Watch Night / New Year’s Eve: Millions welcome 2014

January 01, 2014 by Leave a Comment

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31: To all of our readers, from ReadTheSpirit, we say: Happy New Year!

As the Gregorian year 2013 draws to a close, millions around the world bid farewell to the past 365 days, welcoming the year 2014 with new hopes and resolutions. Alternatively known as the Western calendar or Christian calendar, this is the most widely accepted civil calendar worldwide. Whether you’ll be ringing in the New Year with your congregation’s Watch Night service or potluck, attending a party, logging in to a virtual celebration or just watching the New York Times Square ball drop from home, take some time to ponder over the old year and embrace the new.

CHURCHES, CONGREGATIONS HOLD POTLUCKS & “JOYFUL NOISE” SERVICES

The tradition of Watch Night began with Methodism’s founder John Wesley, who created Covenant Renewal Services in 1740. To this day, the United Methodist Church provides online resources for this holiday.

Additional meaning was added on the night of Dec. 31, 1862, when African American slaves gathered in churches to receive word of the declaration that they were legally free, as the Emancipation Proclamation became law. Many African American churches consider these historic events in their Watchnight services.

Other denominations use this time to “call” their members back to God, giving thanks for the blessings of the year past and praying for protection in the year to come. (The United Church of Christ offers a Watch Night poem.) Some church traditions mark Watch Night or Midnight Mass with services, potlucks, dancing, joyful praise and song. Services typically end just after midnight.

RECIPES, DECORATIONS,
“ROCKIN’ EVE” AND MORE

Decorate for your New Year’s bash with help from Martha Stewart. Find her recipes here.

Running out of time? Rachael Ray offers party shortcuts and decorating tips.

An elegant New Year’s Day brunch is made easy with inspirations from HGTV.

The L.A. Times offers up eight champagne cocktail ideas.

Ryan Seacrest and Jenny McCarthy are lined up to host Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2014, and they’ll be welcoming celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Fall Out Boy, Jennifer Hudson, Enrique Iglesias, Robin Thicke and Blondie. The complete schedule can be found here. Information on watching the event livestream, from your computer or digital device, can be found here.

IN THE NEWS:
(VIRTUAL) HAPPY NEW YEAR!

As social media and virtual devices change the way people communicate, New Year’s Eve 2014 will be no exception: from virtual parties to a New Year’s Eve Times Square Ball app, users can now enjoy the event from the comfort of their own homes.

The New York Times reported on the growing popularity of “virtual” New Year’s parties, for which “attendees” can log in and chat with other partygoers, dance to the same music and even share photos via social media. Supporters cite the virtual parties as a great alternative to parents or others who, for various reasons, cannot go out that night—and, as a bonus, won’t add to the number of drunk drivers on the road that night. Alternatively, the 2014 Times Square Ball app allows users to experience Times Square in all of its six-hour, 20-minute glory, livestreaming the New Year’s Eve event without the filter of a network. (International Business Times has the story.) Users can also interact with attendees at Times Square, or even “talk” with the Times Square Ball, which claims its own Twitter account.

(Originally published at readthespirit.com, an on line magazine covering religion, spirituality, values and interfaith and cross-cultural issues.)

Debra Darvick introduces Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

August 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Debra Darvick wrote “the book” on the cycles of the Jewish year, as experienced by men and women each year. This Jewish Life tells dozens of real-life stories about the Jewish cycle of seasons. Throughout the book, Debra also writes brief introductions to major observances. From her book, here is …

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

By DEBRA DARVICK

On Rosh HaShanah it is written; on Yom Kippur it is sealed.
From the Un’taneh Tokef, High Holiday Liturgy

Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, are often referred to as Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe. Indeed, the 10 days that begin with Rosh HaShanah and conclude with Yom Kippur are filled not only with prayer but with soul searching, pleas for forgiveness and a commitment to spiritual and moral renewal. A special siddur, or prayer book, is used at this time. Called a machzor, this book contains not only the daily and Sabbath prayers said during this time, but also special readings and prayers pertinent to the High Holidays.

Tradition holds that during the days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, God reviews the deeds of each and every Jew during the past year and judges whether the individual merits inclusion in the Book of Life for the coming year. Through proper atonement and asking forgiveness (not only from God but from those whom we may have wronged), every Jew hopes to be sealed in the Book of Life for the year to come.

