The New Year in Five Faiths
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A new year has begun in the secular West and ancient religious cycles continue as they have for centuries. Following is a sampling of religious holidays in five major faiths for 2000. Jewish holidays begin at sunset on the preceding day; Islamic dates may vary slightly depending on location and astronomical conditions. Hindu and Buddhist dates may also vary among different sects and locales.
Christianity
The Western Christian calendar is based on the Gregorian calendar widely adopted in the 16th century. Most civil calendars follow this system. It begins in the year 1 with the birth of Christ, although most scholars agree Jesus was probably born several years earlier. Many days are fixed, such as Christmas. Others, such as Easter, are determined by phases of the moon and move from year to year. Eastern Orthodox churches vary somewhat from the Western church calendar.
DATE: Jan. 6
HOLIDAY: Epiphany
WHAT IT MARKS: End of the 12 days of Christmas
DATE: March 8 (Western)
HOLIDAY: Beginning of Lent
WHAT IT MARKS: Preparation for Easter
DATE: March 13 (Eastern)
HOLIDAY: Beginning of Lent
WHAT IT MARKS: Preparation for Easter
DATE: April 21
HOLIDAY: Good Friday
WHAT IT MARKS: The day of Jesus’ crucifixion
DATE: April 23 (Western)
HOLIDAY: Easter Sunday
WHAT IT MARKS: Resurrection of Jesus
DATE: April 30 (Eastern)
HOLIDAY: Easter Sunday
WHAT IT MARKS: Resurrection of Jesus
DATE: Dec. 3
HOLIDAY: First Sunday in Advent
WHAT IT MARKS: Beginning of preparation for Christmas
DATE: Dec. 25
HOLIDAY: Christmas
WHAT IT MARKS: Birthday of Jesus
Judaism
The Jewish calendar is “lunisolar,” which means it is regulated by both the moon and the sun. Jewish dates will vary from year to year from the Gregorian calendar. The Jewish year of 5761 will begin at sunset Sept. 29. Jewish holidays begin at sunset on the preceding day.
DATE: March 21
HOLIDAY: Purim
WHAT IT MARKS: Deliverance of Jews in ancient Persia
DATE: April 20-27
HOLIDAY: Passover
WHAT IT MARKS: Exodus of Jews from Egypt
DATE: June 9-10
HOLIDAY: Shavuot
WHAT IT MARKS: Giving of Torah and Commandments
DATE: Sept. 30-Oct. 1
HOLIDAY: Rosh Hashana
WHAT IT MARKS: Beginning of the new year
DATE: Oct. 9
HOLIDAY: Yom Kippur
WHAT IT MARKS: Day of Atonement; prayer and fasting
DATE: Oct. 14-21
HOLIDAY: Sukkot
WHAT IT MARKS: Dwelling of Israelites in the wilderness
DATE: Oct. 22
HOLIDAY: Simchat Torah
WHAT IT MARKS: Torah reading cycle ends, begins again
DATE: Dec. 22-29
HOLIDAY: Hanukkah
WHAT IT MARKS: Rededication of temple at Jerusalem
Islam
The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar year which, at 354 days, is shorter than the solar year. Because of this, dates will vary from year to year on the Gregorian calendar. Some holidays are based on the sighting of the crescent moon, resulting in slight variations among different locales. The Islamic year of 1421 will begin April 6.
DATE: Jan. 3
HOLIDAY: Laylat al-Qadr
WHAT IT MARKS: Revelation of Koran to Muhammad; a special night in the month of Ramadan, which began Dec. 9, 1999
DATE: Jan. 8
HOLIDAY: Eid al-Fitr (1420)
WHAT IT MARKS: Festival of breaking the fast of Ramadan
DATE: March 16
HOLIDAY: Eid al-Adha
WHAT IT MARKS: End of the pilgrimage to Mecca
DATE: April 6
HOLIDAY: Al-Hijra
WHAT IT MARKS: New Year’s Day
DATE: June 15
HOLIDAY: Ma’uled al-Nabi
WHAT IT MARKS: Prophet Muhammad’s birthday
DATE: Nov. 27
HOLIDAY: Ramadan (1421)
WHAT IT MARKS: First revelations to prophet Muhammad
DATE: Dec. 27
HOLIDAY: Eid al-Fitr (1421)
WHAT IT MARKS: Festival of breaking the fast of Ramadan
Hinduism
Hindu festivals may differ among different devotees and locales. The spring festival of Holi, for example, begins the preceding evening with bonfires to signify the waning days of winter and the triumph of good over evil. On the day of celebration, people go through the streets smearing bright colors on friends.
DATE: Jan. 27
HOLIDAY: Swami Vivekananda
WHAT IT MARKS: Birthday of Swami Vivekananda
DATE: March 4
HOLIDAY: Shiva Ratri
WHAT IT MARKS: All-night fasting and worship of the deity Shiva
DATE: March 20
HOLIDAY: Holl
WHAT IT MARKS: Spring festival of bonfires, colors
DATE: April 12
HOLIDAY: Rama Navami
WHAT IT MARKS: Birth of Rama
DATE: Sept. 2
HOLIDAY: Ganesh Chaturthi
WHAT IT MARKS: Worship of Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Pavati, as the god of wisdom
Buddhism
As with Hinduism, the many branches of Buddhism, from Tibetan to Japanese to Chinese, may celebrate many different holidays. The lunar calendar also affects dates of events. Some holidays are noted across the spectrum, including the birth of the founder, Siddhartha Gautama.
DATE: Jan. 15
HOLIDAY: Bodhi Day
WHAT IT MARKS: Enlightenment of Buddha
DATE: March 20
HOLIDAY: Nirvana Day
WHAT IT MARKS: Death of Buddha
DATE: May 11
HOLIDAY: Wesak
WHAT IT MARKS: Birth of Buddha
Sources: Times files; Jewish Theological Seminary; Islamic Center of Southern California; Vedanta Society; Hsi Lai Temple; Chase’s 2000 Calendar of Events
Researched by NONA YATES / Los Angeles Times
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