increase in awareness about the holiday among Christians.

“Passover and Easter are really intended to go hand in hand,” he says. “The Israelites saw Passover as the symbol or the sign that they were freed from pharaoh (in Egypt). Christians see Easter as the freedom from corruption or sin. ... As Christians we are rescued and Jesus is the rescuer.”

As part of Saturday night Easter vigil and Holy Thursday, Christians read the story of the Exodus that is found in the Passover Haggadah, which is read during the Seder, says Kevin Ahern, assistant professor of religious studies at Manhattan College. The story of Easter is inextricably linked to Passover, but he also says the overarching themes are similar.

“Both of those stories say to me that God’s love is more powerful than any empire,” Ahern says, whether the pharaoh or the Romans. “Love wins.”

“Both are celebrations of hope,” he says. “Not of dour hope, but of joyful hope.”

Morrill says the messages of redemption and deliverance resound through both holidays: “These were life-changing and death-defeating events.”

The paschal candle, which is lit on the night before Easter Sunday, is about needing hope in the world, and light in the midst of darkness. This custom, carried out during the paschal vigil, may remind some of the Jewish custom of lighting candles at night during the Sabbath, Morrill says.

“The symbolism is that the candle represents the light that is Christ,” he says.

“The light and the fire thing took on a new sort of intensity because of St. Patrick of Ireland,” Morrill says.

The tradition of lighting a fire or bonfire during the Easter vigil on Saturday night is a custom originated by St. Patrick, who adapted the custom from the springtime bonfires of the Druids. It’s just one example of Easter’s Christianization of a popular local tradition. The eggs and rabbits we associate with the holiday are thought to be another.

Matzo, yeast and symbolism

In the unleavened bread used for the Christian Eucharist, some see a likeness to matzo, the unleavened bread that Jews eat during Passover to commemorate their exodus from Egypt. In the usual telling, the Jews did not have enough time for their dough to rise before they had to flee the pharaoh.

Another interpretation of the unleavened bread is that yeast is associated with haughtiness, or “puffiness,” Rendsburg says. Jews rid their homes of chametz, or leavened products, before Passover, removing both physical and spiritual yeast for the holiday, he says.

“That’s a good Jewish metaphor,” Rendsburg says. “It gets, like many things, layers of interpretation.”

From about 1200 B.C. to 586 B.C., which was when the First Temple was destroyed, Jews celebrated a spring agricultural festival that served as a precursor to Passover, he says. In this festival, they marked the start of the barley harvest, since it was the first crop to ripen. In order to celebrate properly, the Jews did not want to contaminate their new barley with the yeast that came from old grain.

“You don’t want to take some of your old leavening agent and include it,” Rendsburg says.

So they observed the celebration by eating unleavened bread made with that new barley — something that didn’t look anything like the boxed matzo we eat today, but probably more like a tortilla, or naan or pizza dough without yeast.

That perfect square of crunchy matzo? A reinterpretation of a reinterpretation.

“The core is unleavened bread for the celebration of the barley festival, which then gets written into the narrative,” Rendsburg says. “Religious symbols always get reimagined.”

“People celebrate harvests, that’s what they do,” he says, but Passover was different because it was the first time such a festival was used to commemorate a historical event. “The genius of ancient Israel was to give historical significance to the festival,” he says. “Some core element of Israelites came out of Egypt. That event took place at the time of the spring, so it was an easy association to make. 

While dates for the observances change each year, the first night of Passover 2022 — Friday, April 15 — lands on Good Friday, which is an important part of Easter during the Holy Week preceding Easter Sunday (April 17).

-Jewish Holidays-

Tu B’shevat - January 17
This holiday, the New Year of the Trees, marks the coming of spring. It is celebrated by having picnics, planting trees, and eating fruit

Purim — March 17
The Festival of Lots recalls the rescue of the Jews of Ancient Persia from annihilation at the hands of Haman, who cast lots to choose this day for his plot to kill the Jews. Queen Esther and her uncle, Mordechai, foiled his plan.  On Purim, the Megillah of Esther is read, and the holiday is celebrated with festivity, costumes, and noisemakers. Hamantashen are the traditional food, mishloach manot (gift packages) are exchanged, and money is given to the poor.

