Ann Morrill - Religious New Year's Celebrations

Holidays and Celebrations
religious
New year’s
celebratioNs
Holidays and CElebrations
Carnival
Christmas and Hanukkah
Easter, Passover, and Other Spring Festivals
Halloween and Commemorations of the Dead
Independence Days
Lent, Yom Kippur, and Other Atonement Days
Ramadan
Religious New Year’s Celebrations
Thanksgiving and Other Harvest Festivals
Western and Chinese New Year’s Celebrations
Holidays and Celebrations
religious
New year’s
celebratioNs
Ann
Morrill
Religious New Year’s Celebrations
Copyright © 2009 by Infobase Publishing
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Morrill, Ann.
Religious New Year’s celebrations / Ann Morrill.
p. cm.—(Holidays and celebrations)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-60413-094-2
1. New Year—Juvenile literature. 2. Holidays—Religious aspects—Juvenile literature.
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Contents
b
Introduction to Holidays and Celebrations.................................... vi
Introduction
Rosh Hashanah: The “Head” of the Jewish Year............................ 3
Divali: A Festival of Lights for the Hindu New Year..................... 12
Al-Hijra: The Islamic New Year.................................................... 24
Matariki: The Maori New Year Celebration.................................. 32
Regional Traditions and Customs

Asia................................................................................................. 40
Latin America and the Caribbean................................................. 51
Middle East.................................................................................... 53
North America............................................................................... 64
Oceania.......................................................................................... 79
Glossary......................................................................................... 84
Bibliography................................................................................... 87
Further Resources.......................................................................... 88
Picture Credits............................................................................... 90
Index.............................................................................................. 91
About the Author........................................................................... 96
12341234123412341234123
Introduction to Holidays
and Celebrations
Holidays mark time. They occupy a space outside of ordinary events and
give shape and meaning to our everyday existence. They also remind us of
the passage of time as we reflect on Christmases, Passovers, or Ramadans
past. Throughout human history, nations and peoples have marked their
calendars with special days to celebrate, commemorate, and memorial-
ize. We set aside times to reflect on the past and future, to rest and renew
physically and spiritually, and to simply have fun.
In English we call these extraordinary moments “holidays,” a contrac-
tion of the term “holy day.” Sometimes holidays are truly holy days—the
Sabbath, Easter, or Eid al-Fitr, for example—but they can also be nonreli-
gious occasions that serve political purposes, address the social needs of
communities and individuals, or focus on regional customs and games.
This series explores the meanings and celebrations of holidays across
religions and cultures around the world. It groups the holidays into vol-
umes according to theme (such as Lent, Yom Kippur, and Other Atonement
Days; Thanksgiving and Other Harvest Festivals; Independence Days; Easter,
Passover, and Other Spring Festivals; Western and Chinese New Year’s Celebrations;
Religious New Year’s Celebrations; Carnival; Ramadan, and Halloween and
Commemorations of the Dead) or by their common human experience due
to their closeness on the calendar (such as Christmas and Hanukkah). Each
volume is divided into two sections—the fi rst introduces readers to the
origins, history, and common practices associated with the holidays;
and the second section takes readers on a worldwide tour that shows the
regional variations and distinctive celebrations within specific countries.
The reader will learn how these holidays started, what they mean to the
people who celebrate them, and how different cultures celebrate them.
These volumes have an international focus, and thus readers will be
able to learn about diversity both at home and throughout the world. We
can learn a great deal about a people or nation by the holidays they cel-
ebrate. We can also learn from holidays how cultures and religions have
interacted and mingled over time. We see in celebrations not just the past
through tradition, but the principles and traits that people embrace and
value today.
:vi Religious New Year’s Celebrations

12341234123412341234123
The Chelsea House Holidays and Celebrations series surveys this rich
and varied festive terrain. Its 10 volumes show the distinct ways that peo-
ple all over the world infuse ordinary life with meaning, purpose, or joy.
The series cannot be all-inclusive or the last word on so vast a subject, but
it offers a vital first step for those eager to learn more about the diverse,
fascinating, and vibrant cultures of the world, through the festivities that
give expression, order, and meaning to their lives.
Introduction to Holidays and Celebrations vii ;

A man blows his shofar, a ram’s horn, in
his backyard in Jackson Hole, Wyoming,
as part of his religious observance of the
beginning of the Jewish new year, Rosh
Hashanah.
:viii Religious New Year’s Celebrations

Introduction
a a a
12341234123412341234123
New year’s celebrations all over the world are times when families and
friends come together and celebrate endings and new beginnings. These
holidays provide the chance to make a fresh start, welcome a new season,
develop a new attitude, or acquire a new outlook on life. When a religious
element is added to these celebrations, there is also a sense of spiritual
duty. Rather than just “ring in the new year” with food and festivities,
religious new year’s celebrations invite their participants to slow down
and truly consider the meaning of the holiday, the passage of time, and
the opportunity for personal change.
Many of the world’s religions have new year’s celebrations based on
their own calendars, each with its own history and set of traditions. For
these religions, new year’s may occur long after the January 1 date used
by the Western world. It comes at a time important to that particular reli-
gion for reasons that might stretch back centuries.
While most of the world waits in anticipation on New Year’s Eve for
the beginning of the upcoming year, religious new year’s celebrations are
less about the transition from one year to the next than about the spiri-
tual journey from an old self to a new. Particular foods, prayers, and other
customs strengthen the sense of this journey. Religious new year’s cel-
ebrations, such as the Hindu Divali, Jewish Rosh Hashanah, and Muslim
Al-Hijra continually return to the theme of personal renewal. They all
have a feeling of history and permanence.
Despite the spiritual aspect of religious new year’s celebrations, the
focus of any new year’s celebration—religious and nonreligious alike—
remains the passing of time as it relates to the inner realm of a person’s
attitudes, ideas, and beliefs. Whether a new year’s observance is joyous,
reflective, boisterous, contemplative, or a combination of all these things,
it is an opportunity to examine the past year while preparing for the next,
and provides a clear point from which to make a new beginning.
:2 Religious New Year’s Celebrations

12341234123412341234123
Rosh Hashanah:
The “Head” of the
Jewish Year
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year celebrated by Jews around the
world, especially in Israel and North America, parts of South America,
and Europe. It is observed and celebrated on the fi rst day of the Hebrew
month Tishri (September or October on the Gregorian calendar). Rosh
Hashanah is a time to think back upon the past year and prepare for the
upcoming one through reflection, repentance, and prayer. Religious Jews
are not supposed to work on Rosh Hashanah and often spend much of
the day in their synagogues in services that can be hours long. In Israel,
all businesses are closed. Rosh Hashanah is also a time to spend with
families and friends, as well as an important time to visit graves of loved
ones, as many Jews believe the dead can speak to God for them. Jews have
been celebrating Rosh Hashanah for about 2,000 years, or slightly more
than half their history.
origins of rosh Hashanah

The Jewish Religion
Judaism, a religion practiced by people known as Jews, is one of the
world’s oldest religious traditions. The Jewish people are believed to have
descended from the patriarchs (or fathers) Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and
Moses, whose stories are told in the first book of the Torah, or Hebrew
Bible. Jews believe in one God who created the universe. Unlike other
messianic religions (those that hold out the prospect of a world savior or
divine leader), Judaism generally posits that the messiah has yet to appear.
In honoring the one god—known variously as Adonai, Yahweh, or the
unnameable one—observant Jews keep Sabbath, also called Shabbat, as a
day of rest, running from sunset to sunset from Friday to Saturday.
There are currently more than 14 million Jews worldwide. Almost half of
the worldwide Jewish community lives in the United States, mostly concen-
trated on the East Coast and in California. More than 1.5 million Jews live in
New York State, which is more than 8 percent of the state’s population.
Rosh Hashanah: The “Head” of the Jewish Year 3;

Indian Jewish women pray at the Hekhal, an ornamental closet that contains each synagogue’s
Torah scrolls, after a prayer ceremony to mark Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, at a
synagogue in Mumbai, India. Judaism was one of the earliest religions to arrive in India and
about 6,000 Jews remain.
Two Major Groups of Judaism:

Orthodox and Reform Jews
Variations in Rosh Hashanah celebrations depend on what branch of
Judaism is being practiced. The main division in Judaism is between
Orthodox Jews, who live their lives by following the Jewish holy books
(the Torah, Talmud, and Mishnah) as the unwavering law of God, and
Reform Jews, who feel that the holy books provide religious guidance
but can also be interpreted as historical documents that must change

with the times. Orthodox Jews follow strictly the religious laws as well
as the dress and eating codes that are set forth in the Jewish holy books,
while Reform Jews dress in modern clothing and are less strict about
what they eat.
The Jewish Calendar

The Jewish calendar, which has been used since 3761 b.c.e., is a lunar
calendar with 12 months. Each month has 29 or 30 days, making a year
354 days long. To keep the fall and spring holidays in the correct seasons,
an extra month is added every 19 years. For the Jews each day begins at
sundown, or dusk, and lasts until the following sundown.
Rosh Hashanah, which literally means “the head of the year,” is
observed and celebrated on the first of Tishri. In ancient times it was
difficult for Jews outside of Jerusalem to be sure of the exact date of the
new Moon during Tishri, which begins the holiday, so Rosh Hashanah
is usually celebrated for two days both in Israel and in other parts of the
world where Jews live. According to the Torah, Tishri, sometimes called
Ethanim, is the seventh month in the Jewish calendar. Despite this, the
Jewish New Year has been observed and celebrated on the first day of
Tishri since ancient times.
Celebrating Rosh Hashanah

Jews believe many important events occurred on or after Rosh Hashanah.
It is on this day that God created humanity, making it the birthday of the
world. It is also the day that Isaac was born to Abraham. Rosh Hashanah
marks the time when God revealed to Moses that the first tribes of Jews,
or Israelites, would be expelled from their native land of Egypt. In addi-
tion, it is considered to be the Day of Judgment, when all people on Earth
and those who have already died will be judged by God. The names of the
good are written into the Book of Life, the wicked are erased from it, and
those in between are given until the holiday of Yom Kippur—10 days after
Rosh Hashanah begins—to repent for their sins and be placed alongside
the good in the Book of Life. In fact, a common greeting that people say
to each other on Rosh Hashanah is l’shanah tova ti-ka-tey-vu. This liter-
ally means, “May you be inscribed [in the Book of Life] for a good new
year.” During the month before Tishri called Elul, many Jews spend time
in deep reflection and religious study. This is part of their preparation for
Rosh Hashanah. The terms of the holiday are laid out in the third book

A New York City rabbi hangs a white curtain used only on the Jewish High Holy Days (Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur) over the ark that houses the Torahs in preparation for the Jewish
High Holy Days as his assistant looks on.
of the Hebrew scriptures, Leviticus. (The Hebrew scriptures are called

Tanakh; they contain the same body of works as the Old Testament in the
Christian Bible. The first five books of the Tanakh make up the Torah,
known also as the Books of Moses and as the Pentateuch). For Rosh
Hashanah it is specified, “In the seventh month, in the first day of the
month, there shall be a solemn rest for you, a sacred convocation com-
memorated with the blast of the ram’s horn. You shall not work at any
of your ordinary labor, and you shall bring a fire offering to the Lord.”
(Lev. 23:23–25)
Candles and Worship

Preliminary rituals for Rosh Hashanah take place in the homes of Jewish
families at sunset on the evening before the new year. It starts with the
lighting of candles that signify the beginning of the festival, and then by
saying a blessing before going off to a place of worship. If the Jewish com-
munity is large, as it is in Israel and many parts of the United States, Rosh
Hashanah is celebrated in the place of Jewish worship called a synagogue.
If it is a small Jewish community, the Rosh Hashanah service might take
: 6 Religious New Year’s Celebrations

place in the basement of a Christian church, a community center, or even
someone’s living room. Jews attend rounds of services over the holiday,
from the first to the last evening services and morning and afternoon
services in between.
The Shofar
Rosh Hashanah begins with the blowing of a shofar, or ram’s horn, to
signal the start of holiday observances. An evening service is held during
which the rabbi or other church leader reads from the prayer book called
the Machzor, used exclusively on the Jewish High Holy Days. The evening
service is not usually long. Afterward families go home to eat together
and sometimes invite others to eat with them.
Sweet and Round Foods

For Rosh Hashanah, foods have special significance. Many of the foods
should be sweet for a sweet year, round to symbolize the year’s cycle, and
abundant for prosperity and productivity. Families traditionally prepare
for the day by making and praying over loaves of sweet, soft challah—
round braided bread made with eggs to symbolize the cycle of life. At
holiday meals they eat the challah with apples dipped in honey, signaling
their hope for a sweet new year.
As part of the Rosh Hashanah feast, Jewish families will prepare and
serve a stew or casserole called tzimmes made of carrots, cinnamon, yams,
prunes, and honey. The carrots are an important ingredient of the recipe,
since the word for carrots in Yiddish (a Judeo-German language), merren,
The Ancient Call

The shofar has a long history in Judaism that began thou-
sands of years ago and continues today. It was used to sig-
nal Shabbat. It was also used to declare the crowning of a
new king. Today the shofar is still sounded at the swearing
in of a new Israeli president, and on Rosh Hashanah it signi-
fies a call to repentance and awakening. Each day of Rosh
Hashanah, the shofar is blown 100 times. However, if a holi-
day falls on Shabbat it is not blown.

