Explanation of Holidays

Muslim Holidays

Ramadan is the ninth month of the year in the Islamic calendar. A fast, held from sunrise to sunset, is carried out during this period.

Eid-al-Fitr is a festival that ends the fast of Ramadan. In Arabic "Eid" means "festival" or "festivity."

Eid-al-Adha is second in the series of Eid festivals that Muslims celebrate. It concludes the Hajj and is a three-day festival recalling Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah (God).

Muharram is the first month of the Muslim year. Its first day is celebrated as New Year's Day.

Mawlid al-Nabi is a celebration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, for founder of Islam.

While the two Eid Festivals are always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Western calendar (the Gregorian calendar) varies from year to year due to differences between the two calendars, as the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar and the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar. Furthermore, the method used to determine when each Islamic month begins varies from country to country. Future dates listed are only estimates.

Muslims come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds: South Asia, South Central Asia, Arab and African American.

Jewish Holidays

Passover is a holiday beginning on the 14 of Nisan (first month of the religious calendar, corresponding to March-April) and traditionally continuin for eight days, commemorating the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. Also called Pesach.

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. It is marked by solemnity as well as festivity.

Chanukkah is the Jewish festival of rededication, also known as the festival of lights. It is an eight day festival beginning on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev.

Jewish holidays are celebrated on the same day of the Jewish calendar every year, but the Jewish year is not the same length as a solar year on the Gregorian calendar used by most of the western world, so the date shifts on the Gregorian calendar.

Christian Holidays

Easter is a Christian feast commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion. The Orthodox Eastern Church calculates Easter somewhat differently, so that the Orthodox Easter usually comes several weeks after that of the West.

Eastern Orthodox Christians come from a variety of ethnic backgrouds: Greek, Russian, Egyptian, Romanian, Serbian, Ukrainian, Armenian, Bulgarian, Georgian, Albanian, Ethiopian, Syrian and American.