Pesach / Passover — April 16-23
The Exodus of the Jews from Egypt is celebrated with the eight-day festival of Passover. Ridding the home of chametz (leavened food) and eating only unleavened items commemorate the haste in which the former slaves fled Egypt, leaving them too little time for their bread dough to rise. Jews retell the story of the Exodus during their Passover Seders.
In 2021, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis celebrated by passing out Passover Kits to families with young children, attending a virtual Passover cooking class, and other virtual activities

Yom Hashoah - April 28
Also known as “Holocaust Remembrance Day,” Yom HaShoah is marked by memorials and dedications to those who perished in the Holocaust.
Each year, the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum hosts a commemoration to honor survivors and remember the victims of the Holocaust. St. Louis survivors share eyewitness accounts of the Shoah, followed by music, liturgical readings, and prayers.

Yom Hazikaron - May 4
Israel’s National Memorial Day honors veterans, fallen military personnel, and victims of terror. 

Yom Ha’atzmaut - May 5
Israel Independence Day is celebrated festively by Jews around the world, commemorating the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948.

Yom Yerushalayim - May 29
Jerusalem Day commemorates the liberation of the city of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War.

Yom Yerushalayim - May 29
Jerusalem Day commemorates the liberation of the city of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War.

Tisha B’av - August 7
This solemn day is a reminder of the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, which occurred on the same Hebrew calendar date. It is traditional to fast. 

Rosh Hashanah — September 26-27
Literally meaning “Head of the Year,” Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish calendar. It begins a 10-day period of repentance and prayer which ends on Yom Kippur. We celebrate the holiday with services and apples dipped in honey to symbolize the hope for a sweet year to come. 

Yom Kippur — October 5
The Day of Atonement is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, marking the end of the 10 days of repentance. It is spent in fasting and fervent prayer. Sounding the shofar signals the holiday’s end.

Sukkot — October 10-11
This harvest festival is named for the temporary dwellings, called Sukkot, decorated with fruit and vegetables, set up to recall the booths in which the Jews lived during their journey from Egypt. The holiday is marked by processions with the lulav (palm branch with myrtle and willow) and etrog (citron). 

Shemini Atzeret — October 17
The day after Sukkot is Shemini Atzeret, which is combined in Israel with Simchat Torah, nominally a separate holiday; thus, there is no partaking of meals in the sukkah, nor use of the lulav and etrog. The special prayer for rain is recited during the musaf service.

Simchat Torah — October 18
Outside of Israel, the day after Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torah marks the end of the annual Torah reading and the beginning of the cycle for the coming year. It is celebrated with singing, dancing, and merry processions of people carrying Torahs and children waving flags.

Chanukah / Hanukkah — December 19-26
In 167 BCE, the Maccabees led a band of Jews in a successful battle against the occupying Syrian-Greeks, who had desecrated the Second Temple’s eternal light. Miraculously, one day’s supply of oil lasted eight days, until more could be found. The Chanukah menorah is lit for eight nights to celebrate that miracle. Among the many Hanukkah traditions, children play dreidel and foods fried in oil are customary.

*🎺The next religious holiday in Christianity is;
26th May, Thursday: Ascension of Jesus*🍎❤️

This day observes the departure of Jesus from earth after his resurrection. It is perhaps the earliest observed celebration in Christianity.  You will find the Biblical accounts of the Ascension in Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:6-11. During the forty-day period before he ascended into heaven, it is believed that Jesus preached and intermingled with his apostles and disciples. According to tradition, Ascension Day was first celebrated in 68 AD, however the first written evidence of the Ascension Day Feast occurred in 385 AD.