A selection of symbolic
foods that have a place in
the classic Rosh Hashanah
meal includes a round loaf of
challah bread, center, topped
with apples dipped in honey.
Around the challah, from top
left, are honey, fresh dates,
pomegranates, and an apple.
also means “more.”

Everyone yearns for
more of something on
the Jewish new year:
more wealth, more
knowledge, more good
deeds, and even more
children. The carrots
in this tasty dish are sliced into small round coin-like shapes, and eating
them is thought to be a good forecast for prosperity. Another popular food
tradition is to eat a fish or sheep’s head. The head stands for the desire to
be at the head of whatever one does, as opposed to the tail.
Sour or bitter foods are avoided during Rosh Hashanah, and most
observant Jews (those who actively practice the religion of Judaism) also
avoid nuts because the word in Hebrew for nut—egoz—has the same
numeric value as the word chet, which means “sin” in Hebrew.
Blessing the Candles

A Shehechiyanu blessing is recited before lighting the Rosh
Hashanah candles just before sundown at the end of the
first day of the celebration. The Hebrew words for the bless-
ing are: Baruch atah Ado-nai, Ehlo-haynu melech Ha-olam,
she’he’che’yanu v’kee’manu, v’hee’gee’anu la’zman ha’zeh.
“Blessed are you Lord, our God, ruler of the world, who has kept
us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.”

Jews gather at the lake near the
Boathouse in New York’s Central
Park to cast bread upon the water,
an ancient custom representing
the casting off of sins.
Rosh Hashanah: The “Head” of the Jewish Year 9 ;

After the final services of Rosh Hashanah there is a large feast to
formally welcome the new year. A special blessing is recited called
Shehechiyanu that thanks God for giving sustenance to his people. After
the blessing Jews eat a fruit that has not yet been eaten that season.
Casting Sins into the Sea

An ancient ritual of Rosh Hashanah that has survived to modern times
is called tashlik, which means, “You will cast.” In this ritual a congrega-
tion or small group gathers after the last of the formal holiday services at
a body of water that varies depending on the area of the country or world
in which one lives—it could be an ocean, a river, or a small stream. A
rabbi or other congregation leader reads the Torah verse, “And you will
cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Those in the congregation
empty their pockets of breadcrumbs or throw small stones into the water
to symbolically cleanse themselves of their sins. In some areas, Jews may
plunge together into the waters to perform the ritual. Other readings dur-
ing the ritual include prayers from the Book of Micha. Micha was a Jewish
prophet who wrote about teshuva, which means repentance.
Orthodox Rosh Hashanah

During Rosh Hashanah, the differences between Reform Jews and
Orthodox Jews become apparent in their holiday rituals and services. For
Water and Atonement

Tashlik rituals can take on many different forms. In New
York, it is common to see people performing tashlik off of
the Brooklyn Bridge. Not long ago the New York Times ran
a story of a doctor who performed tashlik on the Hudson
River—not from the shores, but from his kayak. In parts of
Israel where water is scarce, the source of water might be
far away or very small. In the capital city of Jerusalem it
is often performed using still water in cisterns, and in the
city of Safed people stand on their rooftops, look down
on nearby Lake Kinneret, and say prayers from there. This
shows that the body of water is not as important as the
symbolism of the ritual itself.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City during the two-day festival
of Rosh Hashanah that marks the beginning of the Jewish new year.
example, in many Jewish places of worship singers are often accompanied

by organs and other instruments on Rosh Hashanah and other holidays.
However, Orthodox Jews do not permit the use of musical instruments
on the Shabbat or during festivals, including Rosh Hashanah. Orthodox
men and women worship separately in the synagogue, and women are
often seated in the balcony. On the day before Rosh Hashanah, Orthodox
men and women take ritual baths called mikvah. This is thought to purify
the spirit for the period of atonement that begins with Rosh Hashanah.
Karaite Jews
There is a small group within the Orthodox tradition that celebrates
only one day of Rosh Hashanah because that is all the Torah mentions.
This group follows a branch of Judaism known as Karaite. Karaite Jews
believe that the Torah alone represents the word of God and that all
other written sources, such as the Talmud and the Mishnah, are from
oral law and therefore not binding. Although once a major branch of
Judaism, today there are less than 30,000 of them who live in a few areas
of Israel.

12341234123412341234123
Divali: A Festival of
Lights for the Hindu
New Year
Divali is the Hindu festival of lights. For many Hindus it also marks the
beginning of a new year. It is celebrated by Hindus in India and throughout
the diaspora, or the many other parts of the world where Hindu Indians live.
Divali is the most important holiday of the year for Hindus everywhere. It
is also celebrated by Jains and by Sikhs, two religious groups with roots in
Hinduism. For most Hindus, Divali celebrates the victory of good over evil
in the world. It involves numerous rituals and festivities that honor family
and friends, as well as the many deities (gods) that make up the Hindu pan-
theon (the Hindu group of gods). No one is certain when Divali first took
place. Many believe the earliest celebrations began almost 3,500 years ago.
origins of divali
The Hindu Religion
Hinduism is the religion of the majority of Indians. It was created more
than 4,000 years ago as a mixture of different religious traditions pres-
ent in India. Nomadic tribes—or people who move together in groups
from place to place and bring with them different customs, traditions,
and beliefs—also influenced its development. Today it is practiced by an
estimated 950 million people around the world.
One River, Two Streams

the blending of religious practices and beliefs from more than
one culture is called syncretism. syncretism occurs when two
or more societies live and work together in the same area.
over time, with intermarriage and sociopolitical interaction
(when groups work out how to share society), new belief sys-
tems emerge that have characteristics of both religions.

A girl carries an idol of the Hindu goddess
Lakshmi in Allahabad, India. Lakshmi, the
Hindu goddess of wealth, is worshipped
during Divali, the celebration of the Hindu
new year.
The Hindu pantheon is vast.

In fact, there are 330 million dei-
ties that a Hindu can worship.
Above all of these is a Supreme
Being Hindus refer to as the one
God, or Brahman. The Supreme
Being is the universal creative
force that guides all living things
on Earth. Each Hindu god or
goddess represents a particu-
lar characteristic of the Supreme
Being. They are personifications,
or earthly representations, of
Brahman. Just as people usually
have several different roles in life,
such as son, daughter, student, or
friend, Brahman is called differ-
ent things depending on which
role he is fulfilling or performing.
Of the many gods and goddesses
under Brahman, the three most important ones are Brahma, Vishnu,
and Shiva. Each one represents one of Brahman’s main roles: Brahma is
the creator of the universe, Vishnu is the preserver and protector of the
universe, and Shiva is the destroyer.
Hindus direct prayers to specific gods and goddesses depending on
their needs and the role of that god or goddess. For example, Sarasvati
is the goddess of wisdom and learning. She is the representation of all
knowledge—art, science, crafts, and skills. She is not often worshipped
in the temples, but she is a favorite of school students, artists, and people
who work with their hands. In addition, there are thousands of local gods
who watch over cities, towns, and families. People from different regions
Divali: A Festival of Lights for the Hindu New Year 13;

pray to different local gods to give them things like good weather and
healthy crops.
The Hindu Calendar

The main difference between the Hindu calendar and the Gregorian cal-
endar (the calendar most widely used around the world today) is that
the Hindu calendar is a lunar calendar, one that follows the cycles of the
Moon, and the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar, one that follows
the cycles of the Sun. The Gregorian calendar measures the year as 365
1/4 days, or one rotation of Earth around the Sun. The Hindu calendar
measures the year in 12 rotations of the Moon around Earth, called lunar
cycles. The first day of the new year, or Divali, is celebrated on a differ-
ent day every year. For most Hindus who live in or are originally from
India, Divali takes place on the first new Moon in the Hindu month of
Kartikka. (This Hindu month corresponds to the months of October and
November on the Gregorian calendar.)
An Indian boy sells statues of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, left, and the god Ganesh, right, on
the eve of Divali, the festival of lights in Calcutta.

A three-year-old Malaysian Hindu boy
recites prayers during Divali celebrations
at a temple in Kuala Lumpur. Divali is the
most important festival of the year for
Hindus around the world.
Celebrating Divali
Of the hundreds of holidays
celebrated by Hindus each
year, Divali is the most sig-
nificant. Given the complex-
ity of the Hindu religion and
culture, especially the number
of gods and goddesses whose
worship is emphasized in a
particular region or country, it
is not surprising that over the
centuries Divali has expanded beyond one day. In fact, Divali is usually a
five-day experience with corresponding rituals and customs for each day.
Divali is celebrated as both a religious and a national holiday in India.
During Divali, families everywhere will honor the Hindu gods and god-
desses by exchanging gifts, eating elaborate meals, and enjoying fireworks
displays. Indian business leaders who hope for a prosperous year will also
open new account books at this time.
Preparing for Divali

A Clean and Decorated Home
A major part of Divali preparations and subsequent celebration is the
thorough cleaning of the home, crowned by the creation of elaborate
designs called rangoli on the floors and walls. Hindu women use rice pow-
der, crushed white stone, or colored chalk to make these designs, then
add grain, beads, flowers, or other found materials for further decoration.
In southern India, it is common to use flowers and leaves from marigolds
and chrysanthemums to make the rangoli look three-dimensional.