One of the most stirring elements of the High Holidays is the blowing of the shofar, ram’s horn. Remember that in the last moment before Abraham sacrificed his son Isaac, God called out to him and instructed him to sacrifice a ram, caught in a nearby thicket, in place of Isaac. The use of the shofar (plural, shofarot) commemorates this event and reminds God to take note of His Jewish people and their prayers for life.

The shofar is blown according to specific musical patterns named t’kiah, t’ruah, sh’varim. At the very end of the shofar service, these patterns are followed by a t’kiah g’dolah, one long blast of sound that, depending on an individual’s lung capacity, can last up to or even longer than a minute.

On the afternoon of the first day of Rosh HaShanah, many Jews walk to a nearby body of water to perform Tashlich, or casting off. Emptying their pockets of breadcrumbs (which symbolize their sins), they throw the crumbs into the water and then recite prayers of penitence.

The Days of Awe culminate with Yom Kippur. Next to the Sabbath, it is considered to be the most sacred day of the Jewish calendar. Yom Kippur is given over to prayer and self-reflection. Jews who have reached the age of religious maturity (13 for boys, 12 for girls), and whose health would not be compromised, are expected to fast from sunset to sunset.

The hymn “Avinu Malkeinu,” “Our Father Our King,” sung on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, is a stirring component of each High Holiday service. The words of the hymn offer admission of transgressions as well as pleas for compassion, blessings and an end of suffering. On Yom Kippur the cantor chants the haunting melody of the Kol Nidrei prayer. Kol Nidrei means “all vows,” and it is the prayer by which Jews nullify any vow made by force or frivolity during the previous year. Yom Kippur services the next day include Yizkor, a service that memorializes deceased relatives. The mourner’s Kaddish is recited once again at this time, and services end at sunset.

Apples and honey are eaten during this season, in hopes of a sweet year. Challah, the rich and braided bread that is part of every festive meal, is also eaten, but during these holidays the loaf is shaped into a circle to symbolize the unending cycle of Jewish life.

When either Rosh HaShanah or Yom Kippur fall on the Sabbath, the day also concludes with a Havdalah service. Derived from the Hebrew word for “separation,” the weekly Havdalah ceremony separates the holy from the mundane, the Sabbath day from the rest of the week. Once three stars appear in the sky, the ceremony can be performed. Blessings are said over wine, a special braided candle and fragrant spices, and wishes for a shavuah tov, a good week, are sung.

Care to read the personal stories?

Debra Darvick’s book follows these seasonal introductions with inspiring—sometimes entertaining and sometimes bittersweet—real-life stories. You’ll find her book in our ReadTheSpirit Bookstore—as well as in the Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google and Apple online bookstores.

Please help to support our authors by purchasing their books and sharing them with others. One way to share Debra’s work is to click the blue-“f” Facebook icon or the small envelope-shaped email icon with this story. Tell a friend.

Rosh Hashanah: Celebrating Jewish new year with apples, honey

September 04, 2013 by Leave a Comment

SUNSET WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4: Get your apples, challah and honey ready! Millions of Jewish families around the world will be celebrating the start of the New Year 5774! The holiday lasts two days and ends at sundown on Friday, September 6. In addition to sweet tastes to welcome a sweet new year, the other central symbol of the holiday is the blowing of a shofar.

Greet friends!
Wish Jewish friends, “L’shana tovah!” Or, some say it, “Shana tovah!” Basically, it wishes people a good new year. Are you nervous about trying to pronounce this phrase? Don’t worry! Just watch our fun video, at the end of this story, which will have you rattling it off like a veteran.

What does the holiday celebrate?
“Rosh Hashanah commemorates the time when God created Adam and Eve—the day that Jews consider the birthday of all human beings,” writes Gail Katz, a co-founder of the WISDOM interfaith women’s network. Gail, along with other WISDOM women, co-wrote one of our most popular books, Friendship and Faith. This year, Gail wrote an overview of the holiday, explaining:

“Rosh Hashanah also is the day when God judges the world and each human being living in it, and thus this holiday is also called the Day of Judgment. God weighs the deeds of every person. On one side are the good deeds, the mitzvot, and on the other side are the sins. … For those people whose balance of the two is somewhere in the middle, God gives a chance to be good before making a decision about the coming year. As God gave the world the 10 Commandments, He gives us 10 days to improve our lives. Then, Yom Kippur is a Day of Atonement for one’s wrongdoings. This stretch of time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is called The Days of Awe, a period of judgment and repentance, forgiveness and spiritual renewal.