**-2022-**christian holidays; 

Thu Jan 06 Epiphany;

Epiphany is one of the most important Christian festivals, as it shows how God comes to His people and reveals His salvation to the world. The word Epiphany comes from the Greek word "epiphaneia", which means "appearance" or "manifestation". Every year this day falls on 6th January or in some countries, on the Sunday that falls between 2nd January and 8th January. The Epiphany is an ancient Christian festival and is important in a number of ways. In some region, the Epiphany celebrates the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. In some other region, this day refers to the visit of the magi (wise men) to the infant Jesus when God revealed himself to the world through the manifestation of Jesus. This day also celebrates Jesus' birth. The traditional color for Epiphany is white, which signifies peace, purity and holiness.

Sun, Jan 09, The Baptism of Jesus

In Catholicism, a great deal of emphasis is placed on the rituals surrounding the events of the Lord Jesus's life from birth to resurrection to death. Every detail is minutely scrutinized and carefully celebrated in its own way. One such celebration is the Baptism of the Lord, which is celebrated in January every year. It was originally observed through the event known as the Epiphany, which marked three events from the Gospel. It denoted the visit of the three Magi to the baby Jesus in his crib, the baptism of Jesus by the river Jordan and the wedding at Cana where Jesus is said to have performed his first miracle, turning water to wine. The Magi became the most prominent celebration of the Epiphany, and in 1955 Pope Pius XII instituted a separate liturgical commemoration for the Baptism, as the 13th of January. This was changed by Pope John XXIII and subsequently by Pope Paul IV, to its current date of the first Sunday after 6th January (the Epiphany), or if in a particular country the Epiphany is celebrated on 7th or 8th January, the following Monday. The feast marks the end of the liturgical season of Christmastide and the beginning of Ordinary Time. The Baptism of Christ would seem to be a paradox, since in Catholicism baptism is meant for remission of past sins and Christ was said to be born without Original Sin. However, by humbling himself, the Son of God, to John the Baptist, Christ is seen to have been taking on the sins of others and giving his followers a model to replicate - it was necessary not for him, but for mankind. After the Epiphany, which is seen as the "first manifestation" of the Lord, the Baptism is the "second manifestation" which marks the beginning of Christ's public ministrations. The day is marked by feasting by Catholics, with a particular liturgy or set of prayers being read. Pope John Paul III began a tradition of christening babies at the Sistine Chapel on this day. Around the world, different water-centered traditions exist, such as in Ukraine, where craftsmen's fairs are held with traditional food, drinks and entertainment and devout Catholics bathe in ice-cold lake water. Across southern and eastern Europe, orthodox believers jump into frigid water to retrieve a wooden crucifix that is thrown in. In Bulgaria and Romania also, similar traditions are followed. From pulpits, through publications and all forms of outreach, the Catholic Church uses this day to affirm belief in Christ and the importance of the rituals of Catholicism even in the modern day context of multiple fractions in Christianity and growing atheism. Practicing Catholics take this day as an opportunity to remember their own baptisms, and reaffirm what they see as their baptismal calling - to announce the goodness of their lord.
The Feat of the Baptism of our Lord, as it is formally called, is one of the high feasts of the Catholic Church, and marks a solemn occasion in the life of Christ as their Lord and savior.

Wed, Feb 02, Candlemas

Candlemas is celebrated on the 2nd day of February of each year. The day is celebrated as a day of renewal, hope, and purification. According to an old Jewish custom, a woman who gives birth to a child will be unclean and homebound for a certain number of days after the birth.

Mon, Feb 14, St. Valentine's Day

Some believe that the day was celebrated to respect a Saint Valentine when he refused to obey the orders of Emperor Claudius II. Emperor Claudius II had ordered that young men should refrain from marrying, as he believed that after marriage, men no longer remain good soldiers. However, the Valentine in question did not obey this order and helped many young men marry secretly. The Valentine was thus killed by the Emperor and hence, the tradition of Valentine's Day was started.

Wed, Mar 02, Ash Wednesday

Each year, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and is always 46 days before Easter Sunday. Lent is a 40-day season (not counting Sundays) marked by repentance, fasting, reflection, and ultimately celebration. The 40-day period represents Christ’s time of temptation in the wilderness, where he fasted and where Satan tempted him. Lent asks believers to set aside a time each year for similar fasting, marking an intentional season of focus on Christ’s life, ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection.