To make a rangoli, one begins by sprinkling the powder by hand,
allowing just a little to fall at a time. This makes an outline of dots that
are then joined with other materials to form a pattern. It is important that
the entire pattern be made of unbroken lines so no evil spirits can enter
through the gaps. Many rangoli patterns are handed down through gen-
erations and some are hundreds of years old. Circular designs are popu-
lar because they symbolize the endlessness of time. Other rangoli themes
include the Sun, Moon, and stars. In some Indian regions the images of
fish, birds, elephants, flowers, and vines are more prominent.
One major rangoli theme is the lotus flower, a Hindu symbol of beauty,
prosperity, and fertility. In addition, the goddess Lakshmi is often shown
holding or sitting on a lotus blossom. Since she is the most important
deity of the Divali celebration, her image is often incorporated into rangoli
design. She is usually depicted as dramatic and colorful, draped in red-
and-gold clothes. She is represented with four arms and four hands. Each
of these hands represents a different Hindu virtue: dharma, or righteous-
ness; kama, which means genuine desire; artha, or wealth; and moksha,
freedom from the cycle of birth and death that keeps a person attached
to the world and prevents him or her from the ultimate goal of becoming
A young vendor makes small packets of colored powder used for decorating homes during the
Hindu festival of Divali, at a roadside stall in Ahmadabad, India.

divine. Usually one element of the rangoli is a series of small footsteps lead-
ing to the entrance of a home or business. The footprints represent a path
that welcomes Lakshmi and shows her the way.
The Five Days of Divali

The First Day of Divali
Each day of Divali highlights a different aspect of the celebration. The
first day is known as Dhanteras. This is when Hindus typically buy new
clothes and get rid of old, worn ones. It is also customary to buy some-
thing made of gold or silver, since metallic objects are supposed to bring
good luck. On the night of Dhanteras, Hindu families light the first diyas,
or devotional candles, in their homes and pray together to summon the
gods they hope will descend upon them. This is a necessary moment of
repose before what will be a flurry of activity in the days ahead. It centers
the family and reminds them of the true intention of the holiday.
The Second Day of Divali

At sunrise on the second day of
Divali, many Hindus bathe them-
selves in oils as part of a ritual
cleansing to wash away the evils
of their sins, just as days before
they washed the interiors of
their homes. This ritual bathing
is especially common in north-
ern India. On this day Hindus
will also offer food to whichever
goddess is associated with their
Two women adjust a lamp in a Divali

celebration held at the House of Commons
in London. More than half a million Hindus
live in England and Wales. The first official
Divali celebration in the British Parliament
was held in 2002.

place of origin, and sometimes to their ancestors to help bring them good
luck. The second day of Divali is often referred to as Choti Divali or “little
Divali,” since it comes just before the main Divali celebration.
Hindus believe that on the second evening of Divali, known also as
Kali Chaudas or Bhoot Chatur, Shiva the Destroyer arrives accompanied
by his band of ghouls and wicked spirits who delight in causing chaos and
destruction. Hindus use this second evening to meditate on their belief
that Shiva embodies the good and bad in all of humanity. He is perceived
as gentle and fierce, creative as well as destructive. Hindus consider him
an important and necessary part of an imperfect world. The remainder
of the second day of Divali is used to prepare for the third and most
important day.
The Third Day of Divali and the Lights of Diyas

The third day of Divali is the day Hindus welcome the goddess Lakshmi
into their homes to bring blessings and good fortune. They do this by
spending hours making a variety of rich foods and sweets such as kheer—
a creamy pudding made with rice, rice flakes, or sago (sago is a powdery
starch made from sago palms). Spicy lentil fritters typically accompany
the kheer. Other dishes, such as chicken masala, are also popular. While
dishes for Divali share common spices, such as ginger, coriander, and
turmeric, every Hindu community has its unique variation on each of
the recipes.
Root Meanings
A lotus is an aquatic plant, similar to the water lily that grows
throughout the United States. For Hindus and Buddhists, the
lotus has religious meaning as a symbol of beauty, purity,
the soul, and enlightenment. It is the national flower of both
India and Vietnam. From a practical viewpoint, almost every
part of the lotus is edible, and many Asian cultures use it in
their cooking. For example, the lotus root has a crisp texture
and a mild, distinctive flavor somewhat like an artichoke. It
is often eaten raw in salads, steamed, simmered in soups, or
fried in tempura.

A girl lights lamps for Divali celebrations in Ahmadabad, India. The lights represent the inner
light of spiritual purification and the force of good over evil, while also brightening the path for
Hindu deities as they make their way into Hindu homes.
Divali: A Festival of Lights for the Hindu New Year 19 ;

Perhaps the most beautiful ritual of Divali is the lighting of thousands
of lights, called diyas, inside homes all over towns and cities with Hindu
communities. Coming into their full glory on the third night of Divali,
these lights represent the symbolic inner light that comes from spiritual
purification as well as the illuminating force of good over evil. They also
brighten the path for important Hindu deities who are returning to be
welcomed in Hindu homes. For many Hindus, the most important of
these deities is Lakshmi. She is believed to be the wife of Vishnu, the
preserver and protector of the universe, and is the goddess of wealth, love,
beauty, and good fortune. One day of the Divali celebration is entirely
devoted to praying to her to ensure a year of happiness and prosperity.
Finally, Hindus everywhere are ready to welcome the goddess. When the
sky is at its darkest and the new Moon is cresting in the sky, families light
their diyas so Lakshmi can find her way to their homes. Some families also
leave their windows open so that she will be sure to find a way to enter. To
open one’s home to her, or to any of the millions of gods and ancestral spirits
called upon during Divali, is to signify a person’s openness to the future and
trust in both the goodness of the self and the goodness of the outside world.
Indoors families decorate altars for Lakshmi. They offer her a silver
platter filled with fruit, flowers, puffed rice, and silver coins. One diya has
the place of honor in the center. Since Hindus believe that Lakshmi was
born in a turbulent ocean of milk, and holding a lotus flower, Lakshmi
coins and figures are lovingly bathed in milk and then decorated with
vermilion, a bright red dye similar to the color of lotus flowers. On this
night, the father of the home frequently reads from the sacred Ramayana
texts, and the mother leads prayers and songs for success and prosperity.
After a period of devotional time around the altar, Hindus gather outside
in their villages, towns, and cities for feasting, music.
The Fourth Day of Divali

The fourth day of Divali is the official new year. The particular legend
of the Hindu god Krishna that is celebrated on the fourth day of Divali
relates to the rural area in which he is said to have lived near Mount
Govardhana in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The local farmers
there are said to have offered thanks to Indra, the God of rain and storms,
every year. For their annual pilgrimage, they traveled to the mountain to
make offerings to Indra for help in making their crops grow. But Indra
had not helped them for several years, and the farmers’ crops suffered.
One particular year, the local cow herder’s child, Krishna, went with the

Children light sparklers to celebrate the Divali festival in New Delhi, India.
farmers as they headed toward the mountain. Krishna did not agree with
giving offerings to Indra. He asked why Indra deserved their thanks if he
had brought no rain. Krishna said that it made more sense to offer prayers
and food—a ritual called puja—to the fields, the mountain, and the sacred
cows. After all, the mountain protected them, the cows helped the farm-
ers with their planting, and the fields provided them soil for crops.
The farmers were soon persuaded by the young Krishna and began
puja, preparations for the cows and mountain. Seeing this, Indra became
enraged at what he took to be a great insult. To punish the people and dem-
onstrate his power, he unleashed a terrible storm of heavy rain and light-
ning. It rained for days. The downpour threatened not only to wash away
the people and the cows but also to flood the fields on which their crops
depended. The frightened people ran to Krishna for help. The amazing
young Krishna, using only his little finger, lifted Mount Govardhana and
held it in the air, allowing the farmers and cattle to take shelter underneath.
Krishna held up the mountain for seven full days, until a humbled Indra
was forced to relent, stop the rain, and pay his respects to Krishna. Indra
understood then that Krishna was indeed a true god worthy of respect.

The Law of Karma
Reincarnation is the Hindu belief that when a human or
an animal dies, its soul is reborn in a different body (other
thought systems also include a belief in reincarnation). A
soul can be reborn many times in many different bodies.
How well or badly someone lives their life will determine
what kind of animal or person they will be in the next life.
This accumulated good or bad behavior is known as karma.
The Fifth and Last Day of Divali

The final day of Divali is known as Bhai Dooj, or Brother’s Day. On this
day sisters and brothers lavish attention on one another. If a family does not
have a daughter, the son might spend time with a female cousin or with a
friend. Brothers go to the home of their sisters to eat a meal prepared just for
them. The sister paints the traditional tilak, a sacred red mark Hindus wear,
on her brother’s forehead to show her love and give him her protection.
Sisters might also pray for their brothers’ prosperity and health, and toss
rice on them for good luck. The brothers will give their sisters presents—
sometimes presented on a silver platter—of jewelry, sweets, or even clothes.
Schools remain closed on this final day of Divali. This is true through-
out India as well as in other places with large Hindu populations such as
Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. On this final night of the holiday, families
may gather for enormous fireworks displays that last well into the night.
Reading the Ramayana Epic

Hindus everywhere learn about the deeds of their central gods by read-
ing the four sacred Hindu texts, called Vedas. The Vedas are collections
of the stories, teachings, rules, and beliefs of Hinduism. During Divali,
parents and grandparents might read an epic tale from the Vedas, called
the Ramayana, to their children. Like the Christian Bible or the Muslim
Quran, the Ramayana and other sacred Hindu texts provide lessons on
good behavior for mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers, as well as how
to treat people outside the family. It is thus a fitting text to read at the
beginning of the new year, when families are open to thinking about and
improving the moral character of their lives.

In the Ramayana tale, the god Vishnu is reincarnated (reborn into a
different body) into the form of Rama. It is believed that Rama is the sev-
enth reincarnation of Vishnu’s soul. Rama makes a long journey during
which he kills demons, helps the poor, listens to the advice of sages, and
accomplishes many other heroic deeds. At the end of his journey he frees
his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana. When he returns to his home
city of Ayodhya he is crowned king for ridding the world of evil.

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Al-Hijra: The
Islamic New Year
Al-Hijra is the new year’s holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world.
Muslims are followers of the religion of Islam, which means “submission
to the will of God.” The festival, which is also known as El am Hejir, Ras al
Sana, and Muharram, takes place during the Islamic month of Muharram,
which corresponds to January and February on the Gregorian calendar.
Al-Hijra marks the time that the prophet Muhammad was forced to flee
from Mecca to the town of Yathrib (later renamed Medina, which means
“City of the Prophet”), where he formed the first Islamic state. Although
it is not as significant in the Islamic calendar as Rosh Hashanah or Divali
are in the Jewish and Hindu calen-
dars, Al-Hijra is still an important
time of historical reflection for the
1 billion Sunni Muslims who live
worldwide.
origins of al-Hijra
Islam and the Prophet
Muhammad
Islam is a religion based on the teach-
ings of the prophet Muhammad.
Muhammad was born in the city of
Mecca, in what is now Saudi Arabia.
At the age of 40 Muhammad had a
vision of the archangel Gabriel who
revealed to him the divine word of
God. His written record of this rev-
elation would become the Quran,
the holy text of Islam.
A Muslim family walks among pigeons in

London’s Trafalgar Square. More than 1.5
million Muslims live in the United Kingdom.
An Iraqi family gathers for their evening meal in Baghdad, Iraq. Al-Hijra is only observed as the
Islamic new year by Sunni Muslims.
After this revelation Muhammad began preaching around Mecca to

all who would listen. His message was that people needed to repent for
their sins through prayer, charity, and a belief in one God called Allah.
Among Muhammad’s audience were members of the powerful tribe to
which he belonged, the Quraysh. The Quraysh were influential merchants
who controlled a holy site in Mecca called the Kaaba. The Quraysh wor-
shipped many gods represented by sacred stones they placed inside the
Kaaba. Muhammad disagreed with this for two reasons. First, he believed
that there was only one god. Second, he felt the Quraysh were performing
idolatry, or the worship of symbols of God instead of God himself.
Muhammad’s Exile and Victory

Muhammad was forced to flee from Mecca to the town of Yathrib. While
there he acquired more new followers and strengthened his influence
over them. Muhammad continued to struggle for power with the pagans
of Mecca he had left behind. Eventually, after winning enough support
from his new region and forming the original nation of Islam, he was
Al-Hijra: The Islamic New Year 25;

able to take control over Mecca and the ancient Kaaba shrine. He quickly
destroyed all the false idols, sacred stones, and religious symbols he had
preached against from the start. Muhammad claimed Mecca by using
his considerable negotiating skills rather than going to war, preventing a
great deal of bloodshed on both sides. Soon his influence began to spread
beyond Mecca and Medina. A century after his death in 632 c.e., Islam
had spread to all the Middle Eastern countries as well as parts of India,
Africa, and Spain.
Shii and Sunni Muslims

After Muhammad’s death, practicing Muslims divided into two groups
over the question of who should lead the Muslim people. The first group,
the Shiis, believed Muhammad’s only rightful successor (or caliph) was
his direct descendant. The second, called the Sunnis, believed that this
ruler should be chosen from the community at large. This division of
A Muslim woman selects cookies as a treat for her family for Al-Hijra at a bazaar at the Central
Market in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

An Iraqi Shii man puts rice in a giant pot to be cooked and shared during the Muslim holiday of
Ashura in Karbala, Iraq. Traditionally the rich give food to the poor on Ashura. On Ashura day
Shii Muslims in Iraq gather in mass at the Shii holy city of Karbala to mark the death of Imam
Hussein, one of their most important saints. During the rule of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein
such rituals were banned.