“On Rosh Hashanah, to celebrate the sweet new year, we dip our challah in honey, as well as apple slices. It is also customary for Jews to symbolically throw away their sins into a body of flowing water. This custom, called Tashlich, encourages Jews to throw bits of bread into the water with the hope that their sins will be carried away, and they will be purified.

“Rosh Hashanah and the 10 days of repentance are a time to ask forgiveness from God and from  fellow human beings that we may have wronged. We make a firm commitment never to repeat the wrong behavior. God can forgive us for the sins we committed against God—but God cannot forgive us for those sins we committed against others. We must approach every person we may have hurt by word or deed throughout the past year and ask for forgiveness. God cannot forgive us if we haven’t made peace with our fellow man and woman.”

For another perspective, you’ll also enjoy the holiday overview by Jewish author Debra Darvick from her book This Jewish Life. In her introduction to the holidays, Debra explains how Rosh Hashanah relates to Yom Kippur.

Get the recipes:
Feed the Spirit & Flavors of Faith

FEED THE SPIRIT: Food writer Bobbie Lewis has published a wonderful Rosh Hashanah column. First, Bobbie’s column is packed with fascinating information about the holiday. For example, you may be surprised to learn that Rosh Hashanah has not come this early since 1899! Bobbie also has an explanation of the apples-on-Rosh-Hashanah tradition that may surprise non-Jewish readers. But, here’s the real treat: She shares her recipe for honey cake, which has just a hint of cloves and coffee, among the complex flavors.

FLAVORS OF FAITH: Are you fascinated by these traditions and want to start by experimenting with Jewish breads? There’s no better guide than Lynne Meredith Golodner’s The Flavors of Faith, which includes an entire chapter on challah with delicious recipes. And, today, Lynne has a new column on the challenge families face in ensuring that ancient traditions remain “a living, breathing legacy.”  Whether you’re Jewish or not, Lynne’s column explores questions millions of parents are asking with each new season.

HOW DO WE PRONOUNCE “Shana tovah”?

Click on the video screen below to enjoy an entertaining introduction to this holiday greeting! If you don’t see a video screen in your version of this column, try clicking on the headline, at top, and reloading the column on your computer or hand-held device.

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Ugadi in India: Hindus celebrate New Year with stories, special foods

April 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

THURSDAY, APRIL 11: The intoxicating fragrance of ripe mangoes complements fresh jasmine across India today, as young and old rejoice in Ugadi, a New Year’s Day tradition that stretches back thousands of years.

Particularly for the Deccan region of India, Yugadi (spellings vary) signifies a new beginning and an auspicious time for ventures. From the Sanskrit words yuga (age) and adi (beginning), Yugadi literally signifies the beginning of a new age. Hindus believe the current age to be Kali Yuga, an era that began the moment Lord Krishna left the world. Kali Yuga began in 3102 BCE.

A ritual bath begins the day before sunrise, and prayers give way to the symbolic decoration of houses with mango leaves, a custom often practiced on auspicious days in India. It’s said that green mango leaves on the doorway encourage the well being to those within. (Wikipedia has details.)

After braiding their hair with garlands of jasmine flowers, women prepare the symbolic dish partaken by all on Ugadi: a mixture of six tastes that represents varying experiences of life, all of which should be accepted throughout the new year. Most dishes—though names vary—consist of jiggery (happiness), salt (fear), neem buds (sadness), chili pepper (anger), tamarind juice (disgust) and unripe mango (surprise). (Read more at TajOnline.) Sweet treats often accompany the day’s fare, and in the evening, family and friends gather for chanted mantras and priest-scholar predictions for the new year.

Various legends are associated with Yugadi, but most Hindus hold that Lord Brahma started creation on this day. With the onset of spring, new life breaks out of plants in shoots and leaves.

UGADI GIFT: ‘DIAL 100’

In a similar fashion to America’s “911” emergency service, chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy has announced the launch of “Dial 100” in time for Ugadi in Kompally, India. (The Times of India reported.) Once in action, the service will allow citizens across the state—in rural areas as well as urban—to dial “100” for immediate police assistance. Personnel will locate callers using GPS systems, and localized centers will be contacted in less than 60 seconds.