Sun, Apr 10, Palm Sunday

In the Christian calendar, Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter and the final Sunday in Lent. Palm Sunday marks the first day of the Holy Week. The day commemorates the day Jesus arrived in Jerusalem riding on a donkey. It was only a few days before one of his disciples Judas Iscariot, would betray him, putting Jesus on trial and ultimately sentenced to death by crucifixion.
The Palm Sunday Meaning is derived from how the people of Jerusalem laid palm leaves on the path as Jesus passed. Today, Palm Sunday celebrations involve a procession of faithfuls carrying palms, willow or olive branches. Other names of this holiday are Branch Sunday, Passion Sunday, Flower Sunday and Willow Sunday.

What Is The History of Palm Sunday?
The Palm Sunday story narrates Jesus’ triumphant entry in Jerusalem where He would be crucified five days later. On that day, Jesus rode on a donkey as crowds called him Messiah and greeted him by waving and laying palm branches on the ground. Prophet Zachariah had predicted the event in the Old Testament that people would recognize the Messiah as he rode into the city.

How Is Palm Sunday Celebrated Today?
Every year, Christians across the globe observe the Palm Sunday. The priests are mandated to give Palm Sunday sermons that should deepen the worshippers’ faith. During the ceremony, the congregation moves in a procession carrying palms’ branches just like Jesus’ followers did to Him on His humble entry into the city of Jerusalem. When palms are not available, they use willow, olive or other branches. In most churches, the worshippers twist the branches into crosses and other religious symbols. At the end of the procession, some members of the congregation take the palms home to serve as sacred signs. However, in most Roman Catholic congregation, the branches are blessed, burned and the ash saved for use in the following year’s Ash Wednesday.

Why is Palm Sunday Important?
According to the Palm Sunday Scripture, Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem marked the last week of His earthly ministry. He was arrested a few days later, mocked and crucified on the cross. Christians believe that Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection saved them the punishment they should be receiving up to date. For this reason, Palm Sunday is significant to all Christians as it reminds them of how Christ died for their sins.

What Happens To The Palms After The Palm Sunday?
During the ceremony, the palms are blessed and cannot, therefore, be thrown away like rubbish. The Palms usually are, collected, burned into ash and used the following year to mark the worshippers’ foreheads for Ash Wednesday Celebration. The Ash Wednesday is generally the start of the lent period.
What Is The Significance Of Palms And Donkey?
From time immemorial, Palms have been a sign of homage. Palm branches are a symbol of joy, peace, and victory. In the world of Christianity, it is a sign of victory over the flesh. In fact, Palms were often thrown before noble and people of great respect.
Back in the days, a king riding on a horse was a symbol of war. On the other hand, a King riding on a donkey signified peace and humility. Although Jesus did not consider himself a king, his followers saw Him as the King of Israel.

Thu, Apr 14, Maundy (Holy) Thursday

The day is celebrated to commemorate the occasion of Last Supper of Jesus Christ, as described in the Bible, whereby Jesus shared a meal with his disciples a day before his crucification. The word Maundy is believed to be derived from the word "mandatum" which literally means commands, and this refers to the commandments given by Jesus to his disciples on this day. Maundy Thursday is perhaps one of the oldest holy traditions in Christianity with evidence of the day being observed from medieval times itself. In olden days, the festival was better known as Shere Thursday, with Shere literally translating to "guilt free".

Fri, Apr 15, Good Friday

What Is The Good Friday History?
Good Friday accounts for the trial, torture, conviction, and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Before this day of suffering, Jesus had been betrayed by Judas Iscariot on the day of Last Supper also called Holy Thursday. It is this betrayal that led to Christ's arrest at the Garden Of Gethsemane. The soldiers took Jesus to Caiaphas the High Priest and teachers of the law who convicted Jesus on blasphemy charges. Jesus was then forwarded to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, for execution. Upon learning the humiliation Jesus was going through, Judas was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins he had earned for betraying Christ. Judas then hanged himself early on Friday morning.
Jesus stood in front of Pontius Pilate and he did not deny any of the charges leveled against him. Pontius Pilate opted to get the crowd's approval on whether to crucify Jesus or release him. Surprisingly, the crowd asked their governor to crucify Christ and release one of the notorious criminals at the time called Barnabas. With no option, Pilate handed Jesus over for crucifixion.
The soldiers took Jesus to the Roman courtyard, stripped him, set a crown of thorns on his head and proceeded to abuse him physically. He was then forced to carry the cross to Golgotha where they crucified him. Immediately he passed away; unusual events took place. Darkness came over for three straight hours, there was an earthquake and the curtains at the temple in Jerusalem tore into two. Jesus was then buried later in the day by a man called Joseph of Arimathea, who wrapped him in a clean linen cloth and placed his body in a tomb.