One Word, Many People
Allah is the word for “God” in Arabic. It is used to refer to
God, not only by Muslims but also by Christians and Jews
who live in countries where Arabic is spoken. The Spanish
expression ¡Ojalá! , which can be loosely translated as “if
Allah wills it so,” clearly shows the influence of the 800
years that Arabs occupied Spain. Today ¡Ojalá! expresses
a strong desire.
Muslims was made permanent in 680 after a famous battle known as

the Battle of Karbala occurred between the Shii and the Sunni groups.
During the battle, the grandson of Muhammad, Imam Hussein, and his
troops were defeated by troops sent by the Sunni caliph Yazid I. The
bodies of Hussein and his followers were mutilated and Hussein himself
beheaded, marking the beginning of the tensions between the Sunnis
and the Shiis in the Middle East and in Asia, the effects of which can still
be felt today. For Shiis, Al-Hijra is the start of the mourning period for 10
or more days in remembrance of Hussein.
In many regions and for many centuries, Sunni and Shii Muslims
often lived and worked together harmoniously or with little conflict. In
recent years, however, the old tensions between these two groups have
resurfaced and led to the violent division of towns and regions along reli-
gious and ethnic lines. This is particularly true in countries such as Iraq,
where major political upheavals have occurred.
The Islamic Calendar

The year of Muhammad’s forced exile was 622 c.e. To commemorate the
suffering of Muhammad and his first followers, this became the first year
of the Islamic calendar. The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar that is also
called the Hijra calendar. It has 12 months of 29 days each, which means that
it is consistently shorter than the Gregorian calendar. Because the Islamic
calendar is based on the Quran, it is sacred for Muslims who must observe
it properly. For many Muslim countries, the Hijra calendar is the official
calendar. In others, the Gregorian calendar is used for civil events and the
Hijra calendar is used for religious ones. The month of Muharram, which
literally means “mourning,” is when the Islamic calendar begins.

A Holy Destination
The Kaaba at Mecca is the most important pilgrimage site
for Muslims. Making the pilgrimage at least one time is one
of the Five Pillars of Islam that all Muslims must accomplish
before they die. It is expected that all Muslims make the
journey if they are financially and physically capable. The
Kaaba itself is a one-room structure at the center of the
Sacred Mosque. Its four corners roughly face the directions
of the compass. The mosque, known as al Masjid al-Haram,
is the largest in the world at approximately 60 feet high
and 60 feet in length. Five times a day a billion or more
Muslims around the world face the direction of Mecca and
the Kaaba and pray to Allah.
Celebrating Al-Hijra
Al-Hijra is, by comparison to other secular and sacred new year’s festi-
vals, a relatively quiet celebration. Muslims spend much of the month of
Muharram in quiet prayer and study. They may reflect upon the history
of their religion, the forced emigration of Muhammad and his follow-
ers in particular. Often Muslims will gather in mosques (sacred places
of worship for a Muslim community) to read portions of the Quran and
discuss specific changes in their lives they would like to make. The story
of Muhammad’s flight from Mecca to Medina is retold orally, sometimes
multiple times by different members of the religious community. A fairly
recent custom is for families to send cards to one another, a practice many
see as influenced by holiday celebrations of the West.
Ashura: A Day of Mourning

While it is not, strictly speaking, a new year’s observance, the 10th day
is the defining day of the month of Muharram for close to 15 percent of
all Muslims worldwide. Traditionally the 10th day of Muharram, known
as Ashura, was declared by Muhammad to be a day of fasting in remem-
brance of Noah leaving the ark and Moses being saved from the Egyptians
by Allah. While it is no longer a mandatory day of fasting, many Sunni
Muslims voluntarily do so to commemorate these two important events.
Al-Hijra: The Islamic New Year 29 ;

Muslims circle the Kaaba during night prayer inside the Sacred Mosque in Mecca. Pilgrimage
to Mecca is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Every able-bodied Muslim who has the means is
expected to make this pilgrimage at least once.

Young pilgrims hold candles between the Imam Abbas and Imam Hussein shrines in Karbala,
Iraq, to celebrate Ashura, an important day of mourning for Shii Muslims that coincides with
Al-Hijra, which is celebrated as the Islamic new year by Sunni Muslims.
They are important not only for the history of Islam, but Christianity and
Judaism as well.
For Shii Muslims Ashura holds an even more profound significance.
On this date Shii Muslims gather to lament the death of Imam Hussein
with elaborate processions and other mourning rituals. While the Sunnis
do not believe in outward displays of emotion, the Shiis do, and their
Ashura observances are steeped in noticeable displays of grief.

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matariki: The
maori New Year
Celebration
The new year traditions of Rosh Hashanah, Divali, and Al-Hijra are part
of religious traditions practiced by billions all over Earth. Their exact
dates are tied to the lore, holy books, and historical and mythical leg-
ends created and perpetuated by the followers of these religions. Around
the world some indigenous groups, or traditional clans and tribes with
ancient ties to the land, celebrate the beginning of the new year in ways
quite distinct from the larger communities in which they live.
Indigenous new year observances are often directly associated with
the wonders and workings of the natural world. For many traditional
cultures, national associations and identifications are much less impor-
tant than tribal ones, and traditional cultures struggle to maintain their
identity as they live on the periphery of dominant cultures and religions.
For the indigenous group of New Zealand called the Maori, recent
changes in how the larger culture views native groups has resulted in
a resurgence of ancient rites associated with their indigenous celebra-
tions, including new year’s. Until recently, and for many generations, it
was common for missionaries from dominant religions to try to force
tribes to give up ancient rites and observances. This was certainly the
case in the 19th century and part of the 20th in New Zealand and the
rest of Oceania. Today indigenous people are rediscovering traditions
that had for too long been prohibited by outside powers, thus ensuring
that important pieces of their culture are not forgotten.
origins of Matariki
Maori Belief System
Like many indigenous people, the Maori have always depended on thor-
ough observation and understanding of nature for their survival. To the
Maori, the world is a huge, complex whaanau, or family, that includes
people, fish, trees, birds, and even weather. Humans are not superior to

animals but are equal members of this family. In fact, Maori typically
identify themselves according to their tribe, subtribe, and nearest moun-
tain and river. The Maori make connections between different parts of
the world by a blend of genealogy and traditional stories. These things
together form a type of knowledge called whakapapa, which means,
“to place in layers” and “foundation.” Whakapapa can be passed down
through oral and written communication. It helps the Maori understand
the relationship between humans and nature, both in a spiritual sense
and a practical one. It may be used to teach values and proper behavior,
for example, or simply to share the best place for gathering eels.
A Calendar of Stars
For the Maori, the appearance of a cluster of stars that can only be seen
once a year (known in the West as the Pleiades) determine when their
religious new year, Matariki, takes place. Whakapapa teaches that in New
Zealand a cluster of bright stars appears once a year, low to the hori-
zon in the northeast. The grouping shows up around late May or early
Guiding Lights
Since antiquity the bright blue stars that make up the
Pleiades have caught the attention of many different cul-
tures. In Chinese constellations, their name means “Hairy
Head of the White Tiger of the West.” The starry image can
also be found in the logo of the Japanese car company
Subaru, because Subaru means “Pleiades” in Japanese.
The stars of the “Pleiades” have been used by sailors for
navigation and by farmers to determine the best time for
planting. In parts of Africa, their appearance marks the
beginning of the agricultural year, as evidenced by their
name in Bantu, Kilimia, which comes from the verb mean-
ing “to hoe.” Quechua people of the Andes call them
Collca, which means “storehouse.” Like the Maori, Peruvian
and Bolivian farmers use the brightness of the stars of the
Pleiades to predict when to plant their crops. For example,
if they are bright, the farmers of the Andes Mountains plant
their potatoes earlier. If the star cluster is dim, they wait.
Matariki: The Maori New Year Celebration 33;

June in the Gregorian calendar (which in the Southern Hemisphere is
almost the beginning of winter). The Maori named this cluster Matariki,
which means, “eyes of God” or “little eyes.” The Vikings and other early
European cultures thought they resembled a hen and her chicks. In
Western terms, the Pleiades, or the Seven Sisters, are located in the con-
stellation of Taurus.
For the Maori, the appearance of these stars signals the beginning
of the new year. Some tribes begin their new year the day the Matariki
appears, while others wait until the full Moon, or the first new Moon fol-
lowing Matariki’s appearance. Despite these variations, the Maori new
year has always traditionally taken place in late spring (late May to early
June) when the planting season is slowing. Like Rosh Hashanah and
Divali, Matariki is a time of self-reflection. It is also a time of great mer-
rymaking and huge feasts called hakari.
Celebrating Matariki
Ethnographers, or people who study the customs and cultures of peoples,
have identified hundreds of games, crafts, and performing arts that belong
to Maori tradition. The Maori love to sing, dance, tell stories, recount
histories, give speeches, make up games, weave, carve, tattoo, and paint.
At Matariki, their enjoyment of many such activities is an essential part of
the celebration. Matariki has also always been a time for intertribal shar-
ing and for building stronger relationships between tribal members.
Matariki is also a time of reflection. It is a chance for people to think
about and be grateful for what they have and also to think about how to
give back—to family, to friends, and to Earth. For the Maori, the new year
is an occasion of both joy and sorrow. At Matariki they acknowledge the
loss of those who died during the year by telling their stories and emu-
lating the good qualities they shared with the world. As the star cluster
disappears each year, it does so in the west—the direction traditionally
associated with death and sorrow. Its reappearance comes from the east,
the direction associated with life, light, and well-being.
The new year is also an opportunity for the Maori to learn about their
history, their culture, and their ancestors. They relearn the value of their
daily rituals and their sense of being rooted to a particular place. To cele-
brate these things, they gather local plants such as pikopiko, or fern fronds,
and native berries. They also collect natural materials to build kites, a tra-
ditional Maori practice. The new year occurs during the season when fish

migrate along the coast, so the Maori cast their nets and lines while invok-
ing Tangaroa, the god of the sea. In all, Matariki is a time for the Maori to
acknowledge the gifts of Earth and their in-kind responsibility.
Kite Making
At Matariki, the inventiveness and creativity of the culture is especially
visible in Maori kite flying. Maori kites are known as manu tukutuku, manu
aute, or pakau. Manu means both “kite” and “bird,” and tukutuku refers to
the winding out of the line as the kite takes to the sky. Aute is the term
for “paper,” and pakau is a name for a “bird’s wing.” The ancient Maori
were expert kite flyers. Their kites were brightly painted and of differ-
ent shapes, sizes, and names. Several Maori kites were designed to look
like birds. Another resembled what one might call a birdman—a human
body with wings. Still another was supposed to resemble a flounder, a
flat fish that swims along the bottom of the ocean. Certain kites were
flown for competitions, and others were made specifically for children.
Kite makers expressed their creativity through decoration on their kites,
Maori warriors from the local tribe Tu Wharetoa perform a war song on the shore of Lake Taupo
in New Zealand to welcome guests.

using shells, feathers, carvings, paints, or leaves. Traditionally the kites
were made from New Zealand pampas grass, linen fiber, flax, mulberry
bark, and a swamp plant called rampo. It was an activity that served many
functions: to encourage social relationships, reinforce tribal traditions,
communicate with the deities, compete with each other, create vibrant
artwork, and to have fun.
For the Maori, kites have always been messengers that connect heaven
and Earth. The largest and most complex kites were supposed to pierce
the clouds. They were so massive that it took several people to operate
them and their ropes were up to a half a mile long. In 1850 an artist
documented one of the largest, called a “harrier-hawk” kite. It measured
1.5 meters high (approximately 1.64 yards) with a wingspan of 3.6 meters
(3.94 yards), and had a mask representing a tattooed face attached to it.
Priests or men of knowledge also constructed sacred kites using rituals
that were kept secret from those outside the priesthood. These sacred
kites (manu whara) were viewed as a way of seeing beyond the boundaries
of the everyday world and looking into the future. They were launched
with special chants and ceremonies. This spiritual component of kite-
flying is reflected in many Maori myths that feature characters trying to
soar to heaven by grabbing hold of a kite, or by using a kite to fly across
the land.
Before the arrival of European missionaries in the beginning of the
19th century, it is estimated there were several thousand Maori kites
either stored in tribal collections or swooping and climbing like color-
ful insects in the skies over New Zealand. Soon after the missionaries
came, however, that changed. Almost all the games and traditions of
the Maori disappeared. Even some Europeans felt that the missionar-
ies had gone too far, accusing them of “repressing harmless recreations
among the natives.” In 1839, an American voyager named Wilkes wrote
that, “Social amusements are prohibited by severe penalties, though the
people are evidently fond of them.” (Wilkes 1845) By 1940, Matariki cel-
ebrations had largely disappeared, taking with them the yearly festival
during which kite making was at its most inventive.
Today the Maori are rediscovering and reviving the role of kites
and their incredible kite-making abilities that have a direct and deeply
spiritual link to their Matariki celebrations. This is often encouraged by
and helped along with the expressed aid of outside organizations eager
to learn and spread rich cultural information to the larger community.
Sometimes, the eagerness is also for the tourist dollars a region or a coun-
try hopes to attract.

