A Crash Course in Jewish Feasts and Holidays

Hey guys! So in Leviticus chapter 23 of the Old Testament, the Lord instructs the Israelites to observe 7 feasts or festivals every year. Four of these holy days, or holi-days, took place during the Spring harvest season, and the remaining three during the Fall harvest. These are still Jewish holidays celebrated today, but they also have significance for Latter-day Saints and other Christians.

It’s important to understand why these holy days exist. Christianity was born from Judaism. So understanding some of these ancient aspects of Judaism can help us better understand our own heritage. But also, it’s just good to learn more about the traditions of our Jewish friends and family. In this episode we’re going to briefly describe each of these holy days, and maybe connect some dots you might not have known were there before.

Alright so before we get into this it’s important to understand that neither the Bible for Christians nor the Torah for Jews gives very many details on how exactly these feasts are to be celebrated. We’re going to focus more on current Jewish traditions, but understand that these holy days can mean different things and be observed differently by different groups of people at different times.

Let’s begin with the Spring holy days. Today, the Passover feast, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and a Feast of Firstfruits are all generally considered part of “Passover Week.” The Passover meal occurs on the 14th or 15th day of the first month of the Hebrew calendar, which falls in either March or April of our calendar. The meal commemorates when death “passed-over” the Israelites enslaved in Egypt and when they were delivered from Egypt as per the Old Testament and the Torah.

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