Why Do We Call It Good Friday?
It's difficult to understand the goodness of the Good Friday following the suffering Christ went through. Some religious personnel suggests that the day is a corruption of God's day.' Others argue the day is good because it is holy. Most Christians, however, believe that by Christ's death on this Friday, Jesus saved them from sins. Therefore, despite the dark events that took place on that day, they see it as a blessing to them and hence a Good Friday. Christians find it ideal for taking part in Good Friday Fasting, as this shows their appreciation for Christ's sacrificial deed.

Why Do We Celebrate Good Friday?
The day marks Jesus' crucifixion and death at Calvary. Through his death, Christians believe that all their sins were forgiven. Indeed, it is Christ's sacrifice for the welfare of humanity that saved them from punishment from God the father. Christians, therefore, celebrate this selfless sacrifice on Good Friday.

Sun, Apr 17, Easter

Easter is a festival celebrated by Christians to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The date of the festival is not fixed. It is celebrated on the first Sunday of a full moon day after March 21. It usually falls between March 21 and April 25.
The festival celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and is considered as a rebirth of Christianity. The earliest references of the celebration of this festival date back to the 2nd century. In ancient history, many controversies arose regarding the celebration of this festival. The first evidence of controversy surrounding the festival dates back to 2nd century, when Bishop Victor tried to punish bishops of Asia for celebration of the festival. The controversy was largely pertaining to the dates of the festival and the rights of celebrating the festival.

The second controversy arose in the 4th century, when a large majority was unhappy with following the Hebrew calendar for the festival. Many considered it an offence to consult the Jews for the appropriate time to celebrate this holy festival. This controversy was promptly resolved by the First Council when it was decided that the festival would be celebrated through independent computations. From then on, the day is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first moon after March 21. The festival marks the end of Lent, which is a 40 day fasting period of the Christians.

Easter is a holy festival which is celebrated by churches around the world. The traditional celebration of the festival involves a dimly lit church with special prayers sung in praise of Jesus Christ. It is then followed by an elaborate Sunday mass, with happy music being played in the background. In some cultures, such as the Polish, the celebrations are more pronounced with large processions being carried out in the church followed by an elaborate mass. People are often involved in charitable causes on this day and sing happy prayers in the church to commemorate the rising of Jesus Christ from dead. One more vital feature of Easter is egg. Egg is a symbol of resurrection for Christian community, so well decorated eggs and egg hunting have become very important in Easter.

Thu, May 26, Ascension of Jesus

Ascension Day also known as the Feast of Ascension is one of the important Christian festivals celebrated in all over the world. This day marks the last appearance of Lord Jesus Christ to his followers after His resurrection at Easter.
Ascension Day falls on the Thursday, exactly 40 days after the Easter. The name "Ascension" comes from the accounts in the Bible where it is mentioned that the Jesus was taken up into heaven - He ascended. On this day the Christians celebrate the kingship of the Jesus. It is believed that during the 40 days following his resurrection, the Jesus appeared to many of his disciples and told them that He would always be with them and promised them the gift of the Holy Spirit. After saying this, the Jesus was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God.