Reflection
Many Maori elders, not unlike those from Jewish, Hindu, and Muslim
communities the world over, are using the days before, during, and after
the new year as a crucial period of reflection. It is a time to impart their
history and to instruct the next generations in the traditions that connect
the past to the future. As important as this is for all religious groups, for
particular groups it is sometimes critical to the survival of their indig-
enous identity.
Conclusion
Though the traditions of Rosh Hashanah, Divali, Al-Hijra, and Matariki
are as widely varied as the places where they are practiced and the cul-
tures that honor them, they all share a common desire to mark the pas-
sage of time. They do this within their respective religious communities
and by turning outward, to the cycles of the seasons, the Sun, Moon,
stars, and planets, and thereby connecting with the timeless traditions
of their ancestors. At the center of all of this is the life of the single par-
ticipant, who uses the holiday as a means of locating his or her place in
private faith and in the public world community. Through the rituals of a
chosen holiday, the individual is able to comprehend his or her place and
moment in history and to work toward refining and improving self and
society over time.

An Indian-Malaysian woman offers an
earthen lamp during the celebration of
the Hindu festival of Divali at a temple in
Kuala Lumpur.

Regional
Traditions and
Customs
a a a
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Asia
The continent with the greatest diversity of religious new year’s cel-
ebrations is Asia. With one-third of the Earth’s land and three-fi fths
of its people, Asia is the largest continent in the world. It is also the
most complex. Made up of a multitude of cultures and religions, includ-
ing Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, and Judaism, it is a place
where various traditions must live side-by-side, each working to preserve
its own individuality while respecting that of the others around it.
Most of the world is familiar with the Chinese New Year, a 15-day
festival featuring parades, fi reworks, and a multitude of outdoor fes-
tivities. However, Asia is also home to many other religious new year
observances that occur at roughly the same time as the Chinese New
Year and have elements in common with Divali. In Vietnam and South
Korea, for example, Tet Nguyen and Seollal are elaborate celebrations
that honor both living family members and the ancestral spirits and
ancient gods that watch over these families during the year. Amid the
variety of celebrations, Divali is the most commonly and colorfully
celebrated.
The variations in Divali festivals practiced by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains
are pronounced in several Asian countries. The most notable of these are
India, Nepal, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Most Divali celebrations in these countries are similar, only with a focus
on gods more specific to the nation, region, or community.
Although Islam is usually associated with the Middle Eastern coun-
tries where Muhammad founded it, Muslims make up a significant part
of the population of several Asian countries as well. Originally coming
to different parts of Asia as traders as well as conquerors, they remain in
large numbers in several South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan,
Indonesia, and Malaysia. While a substantial majority of Indians in India
are Hindu and celebrate Divali, more than 100 million Indian citizens
practice Islam and celebrate an entirely different new year, Al-Hijra, a full
two to three months after the last day of Divali.
For most Asian Muslims, the celebration of Al-Hijra is a day to relate
the story of Muhammad’s flight, make new year’s resolutions, and go to
the mosque to pray. Devout Muslims will often give money to the poor
on this day, as well as provide food for those who need it. It is a much less
elaborate celebration than the Hindu Divali and mostly used as a time to
reflect and remember Muhammad’s exile from Mecca.

An Indonesian boy carries packets made from coconut leaves to sell at a local market. The
coconut leaf packets are used to wrap rice cakes, a delicacy for Al-Hijra, served with chicken
or meat curry.
Divali in India
Hindu Divali in India
The significance of Divali for the Hindus of India is as diverse as the
region itself. India alone has 15 recognized languages, and Hindu India
has more than 300 million deities worshipped by close to a billion Hindus.
In such a sprawling, complicated environment, Divali celebrations vary
from region to region so that each small community can preserve a piece
of its original heritage. While there are some common oral traditions for
a majority of Hindus recounted during this time, in some areas of India
the central focus of Divali is on a local god or goddess who is meaningful
Asia 41;
Another Festival of Lights
Buddhists of Myanmar (formerly Burma) celebrate a festi-
val of lights similar to Divali. Their three-day holiday com-
memorates the return of the Buddha from a celestial trip
during which he gave lessons to celestial beings before
bringing them back with him. As with Divali celebrations in
India, Buddhists mark the return of their prophet by light-
ing their homes, holding festivities in the streets, and pay-
ing respects to their elders and the Buddha.
to that particular village. For villagers in the south, Divali is also a time
to bless and honor the sacred cows. Cows are not only the source of the
farmer’s livelihood but are also believed to be incarnations of different
gods, including both Vishnu and Lakshmi. In India it is forbidden to eat
cows. Hindus believe that feeding a cow brings good luck, and killing a
cow is an offense punishable by time in jail. During Divali Indians offer
traditional Divali sweets to their cows.
Preparing for Divali

There is a festive and busy atmosphere as the people prepare for Divali in
Mumbai, the largest city in India. All over the city, Hindu families white-
wash and paint their homes and businesses. Inside the houses, parents and
children alike are scrubbing every inch of their bedrooms, living rooms, and
kitchens. This is not a normal housecleaning, but an important ritual that
helps Hindus prepare for the arrival of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity.
Legend says that she will come to the cleanest and most inviting Indian
homes to bestow good fortune for the coming year. These month-long
preparations help families anticipate the jubilant and sacred celebration of
Divali. Celebrants hope that by making the outward, physical space clean
and new, one also refreshes the internal space of hopes and aspirations.
This scene in Mumbai, a city with more than 18 million people, is
repeated throughout the homes of India’s more-than 1 billion residents.
In addition to their thorough housecleaning, Indian Hindus prepare for
Divali by clearing away unwanted garments, household items, or toys, in
order to prepare for the possibilities the new year may bring. This is also
when the thousands of small oil lamps made of clay called diyas are lit.

An artist sprays paints on earthen lamps in
preparation for the Hindu festival of Divali at a
workshop in Calcutta, India. Divali is celebrated
all over India by lighting lamps and setting off
firecrackers.
These are placed in and around Indian

homes to foster spiritual illumination.
The name Divali actually comes from
a word meaning “a row of lights” in the
ancient Indian language of Sanskrit.
All of these preparations have as
their end goal the rightful welcome
of Hindu gods and goddesses into the
home for Divali, particularly Lakshmi.
Although there are many gods that
could be honored in different Hindu
homes throughout Asia, there are just
a few to whom large numbers of peo-
ple pay tribute. These vary by region:
Children in northern India will light
the diyas with their parents to welcome
King Rama back from exile, whereas
households in southern India may
retell the story of Lord Krishna defeat-
ing Narakasura, a ruthless, demonic
king who tyrannically ruled over the
heavens and the Earth.
A favorite story in western and southwestern India concerns a strange,
smart, sometimes generous but always power-hungry king by the name of
Bali. In the story, Vishnu, who has come back to Earth disguised as a dwarf,
tricks Bali into giving up his power. Vishnu sends Bali to the underworld
until peace is restored. Hindus in the southwestern Indian state of Kerala
do not just celebrate Vishnu’s victory, but also Bali’s obedient spirit.
The Arrival of Hindu Divali

After weeks of preparation Divali finally arrives. The smells of kofta curry,
vegetables in sweet curry sauce; and paneer makhani, Indian cheeses sim-
mered in a tomato sauce, fill the air. The scents of mouth-watering sweets
such as kadame kheer, delicious hand-rolled cheese balls cooked in sugar
syrup, waft from Hindu kitchens across the country. Multicolored drawings
Asia 43;
A Feast of the Gods
Hindu Indians make mountains of sweets in preparation
for Divali. Hinduism emphasizes the role of food so much
that it is sometimes called “the kitchen religion.” Prasada
(meaning mercy) is the name of any food that is offered
to God. It is an important part of worship. Hindus believe
that the consciousness of the cook enters the food and
affects the person who eats it. Therefore food that has
been prepared with devotion will bring greater spirituality
to the eater. Food that has been on the altar is particularly
sacred. It is usually distributed to worshippers during or
after a religious ceremony.
and paintings created by Hindus line the sidewalks of city streets and tiny
villages alike. Businesses and homeowners decorate their freshly cleaned
offices and abodes with lush displays of plants and flowers. Throngs of
people stroll the streets and markets, dressed in new saris (flowing, wrapped
dresses) and dhotis (draped skirts for men) made of traditional, brightly col-
ored Indian textiles. It seems as if all of India is out socializing, wearing
glittering jewelry, visiting friends and relatives, and attending public par-
ties and parades. The nights are radiant with the glow of thousands of
lights as well as the sights and sounds of laughing children and exploding
fireworks.
Whereas in most areas of the United States and many other Western
countries it is illegal for people to set off their own fireworks, until
recently in India anyone could set off fireworks—and, on the third day of
Divali, that is exactly what they did. The result was an all-night party with
both the street and sky ablaze with diyas, fireworks, and electric lights.
However, due to the many firework-related injuries that have occurred
over the years, modern regulations now prohibit fireworks use in India.
Though this might have taken away from the spectacle of the holiday,
it has not dulled the festive tone of the celebration or the reverence for
Lakshmi and all that she symbolizes.
The fourth day of Divali, the official new year, is called Annakut (ann
means food; kut means mountain) or Govardhan Puja in many of the
central and northeastern Indian states. Both names refer to the legend of
Krishna holding up the mountain to save the creatures of the region.

Hindus celebrate Divali with sparklers in Allahabad, India.
In some states of India, such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya

Pradesh, people commemorate Lord Krishna’s feat by building hillocks
of cow dung. They decorate them with flowers and then offer prayers
to them. In other areas, a huge array of vegetarian dishes is offered to
the deities. It is traditional to place the dishes on tiers or steps in front
of statues of the deities, with a mound of cooked rice in the middle to
Holiday Business
The third day of Divali is considered a good time to start a
new business or move into a new home. In some regions,
this is the day that account books are presented to Lakshmi
and the elephant-headed god, Ganesh, for blessing. In
northern India, businesspeople and accountants begin
their financial new year on the fourth day of Divali.
Asia 45;
A special prayer is performed at a leading financial house on the occasion of Divali, the Hindu
festival of lights, in Mumbai, India. The stock markets open for Mahurat trading (stock market
trading done for about an hour on Divali, the biggest festival for Hindus and also the start of the
Indian financial year).
represent Mount Govardhana. Worshippers sing about the food, chant-

ing the names of the dishes in a poetic, rhythmic way and praying for the
food to be accepted. Everyone enjoys the food that has been blessed and
offered to God. In the end the remaining food gets distributed evenly for
everyone to take home.

