You’ll find that in the Judaica Specialties’ Holiday section there are plenty of holiday celebratory items that will bring felicity and cheer to any simcha.  Before you browse, take a moment to read about each holiday in greater detail!

Rosh Hashanah

Purim

Passover

Chanukah

You know the feeling.  Your family is gathered around the menorah, watching the children spin a dreidel in the gently glowing candlelight.  Or Dad is at the Seder table weaving stories rich and magical about the plagues of Egypt and G-d’s fulfilled promise to lead His people to freedom.  Your brother’s playing with that darn gragger again and you think maybe it’s time to hand him a tall glass of water!  Latkes that were fried and holiday treats send sweet smells wafting through the rooms of your home, reminding you of past celebrations and memories of childhood.  Golden light shimmers from the heart of home, that magical, inescapable glow of companionship and familiarity that holidays seem to spark in us all.

Judaism, a faith that greatly honors tradition, is comprised of several holidays around which the Jewish calendar spins.  These holidays help commemorate the historical events that transpired to ensure the freedom of the Jews from oppression and also encourage hope for the future.

Rosh Hashanah is not only a day of judgment; it is also the sweet celebration of the New Year, when Jews look forward to a year of rejuvenation, inspiration, and blessing.  The ten days following Rosh Hashanah are known as the Days of Awe, and are used in preparation for Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement.  During this time Jews are asked to reflect upon their sins before God.  Yom Kippur is a day of fasting, and traditionally Jews follow the laws of the Shabbat and in addition do not engage in any indulgent activities, including eating, drinking, bathing, having sexual relations, or using bath oils or lotion.  Sukkoth, or The Feast of the Tabernacles, occurs four days after Yom Kippur, and commemorates the wanderings of the Israelites, which begins with the exodus from Egpyt.

Passover is a highly religious holiday that commemorates the Jews’ flight from Egypt and the protection that G-d granted them as they fled their enemies, and is honored by participation in the seder meal.  The Seder is a ritualistic service performed in the home, when symbolic food is presented and eaten while the Haggadah, or Book of Remembrance, is read, and the story of Passover told.

The traditions of Purim center on the people’s jubilation at the foiled the plot of Haman, and the nobility of Queen Esther and Mordecai, who saved their people from utter destruction. Purim is a time when Jews are encouraged to throw off their cares and party ‘til they can’t tell the difference between “cursed be Haman” and “blessed be Mordecai!” Purim is the most physical of the festivals. Its observances include giving gifts of money to the poor, sending food portions to friends, and eating a sumptuous meal accompanied by plentiful drink in the closing hours of the festival. Hamantashen and kreplach, both with their fillings hidden inside, allude to the hidden nature of the Purim miracle. On a lighter note, the three-pointed hamantashen are said to evoke Haman's three-pointed hat or his triangular ears.

Another festive holiday that also focuses upon making merry is the celebration of Chanukah, Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights. On Chanukah we celebrate the miracle that occurred when the Jews repossessed their temple and rededicated it with an eternal flame that burned on one day’s worth of oil for eight full days.