Sun, Jun 05, Pentecost

If you were to read the Old Testament, you will discover that Pentecost started off as a Jewish celebration. Only, the Jews didn’t call it Pentecost —it was known as the Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Weeks. The day celebrated the beginning of the early weeks of the wheat harvest. This meant that Pentecost was always celebrated during the middle of the month of May or occasionally in early June. According to the Old Testament, the 50th day of Easter would be the Day of Pentecost. Since 50 days also equals seven weeks, Pentecost later came to be known as “week of weeks”. Therefore, some believers also celebrate the day as the Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Weeks. But we no longer celebrate Pentecost the way they did before. Today, the day is commemorated as the moment in history when Christ ascended to heaven. Catholics believe that, on this day, the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and other disciples following the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. For Catholics, it is the day when Christ burst forth and promised his followers that God will forever protect them. Pentecost is also celebrated as the day to honor devout Catholics and their faith.

Sun, Jun 12, Trinity Sunday

Celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost, Trinity Sunday is a Feast Day celebrated by Christians all over the U.S and the world. The purpose of this holiday is to celebrate the symbolic nature of the Trinity – which is God, the father; Jesus, the son; and the Holy Spirit. All of which are all separate entities upon themselves but are also one and the same entity. This is also known as the Christian Godhead as God incarnate in one person.

Thu, Jun 16, Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi is a Christian festival that is celebrated annually on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, on June 16 this year. On this day, devout Christians gather together to honor the sacred body of Jesus Christ. The day is also known as Corpus Domini, which literally translates to ‘body and blood of Christ,’ while some also call it the Feast of Corpus Christi. Unlike other Christian festivals, Corpus Christi is celebrated uniquely in different cultures of the world. The most common way of celebrating the day is by consuming bread and wine — the symbols of the body and blood of Christ.

Wed, Jun 29, Saints Peter and Paul

This feast day is celebrated on June 29th. The day commemorates the martyrdom of two saints, the two great Apostles, Saint Peter and St. Paul, assigned by tradition to the same day of June in the year 67. Peter was the leader of the apostles and the first pope. Paul was born Saul, but converted to Christianity on the road to Damascus. They had been imprisoned in the infamous Mamertine Prison of Rome and both had foreseen their approaching death. It is said that they were martyred at the command of Emperor Nero.

Even though they were killed on the same day, their method of execution would have differed.

Saint Peter was crucified, whereas Saint Paul would have been beheaded with a sword as he was a Roman citizen and afforded a quicker execution.

It is said of Peter that he was crucified head downward as he didn't feel worthy of being crucified in the same way as Jesus.

On June 29th, coastal and island communities may decorate their boats and wharves to give praise to St. Peter, who was the patron saint of fishermen. St. Paul was known for his handcraft.

This is probably one of the oldest feast days celebrated in the Christian calendar. In 2010, images of Peter and Paul were found on the wall of catacombs dating back to the 4th Century AD.

The feast of St Peter and St Paul is known as a 'Solemnity'. For Catholics, this means they can eat meat on the day, even if it falls on Friday when normally fish would be eaten.

Mon, Aug 01, Lammas

Lammas Day, celebrated every August 1, is a wheat harvest festival that is also known as Loaf Mass Day. The holiday encourages celebrations and mass gatherings where individuals thank God for the first harvest of the season. According to tradition, a loaf of bread has to be taken to mass on Lammas Day, hence, it is not a surprise that it is famously recognized as ‘Loaf Mass Day.’ Though Lammas Day originated as a Christian holiday, it is also celebrated by others who want to offer thanks to spiritual entities for blessing the world with a fruitful wheat harvest for a particular year.

Mon, Aug 15, The Assumption of Mary

This feast commemorates two events - the departure of Mary from this life and the assumption of her body into heaven.

The Church's official doctrine of the Assumption says that at the end of her life on earth Mary was assumed, body and soul, into heaven.

The death or 'Dormition' of Mary is not recorded in the Christian canonical scriptures. Hippolytus of Thebes, a 7th- or 8th-century author, claims in his partially preserved chronology to the New Testament that Mary lived for 11 years after the death of Jesus.

The term Dormition expresses the belief that the Virgin died without suffering, in a state of spiritual peace. This belief does not rest on any scriptural basis but is affirmed by Orthodox Christian Holy Tradition. It is testified to in some old Apocryphal writings, but neither the Orthodox Church nor other Christians regard these as possessing scriptural authority.