Many Indians are vegetarian, but during religious holidays such as
Govardhan Puja, all Hindus eat only vegetarian food. They even avoid
dairy products such as eggs and milk. Instead, they feast on an Indian
rice pudding called kheer, which can be made without eggs and is cooked
with crushed cardamom seeds, almonds, pistachio nuts, and raisins. This
dish is usually accompanied by spicy urid lentil vada (lentil fritters). Such
a dish might be made as a Govardhan Puja offering to Krishna, or served
on one of the five days of Divali.
Sikh Divali in India

Sikhism is a religion that differs from both Hinduism and Islam but
retains traits of each. It was founded by a man known as Guru Nanak in
1469. The central elements of Sikhism are the emphasis on good works
Sikh devotees light oil lamps inside the Golden Temple complex during Divali celebrations in
Amritsar, India. For Sikhs, Divali is a time to remember the release of an important spiritual
teacher from imprisonment.
Asia 47;
and moral acts and the absence of rituals frequently associated with
Hinduism and other religions. The path to the one god of the Sikh comes
through meditation, deep reflection, and prayer, as well as study of the
sacred Sikh text called the Granth Sahib.
For Sikhs, Divali is a time to remember the release of an important
spiritual teacher, Hargobind, from imprisonment by a Mughal emperor
during the 17th century. The Mughals were a Muslim dynasty that ruled
northern India and other parts of southern Asia for close to two centu-
ries. Hargobind refused to accept his freedom until the 52 Hindu princes
imprisoned with him were also released. Eventually the Mughal emperor
granted his wish. To commemorate this event, Sikhs light lamps in the
Golden Temple, their principal house of worship and pilgrimage site
located in the city of Amritsar in the northwest part of India. This temple,
already beautiful during daylight, looks magical when illuminated by the
lights of Divali.
Jain Divali in India

More than 3 million Jains who live throughout India also observe Divali.
Jainism is a religion believed to be related to both Hinduism and Buddhism,
but with many separate beliefs as well. For example, the gods Rama and
Krishna have additional characteristics in Jainism that they do not have
in Hinduism, such as holiness and nonviolence. For Jains, Divali honors
the historic founder of their religion, Vardhmana Mahavira, who taught of
nonviolence and compassion. They believe that it was during Divali when
Mahavira achieved a state of nirvana, or total enlightenment, that freed
him from his earthly body and the eternal cycle of birth and death. On the
evening before the first day of Divali, Jains pray to Mahavira at midnight.
The next day they read from their holy scriptures, including the sayings
and teachings of Vardhamana Mahavira. Along with these readings comes
an intensive fast, which is a direct contrast to the Hindu tradition of feast-
ing during Divali. Like Indian Hindus, the Jains also light up their homes
for Divali with diyas. However, they do so because they believe that when
Mahavira died, he took with him the light of divine knowledge. Therefore,
their diyas represent the desire to rekindle the spirit of his wisdom.
Ashura in India
For Shii Muslims, the 10th day of Muharram, Ashura, is a day of sorrow.
To remember the sufferings of Hussein and his troops at the hands of the

Sunnis, as well as to atone for their sins, some Shii men will inflict wounds
on their bodies with sharp knives. More commonly, Shii men will strike
their chests in hard, rhythmic beats while chanting. During this period
of mourning, Shii women take off all jewelry and the men dress in black
and recite incidents from the Battle of Karbala. Wrestlers and dancers
recreate scenes from the battle that took Hussein’s life. When one takes a
cold drink at any point in Ashura, he or she must be mindful to remem-
ber the thirst that Hussein and his followers had to endure in captivity.
In India, the Shii people will parade replicas of Hussein’s tomb, called
tazias, in long, meandering processions through the streets. Some parts
of India such as Hyderabad and Lucknow are famous for their elaborately
decorated tombs. Though Shii Muslims make up only 2 percent of the
Muslim population of India, these dramatic,
often meticulously staged rituals of Ashura
make them a highly visible presence during
the month of Muharram.
Divali in Nepal
Nepal is the only Hindu kingdom in the
world and thus places particular emphasis
on its Divali celebrations. In addition to the
bright lights, fireworks, and feasts tradition-
ally associated with Divali, Nepalese Hindus
place special meaning on the various days of
the celebration. For instance, a different ani-
mal is worshipped each day, including crows,
dogs, cows, and oxen. Each animal is associ-
ated with a different deity. The fourth day is
especially devoted to Yama, the Hindu god of
death. People recite prayers to him in hopes
for a long and healthy life. The fifth and final
day of Divali is called Bhai Tika. Similar
to the Brother’s Day, siblings put the tika
(a design made of colored powder) on each
other’s foreheads and a mala (a necklace of
Nepalese women worship and feed a cow, which is holy for

Hindus, during Divali in Katmandu, Nepal.
Asia 49 ;
woven flowers) around each other’s necks. They then exchange wishes for
a prosperous new year. This ritual is timed to happen at the exact same
moment all over the country.
Divali in Singapore
In Singapore, where 8 percent of the population is of Indian descent
and 9 percent are Hindu, families believe that the diyas in their homes
will guide the souls of their departed loved ones back to visit them.
Although Hindus make up only a small percentage of the population,
Divali is a large-scale festival celebrated throughout the country. In the
cities, those neighborhoods with large Indian populations decorate their
streets with garlands and lighted archways. Since many of these cit-
ies are dense with high-rise towers and clustered apartment buildings,
people will gather in open areas such as parks to light sparklers and
other small fireworks. The local Hindu temple is also a popular gather-
ing spot, both in the daytime and in the evening, for the exchange of
new year’s greetings and the offering of prayers.
Divali in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, Divali celebrations are more subdued than in other places.
The mood is solemn and reflective, without the singing, dancing, fire-
crackers, and games that characteristically mark the holiday. However,
there are some specific traditions Sri Lankan Hindus maintain, such as
illuminating their homes and streets, making figures known as misiri out
of crystallized sugar, and crafting and exchanging enamel toys. On the
last day of Divali families share in a large meal including vegetable curries
and sweets made with coconut milk and honey.

12341234123412341234123
Latin America and
the Caribbean
In most of Latin America, new year’s celebrations are similar to those in
North America—filled with fireworks, music, parties and a lot of dancing.
And like North Americans, the majority of Latin Americans celebrate the
new year according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1. While many on
this mostly Catholic continent often attend mass before the festivities, New
Year ’s Eve is primarily a civic holiday without overt religious meaning.
However, also like its neighbor to the north, Latin America is com-
posed of an array of cultures from around the world, many of which cel-
ebrate religious new year traditions in addition to the secular grand bash
on December 31. This is especially true in areas that Britain colonized
in the 19th century. When the British brought people over from India to
do the hard labor on plantations in the Caribbean, the laborers brought
along their religious traditions. These Hindu and Muslim traditions can
still be seen in new year’s celebrations today.
While nearly 1 billion Indians live in India, there are also very large
populations of Indians all over the globe, especially in the Americas. Over
the last century and a half, Indians have migrated to all parts of the world
to pursue new ways of life. When the British Empire ruled over both India
and parts of the Caribbean, many Indians went to work in the Caribbean
as indentured servants, or people who work for someone for a specified
time in order to pay off a debt. In this case the debt was often the payment
of the passage from India itself. The height of indentured servitude in the
Caribbean came after slavery was abolished there toward the end of the
1800s, when the British colonial powers used the indentured servants as a
way of legally, if unfairly, replacing the vanishing labor force.
Over time Indian populations paid off their debt to the British, set
down roots, and developed strong connections to their new homelands.
Today, Indians make up a sizable percentage of the populations of Guyana
(located on the mainland of South America) and Trinidad and Tobago (an
island nation in the southern Caribbean). In Guyana, Indians make up
nearly 50 percent of the population. In Trinidad and Tobago they account
for 40 percent. Many young people of Indian descent who live in the
Caribbean and South America have never set foot in India, yet they still
follow the Hindu or Muslim faiths.
Latin America and the Caribbean 51;

A Cultural Mix in the Caribbean
In Trinidad, an island in the Caribbean, indentured Indians
were both Hindu and Muslim. Because of this, the Ashura
ceremony called Hosay, celebrated as far back as 1854 in
Trinidad, includes the tazia customs popular in India. For a
while the British banned all parades after a series of riots
took place on sugar plantations. During Hosay in 1884
30,000 people defied the ban in order to take part in the
Ashura parade in Mon Repos, San Fernando. Attempting
to disperse the huge crowd, police killed 22 people and
wounded 120. Today in Trinidad that day is commonly
referred to as the “Hosay Massacre.”
Divali in Guyana
In Guyana, non-Hindus and elected officials use the occasion to connect
the new year to the theme of national renewal and hope. As in other Divali
celebrations, food and the lighting of diyas are the highlights. Perhaps the
most anticipated event for the Guyanese community is a motorcade, a
procession of vehicles through the streets of the capital of Georgetown.
At various places along the parade route, people in the motorcade stop
and perform short Divali plays, dances, and songs for the public.
Divali in Trinidad and Tobago

Divali in Trinidad and Tobago is a national holiday celebrated by Hindus
and the community at-large, marked by prayer, feasts, and community-
wide parties. Many elected officials take part in the lighting of diyas. In this
dual-island state, the diyas are often placed on stalks of bamboo that have
been twisted into imaginatively elegant shapes. In villages with large Indian
communities, the streets and houses gleam with electric lights as well as
diyas, and people stroll through the evening enjoying the show. In Trinidad
there is even a center where non-Hindus can go to learn about Divali and
Hinduism. Hindu families open up their homes to non-Hindus and wel-
come friends and neighbors to share their delicious Divali foods, including
garlic pork, chicken curry, and pastries made with tamarind and guava.

12341234123412341234123
middle East
In the Middle East, the two main religious new year’s observances are
Rosh Hashanah, celebrated by Jews, and Al-Hijra, observed by Muslims.
The significance of these celebrations is deeply religious. They are as much
about looking back into each community’s rich history as they are about
looking forward to the coming year. For both Jews and Muslims, the new
year is a period of deep self-reflection and a time to make amends to loved
ones and to God. Repentance is a common theme for both faiths during
this month.
For the Jews of Israel, Rosh Hashanah is one of the most important
religious celebrations of the year. For most Muslims in the Middle East,
Al-Hijra is the day to remember the flight of Muhammad from Mecca
to present day Medina in 622, which marks the fi rst year of the Muslim
calendar. Unlike many other Muslim holidays, there are few specific cus-
toms or rituals associated with Al-Hijra in most countries where Muslims
live. It is a time to recount Muhammad’s flight, look back over the past
year, and prepare for the next.
A Turkish man tastes dates in the spice bazaar of Istanbul, Turkey. Dates are a favorite food for
the Islamic new year.
Middle East 53;

Throughout the Middle East and parts of Africa, the morning of
Al-Hijra does not make it immediately obvious that a new year is begin-
ning. There are no fireworks displays, singing in the streets, or long
parades associated with the Islamic new year. People do not light spar-
klers or candles like they do on the nights of Rosh Hashanah and Divali.
In fact, on the morning of Al-Hijra the streets of Middle Eastern cities
generally resemble “business as usual,” although in some countries shops
will close down for the day.
In Middle Eastern countries, especially those with large Sunni
majorities, Al-Hijra is a time of personal reflection rather than outward
celebration. It is a chance to resolve to become a better person and a bet-
ter Muslim in the coming year. In this way it is much like other religious
and civil new year’s observances around the globe. However, it is also a
day with a rich historical focus. Many Muslims will go to their mosques
to hear the story of Prophet Muhammad’s hijra from Mecca to present-
day Medina. This event marks the period when Islam gelled as a religion.
While a visit to the mosque is encouraged throughout Islam on this day,
it is not mandatory. Families often choose to remain at home, where
parents sit down with their children to discuss Muhammad’s hijra and
encourage them to think about how his emigration allowed for the birth
of Islam.
A common aspect of both Rosh Hashanah observances and some of
those of Al-Hijra is the importance of sweet foods. These represent the
hopes that the new year will be free of bitterness and ill will. A more
important linkage between these two faiths at this time of the year is
a strong and solemn bond with their respective holy books. Even Jews
and Muslims who do not actively practice religion on a daily basis still
recount the histories, legends, and mythologies of their sacred texts. It is
an important way of giving their children and other loved ones an under-
standing of their place on Earth as glimpsed through the workings of
their faith.
Religions of the Middle East