Some mistakenly believe Mary "ascended" into heaven, which is incorrect according to the Bible. It was Jesus Christ who ascended into heaven, by his own power. But Mary was "assumed" or taken up into heaven by God.

Observed as a holy day of obligation by Catholics and as a public holiday in some countries, devotees consider the Feast of the Assumption as the Holy Mother’s "heavenly birthday" and this is not a day of mourning for her loss, but a celebration of joy for the union of the mother with her beloved son.

According to St. John of Damascus, the Roman Emperor Marcian requested the body of Mary, Mother of God at the Council of Chalcedon, in 451.

St. Juvenal, who was Bishop of Jerusalem told the emperor “that Mary died in the presence of all the Apostles, but that her tomb, when opened upon the request of St. Thomas, was found empty; the Apostles concluded that the body was taken up to heaven,” the saint recorded.

Pope Pius Xll, in 1950, defined that Mary "after the completion of her earthly life...was assumed body and soul into the glory of Heaven." Her body wasn't allowed to corrupt nor was it allowed to remain in a tomb. Though there are claims by some cities about possessing her temporary tomb.

In the early Christian centuries relics of saints and those who gave their lives for the faith were jealously guarded and highly prized. Many cities claim the mortal remains of saints, both famous and little-known. But there are no records of Mary's bodily remains being venerated anywhere.

Wed, Sep 14, Holy Cross Day

Holy Cross Day has been associated with the dedication of a group of buildings that were built by Emperor Constantine in Jerusalem on the sites of Christ’s crucifixion and his tomb. This dedication occurred on September 14, 335. During the excavation, a relic that was believed to be the cross was discovered by Constantine’s mother, Helena. From the fourth century on, the Church of Jerusalem claimed to have this relic in their possession and had a feast to celebrate its discovery. This feast also celebrates the exposition given at Jerusalem on the matter of the cross by Heraclius – the Byzantine Emperor. It is said he recovered the cross from the Persians who seized in from Jerusalem around the 7th century when they sacked the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The authenticity of these claims remains unproven. Holy Cross Day is celebrated with reflection on and the veneration of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice he made for his mankind’s salvation. It is usually celebrated with some form of religious service, prayer, and reflection but it can also be celebrated in other ways. Baked goods in the form of a cross can be made – this includes things such as Hot Cross Buns and cross-shaped cakes. Traditions state that sweet basil grew on the hill where the Holy Cross was found, so some people use basil to create a special dish for Holy Cross Day. This can include basil soups, breads or pesto dishes.

Thu, Sep 29, Michael and All Angels

Michaelmas is a feast day that is celebrated on September 29th every year in the Western Christian Church. This feast day – also known as the Feast of Saint Michael, Feast of the Archangels and the Feast of Saint Michael And All Angels – was a holy day of obligation in the Western church up until the 18th century, but that is no longer the case.

Tue, Nov 01: All Saints' Day

On the Solemnity of All Saints, November 1, the Church celebrates those Christians who achieved spiritual maturity.  All Saints' Day also called All Hallows, Hallowmas, and Feast of All Saints is held on November 1 each year and celebrates and honors all the Saints especially the Saints who are not honored on other days of the year. The day is preceded by All Saints’ Eve (Halloween) the night before and then the day after followed by All Souls Day. The 3 days together represent the Allhallowtide triduum (religious observance lasting 3 days) as a time to reflect and remember the saints, martyrs, and the faithful who have died.
Days to All Saints' Day 2022; Tuesday, November 1st is day number 305 of the 2022 calendar year with 5 months, 29 days until All Saints' Day 2022.

Wed, Nov 02, All Souls' Day

The Allhallowtide begins on the evening of October 31st as All Saints Eve and then November 1st as All Saints Day and lastly November 2nd as All Souls Day. These three days represent the Allhallowtide triduum which is a time to reflect on the past saints, martyrs, faithful, and our own relatives who have died.

Sun, Nov 20, Christ the King

Feast of Christ the King, also called Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, festival celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church in honour of Jesus Christ as lord over all creation. Essentially a magnification of the Feast of the Ascension.