The Two Major Muslim Sects: Shiis and Sunnis
Close to 90 percent of the people who live in the Middle East today are
Muslim. However, within this broad religious term there is a great variety
of belief and practice, just as there is with different branches of Christianity
and Judaism. Muslims are largely divided between Sunni and Shii sects,

An Iranian man rides a horse as he performs in a Shii Ashura Tazieh, a religious play reenacting
the battle of Karbala, outside Isfahan, south of Tehran.
although there are numerous other branches of Islam that are connected
to these two major groups. Sunni Muslims make up 85 to 90 percent
of all Muslims around the world, mostly concentrated in Egypt, Turkey,
Syria, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. Shii Muslims, on the other hand, are
more populous in Iraq and Iran.
In some Middle Eastern countries there are tensions between Shii
and Sunni Muslims, while in other regions there is relative harmony. In
Iraq there has long been resentment on the part of the Shiis regarding
Sunni rule, especially when Saddam Hussein, a Sunni, was in power (he
was president of Iraq from 1979 to 2003).
Christians and Jews

It is important to remember that in this largely Muslim region there are
also Christian and Jewish communities, though they are comparatively
small in number. In fact, these three major religions—Christianity, Islam,
and Judaism—originated in the Middle East, and they all recognize
the same ancestor, Abraham. For this reason, these religions are often
Middle East 55;

A Jewish woman lifts her child as he touches the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site, in
Jerusalem’s Old City.
referred to as the Abrahamic religions. All share the belief that there is
only one God, who is the creator of the universe. This belief is known as
monotheism.
Jerusalem: Most Sacred of Cities

Jerusalem, the capital of Israel (which became a Jewish state in 1948), is
one of the holiest cities in the world for Jews, Muslims, and Christians.
For Jews, it is tied to the reign of the great King David, who declared it
the capital of his kingdom in 1000 b.c.e. For Christians, it is the place
where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected. For Muslims, it is the
site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest shrines after the Kaaba
in Mecca. At the center of the mosque is the Dome of the Rock, which
has religious meaning for Muslims, Jews, and Christians. For Muslims,
it is the place where Muhammad ascended into heaven. For Jews and
Christians, it is the altar where Abraham was about to sacrifice his first-
born son. Today in Israel, a country that measures 8,000 square miles
and has a population of just more than 6 million people, 77 percent of
Israelis (around 5.7 million) are Jewish. Most of the remaining citizens
are Muslim. However, from ancient times until today, the land that is now
Israel has been fought over, occupied, and ruled by Muslims, Christians,

Coexistence in and around Israel
Approximately 14 million people around the world are
Jewish, with the majority living in North America and Israel.
The Jews have considered the land of Israel their home for
more than 150 years. Ever since Jews began to move from
the Diaspora back to Israel, they have fought with existing
Muslim populations. This has been especially true in the
years following World War II to the present. It has resulted
in heavy bloodshed and great loss of life on both sides.
By reclaiming what King David declared was their capital,
the Jews moved Muslim Palestinians off land that they had
lived on for many years, thus dividing the region into bit-
terly contested areas.
and Jews alike in numerous power struggles of various lengths. Since

1948 it has been a place of great conflict and bloodshed between Jews and
Muslims from neighboring Palestine and other Muslim territories.
After 1948 many Jews who had lived in various parts of the Middle East
moved in large numbers
to the new Jewish State
of Israel. They were often
forced to leave other Middle
Eastern countries under
direct threat of their Islamic
governments. At the same
time, Muslims who already
lived in Israel were angry at
being removed from lands
they considered rightfully
Muslim women pray at the Al-Aqsa

Mosque compound in Jerusalem,
one of Islam’s most holy sites.
Middle East 57;

An Iraqi Shii boy dressed as an ancient
Islamic warrior rides a horse as he takes
part in the religious festival of Ashura in
the holy city of Najaf, south of Baghdad.
Tens of thousands of Shii Muslims gather in
Karbala to celebrate Ashura, the day when
Imam Hussein, the “leader of the martyrs”
and grandson of Prophet Muhammad, was
killed in Karbala in 680.
theirs. They also felt discriminated

against because of their faith. Such
sentiments continue to this day.
In the midst of this tension, and
partly because of it, adherence to
the orthodox Jewish and Islamic
beliefs and traditions is often
unbending and impassioned. It is
within this volatile environment
that these two historically con-
nected and yet very distinct reli-
gious groups practice their faith
and celebrate their holidays.
Ashura in Iraq
Shii men often reenact through passion plays the events that led up to
the death of Imam Hussein on Ashura, 10 days after Al-Hijra. In many
parts of Iran, which is 89 percent Shii, men and women wear black—the
color of mourning—and the men beat their chests rhythmically with fists
or iron chains in order to feel Hussein’s pain and remember his mar-
tyrdom. (Some current Shii leaders discourage self-flagellation because
they believe it gives non-Muslims the wrong image, or perception, of Shii
Muslims. On this day they encourage the mourners to give blood at a
blood bank instead.) Shii women also wail loudly in remembrance of him.

Hauntingly beautiful processions include children carrying a cradle as a
reminder of Hussein’s child, who was killed in front of his father after
Hussein demanded water from his captors. These processions are often
led by a white horse without a rider to symbolize the horse that was left
without a master when Hussein died.
In Iraq, especially in Karbala where Imam Hussein was killed, Ashura
holds great significance for the Shiis. Under Saddam Hussein, a dicta-
tor who ruled Iraq from 1979 to 2003, traditional pilgrimages to Karbala
on Ashura as well as the reenactments of Imam Hussein’s death were
restricted or banned outright for several years. Since most Shiis view
Ashura as a symbol of the fight against tyranny and oppression, the former
dictator of Iraq saw their observances as a possible threat to his rule. Shii
Muslims have only recently begun to observe Ashura again after Saddam
Hussein was removed from power and later executed. In 2004, the year
after he was removed, more than 1 million Shiis traveled to Karbala for
Ashura. This proved to be dangerous considering the instability of the
region and the high tensions between Shii and Sunni Muslims. More
than 100 Shiis died and more were injured in bomb attacks, even though
the area was highly fortified. This attack demonstrates Iraq’s continued
struggle for stability. In such a place, simply showing devotion through
religious rituals can have tragic, life-threatening consequences.
Rosh Hashanah in Israel

At some point on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, Jews in Israel will go in
search of a body of water in order to perform tashlik. This is the ritual in
which people empty their pockets of breadcrumbs, stones, or other small
A Call for All

Even those who cannot attend services because they are ill
or too elderly to make it to the Rosh Hashanah service are
supposed to hear the sound of the shofar—a sound thought
to inspire awe as well as God’s compassion. In hospitals,
Jewish chaplains will go from room to room with a shofar
so that Jewish patients can hear the sound and in this way
take part in Rosh Hashanah.
Middle East 59 ;
items and throw them into the water to symbolize casting away their
sins. As much of the Israeli landscape is dry desert, finding a body of
water can be quite difficult. In Jerusalem people sometimes stand above
swimming pools, water tanks, wells, or even their kitchen sinks during
this ritual.
For several days leading up to the new year, preparations for Rosh
Hashanah are noticeable everywhere in Israel. Stores hold extended
hours and have special prices for honey, an important dipping ingredi-
ent for sweet foods traditionally eaten on Rosh Hashanah. In kitchens
everywhere, families make and pray over loaves of challah bread. In Israel
during the lead-up to Rosh Hashanah, fruits overflow in the outdoor
markets, especially pomegranates. Pomegranates are believed to have the
same number of seeds—613—as there are commandments in the Torah.
In addition to pomegranates, apples dipped in honey are another popular
fruit to eat at the onset of the new year.
On the morning of the second day of Rosh Hashanah families return
to their places of worship for a longer service. In fact, the Rosh Hashanah
religious service can go on for up to five hours, and sometimes even longer.
It is often the largest and best-attended service of the year. On the days of
Rosh Hashanah it is customary for people to wear their finest clothes to
temple. Many wear white as a sign of purity. During the services, some of
the world’s most polished choruses sing beautiful music in the synagogues
of Israel. The melodies are often solemn, but they are also full of hope for
the new year.
On the two days when Rosh Hashanah is celebrated, no work is per-
mitted anywhere in Israel. Israeli television often runs a live broadcast of
the selichot prayers recited by a congregation in a synagogue in Jerusalem.
These prayers are prayers of penitence that are traditionally recited at
this time of year. Different Jewish communities recite the prayers at spe-
cial times of the day. Ashkenazi Jews, who are descended from Jewish
communities in what is now France, Germany, and Eastern Europe,
start the lengthy prayers at midnight of Rosh Hashanah. Sephardic Jews,
who are descended from Jewish communities in Spain and Portugal and
who spread to England, Greece, and North and South America, start
them much earlier. They begin reciting on the morning of the first day
of Elul, say them every day in the month leading up to Rosh Hashanah,
and continue to say them for the 10 additional days leading up to Yom
Kippur. In Israel Sephardic Jews often live in their own communities
and attend temples with architecture similar to Moorish-style mosques,

Ultra-Orthodox Jews pray while performing tashlik, a Rosh Hashanah ritual for casting sins
upon the waters, on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in the coastal city of Netanya,
Israel.
usually colored in pastels. This influence is the result of Sephardic Jews

having lived peacefully in Spain when it was under Islamic control from
the eighth through the 11th centuries.
Al-Hijra in Saudi Arabia

While there are no fireworks or festivities on this first day of Al-Hijra, it is
traditional in some places to clean homes and wear new clothes just as it
is for the Hindu and Jewish new year. It is also a day to make resolutions
for the coming year and to gather together to eat with extended family
and friends. In Saudi Arabia, these family meals often include dishes in
the colors green and white as representations of fertility and purity. To
make sure they consume these lucky colors on this first day of the new
year, Saudi families always drink glasses of milk and prepare a dish called
molokhia, a nutritious soup made from a type of green plant known as
mallow. In Saudi Arabia, businesses are closed for the day.
Middle East 61;

The Many African Faces
of Al-Hijra
Many North and West African countries have Muslim major-
ities or very large Muslim populations and also observe
Al-Hijra. Some of them include Mauritania, Morocco, Niger,
Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire,
and Djibouti. Most of the observances in these countries
are relaxed and unstructured. However, in a few Muslim
countries of Africa, Al-Hijra takes on a more celebratory
quality. In Senegal, Al-Hijra is also known as Tamkarit and
begins at sunset the night before the new year with a tasty
meal of couscous and chicken, beef, or lamb bathed in a
grape-tomato sauce. Families will eat their fill and then
invite the poor into their homes to share their food. The
Senegalese believe this ensures prosperity for the com-
ing year. After the meal, the bowl in which the couscous
was made is broken and a verse from the Quran that asks
for forgiveness from sins is recited 1,111 times. The next
day, boys dress up as girls, girls as boys, and all go from
home to home dancing and singing for sweets and gifts. In
Guinea, a West African country that is 85 percent Muslim,
children also dress up on the new year and walk from home
to home while singing verses from the Quran in hopes that
adults will give them money.
Al-Hijra in Syria
During Al-Hijra, Muslims in Syria and some Christians in the Middle
East will often prepare a sweet wheat pudding called asure or ashura. It is
believed to be the last food that Noah ate before his ark reached dry land.
It is also believed that Noah made the pudding by gathering together all
the foods left on the ark when its inhabitants were near starvation, wait-
ing for the floods to recede. This dish, also referred to as “Noah’s pud-
ding,” contains wheat, beans, dried fruits such as dates and raisins, and
nuts. Other Syrian traditions for Al-Hijra include decorating the streets
with lights and gathering friends and family together for gift exchanges.

Syrian Muslims commemorate the Muslim new year in a religious festival held at al-Hassan
Mosque in downtown Damascus. Some Christian clergymen are attending as honored guests.
Middle East 63;

12341234123412341234123
North America
Despite the fact that North America is made up of countries that are pre-
dominantly Christian, with close to 80 percent of their populations identi-
fying themselves as Protestant or Roman Catholic, the landscape includes
millions of people of other faiths, including Hindus, Muslims, and Jews.
The United States is a religiously diverse place largely because there is
a written commitment to religious freedom in the U.S. Constitution.
Similarly, Canada has a criminal code that prohibits expression of hatred
against people identified by their race, color, religious, or ethnic origin.
These guarantees to the freedom of worship and expression are powerful
lures for people of different religious faiths, especially those faiths that
are persecuted by governments in other parts of the world. They are a
good part of the reason why, for example, so many Jewish communities
have been motivated to immigrate here and put down roots outside of
The rabbi of an Atlanta synagogue blows a shofar to mark the Jewish new year. Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur are often referred to as the High Holy Days because they are the most sacred
in the Jewish calendar.

their homelands. Today there are more than 5 million Jews in the United
States, almost as many as live in Israel. There are also close to 375,000
Jews in Canada and 40,000 in Mexico, the fourth- and 14th-largest Jewish
populations by country, respectively, in the world.
Another important draw for those of different religions, cultures, and
nationalities to make new lives for themselves in North America is the
opportunity for economic growth. In many countries of the world there are
few jobs for a great number of people. When parents have children to feed
and clothe, they will go to the place that allows them to best survive. This is
what has often motivated individuals, families, and whole communities to
immigrate to North America—the hope for a better life. This diversity has
resulted in the addition of many unique skills and talents from all over the
world, which in turn has served to strengthen the nation economically.
In the 20th century, especially after World War II, U.S. and Canadian
laws allowed for larger groups of immigrants to come to North America
to live and work permanently. At the same time, economic and religious
suffering in other parts of the world such as Europe and Asia continue to
make North America a promising destination.
Religion in North America

Judaism in North America
Although the United States Bill of Rights promises religious freedom to
all, in immigration law there has been a bias, or favoritism, shown toward
immigrants from European countries. This was especially true in the 19th
and 20th centuries. It is why there was a visible Jewish community in the
United States much earlier than any other religion, as during this time
most Jews came to the United States from northern or eastern Europe.
In Canada, the influx of Jewish émigrés was considerably less than in the
United States, but still quite sizable. Many were enticed to settle there by
job offers from the Canadian government to help build railways and other
public works projects.
Hinduism in North America

It was not until the Immigration Act of 1965 that the United States lifted a
quota system limiting immigration from Asian countries. Canada, too, did
not always have a lenient immigration policy for those of Asian descent,
placing a tax on Chinese immigrants until 1923 and relocating many
North America 65;

Japanese immigrants in the years following World War II. Over time, the
immigration policies in both the United States and Canada liberalized to
allow the arrival of Asian immigrants from many places, including India.
Before 1965, India had very little presence in the United States or Canada,
and neither did its predominant religion, Hinduism. Today there are close
to 1 million Hindus in the United States and more than 150,000 Hindus
in Canada.
Islam in North America

The percentages of Muslims in the United States vary, and there are no
solid statistics that organizations can agree upon. This is in part because
of the political and religious tensions that arose from the terrorist attacks
of September 11, 2001, making many Muslims especially reluctant to tell
surveyors their religion. Several studies indicate that there are somewhere
between 3 and 6 million Muslims in North America, some of them from
Africa, Asia, or the Middle East. Another source of statistical confusion
is that many Muslims in the United States did not emigrate from another
country but are African Americans who were born into American Muslim
families or converted.
Muslims make up 2 percent of the Canadian population with close to
600,000 in number. This is significantly larger than the Canadian Jewish
population. Unlike the United States where large numbers of Muslims
are African American converts or were born in the United Sates, most
Canadian Muslims have come from Muslim countries around the world,
the majority of them since 1973. The largest population of Muslims in
Canada lives in the capital Ottawa, where it is common to see women
dressed in traditional Muslim clothing.
The Nation of Islam

Perhaps the most famous Muslim American born in the
United States was Malcolm X. He was a powerful activist
who advocated black nationalism and helped the American
Muslim organization, the Nation of Islam, grow to almost
500,000 members in the 1960s. Malcolm X was assassi-
nated in 1965 after he made the pilgrimage to Mecca and
converted to the orthodox Sunni branch of Islam.

Clothing and Islam
Islamic scholars have long worked to interpret the Quran’s
instructions for appropriate dress. In public, the cloth-
ing of Muslim women is to cover the entire body with the
exception of face and hands. Muslim men are required to
be covered from their navel to their knees. Interestingly,
women may wear silk or gold. Men may not, unless they
must wear silk clothing for medical reasons. As the Muslim
population has grown in North America, so have the issues
surrounding religious dress. An employer must protect a
worker’s right to religious observance while ensuring the
worker does not create a safety hazard to him or herself or
another employee. For example, a loosely tied headscarf
could be dangerous to someone operating a drill press or
other machine.
The Challenge of Maintaining

Religious Observances
Perhaps the biggest issue for many of the diaspora communities that cele-
brate their new years and other important religious days in North America
is finding a way to pass on their religious customs and celebrations to their
children. For some this problem is solved by continuing to observe holi-
days and not allowing the rites and rituals associated with them to die out.
They may invite members of their city or town to celebrate with them, and
in this way gain formal recognition for their holidays from city councils
and town officials. Such recognition acknowledges the importance of their
rites, traditions, and customs within their adopted homelands.
For those who are used to living in countries dominated by one reli-
gion, settling in North America requires adjusting to the interaction of
numerous different religions on a daily basis. Often it is much harder to
feel at home in a particular culture or religion in such an environment.
To compensate for this, minority religious communities band together to
teach their children some of the things they are missing by being away
from their native landscape. For example, in the United States Hindu
children often go to weekly classes to learn what they might have picked
up through everyday living in South Asia, such as language, manners,
North America 67;

customs, and culinary traditions. Muslim Americans do something simi-
lar by bringing together African, South Asian, and Middle Eastern Muslim
children in school-type environments to discuss how their cultures differ
from U.S. culture. When the time for new year’s celebrations comes—be
it in September, November, or February—families are especially aware of
their new environment as they work to preserve old traditions.
Rosh Hashanah in North America

Judaism is the most observed non-Christian religion in most parts of North
America today, and the official recognition of major Jewish observances is
testament to that visibility. For instance, the dates of Rosh Hashanah are
printed on many calendars in the United States. Some colleges and univer-
sities officially state that Jewish students are not expected to attend class on
Rosh Hashanah and should be allowed to make up tests and other work.
(Most extend this policy to students of other faiths as well.) While Jews
in North America—especially those who immigrated as adults after years
in their native land or who live in communities with few Jews—may feel a
sense of isolation while celebrating the major holidays, they also have a long,
historic tradition in North America that can make adjustment easier.
A small number of Jews have lived in North America since the early
1700s and fought alongside Christians in the 1776 American Revolution.
The early Jews were mostly Sephardic (coming from Spain and Portugal),
and settled in eastern cities
such as New York. A sec-
ond group that came in the
19th century was mostly
Ashkenazi (from Germany).
The Ashkenazi Jews were
usually well-educated and as
they came in greater numbers
they began to establish syna-
gogues in urban areas where
other Jews lived and worked.
Two congregants help a student rabbi

find the right spot in the Torah for the
first service for the beginning of Rosh
Hashanah, the Jewish new year in
Weldon, North Carolina.

Jewish Mysticism
While educated Jews found comfort in the holy books, poor
and oppressed Jews who had lost everything in violent upris-
ings throughout Eastern Europe in the 17th century started
to practice a more mystical, emotional Judaism under the
guidance of Baal Shem Tov (1700–60), who had studied
with a secret society of Jewish mystics. Instead of focus-
ing on gaining knowledge, Tov encouraged the poor to feel
the power of God. Feeling emotionally uplifted in intense
prayer and joyous singing was more important than know-
ing exactly what those prayers and songs said. Followers
of Tov are called Hasidic Jews and at one time they made
up a large percentage—possibly even half—of all European
Jews. The Hasidic leaders made it possible to lead Jewish
lives even if one was poor and uneducated. Today, Hasidic
Jews still wear clothing similar to what was worn in the 18th
and 19th centuries, often dark and conservative dresses
for women and long dark coats for men. The men do not
shave the hair on their faces, although they may shave
their heads. Today there are large communities of Hasidic
groups in Israel, in a borough of Montreal called Outremont
in Canada, and in New York City in the United States.
These Jews were often shop owners. They led more secular lives than
Sephardic Jews but still maintained their own places of worship and sense
of community, and established important Jewish fraternal organizations
that still exist today.
It was during the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th
century in Eastern Europe that Jews became the target of pogroms, or vio-
lent anti-Jewish uprisings, that spurred large scale immigration to other
countries. Between the 1880s and 1930s, Jews arrived in large numbers in
the United States and in smaller numbers in Canada to escape persecu-
tion. The next great wave of Jewish immigration to both the United States
and Canada was during and after the Holocaust.
When the Romans destroyed Jewish temples in ancient Jerusalem,
making temple worship impossible, Jews turned to rabbis for guidance.
North America 69 ;
Out of necessity they began to believe that the places where they wor-
shipped were less important than simply keeping their faith. This belief
has stayed with the Jews as a people to the present day. It has helped them
cope with having to live scattered around the globe due to persecution
and oppression from Christians and Muslims in the Middle Ages all the
way through Nazi Germany in modern times. They have been forced to
focus on rules and rituals of their faith set down over different times in
different places. This means that wherever Jews settle, they often stay
true to the traditions of the branch of Judaism they follow.
Not surprisingly then, the traditions, religious ceremonies, and cus-
toms of Rosh Hashanah in North America are very similar to those of
Rosh Hashanah in Israel, or anywhere else on the planet where Jews have
settled. If there are differences, they are usually based on the different
branches of Judaism, just as they are in Israel—they are rarely based on
the differences of the countries in which the holiday is being celebrated.
For example, Reform Jews who celebrate Rosh Hashanah for only one day
instead of the two will do so anywhere in the world, living according to
their tradition and not that of the surrounding culture.
Jews in the Diaspora (the world outside the Holy Land of antiquity),
including North America, might live in overwhelmingly Christian com-
munities with such small Jewish populations that no synagogue exists.
For Jews in towns and rural areas without a temple, families often estab-
lish places of worship in basements of Christian churches or other
rented spaces. These communities may also host a rabbi from the clos-
est city for High Holy Day services such as those for Rosh Hashanah.
Perhaps because of all they have sacrificed to get here, many Jews in
North America celebrate their holidays more fervently than they would
if they lived in Israel where Judaism is the main religion. This is espe-
cially true if they came from countries such as Russia that prohibited or
severely reduced all religious ceremonies during the Soviet years under
communism.
Rosh Hashanah in Canada

Rosh Hashanah celebrations in Canada bear many similarities to those
that take place in the United States. As Jewish populations in Canada
are more concentrated in the urban areas of Vancouver, Toronto, and
Montreal, there are opportunities for widespread community gather-
ings, both within individual synagogues and through the collaboration
of different congregations. As in the United States, shared meals such

The traditional Jewish holiday dessert of taiglach awaits
the finishing touches at a New York City bakery. Taiglach, a
mound of baked dough balls mixed with candied cherries
and drenched with honey and sugar, is eaten during the
High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
as bagel breakfasts or potluck dinners are

a popular way of getting people together to
meet, discuss, and pray for a prosperous new
year. In cultural centers such as Vancouver,
many synagogues will organize lectures,
film screenings, and dance performances
informed by the Jewish experience and
inspired by the passage of Rosh Hashanah.
Rabbis may visit other synagogues to guide
meditation sessions or lead prayer groups.
With this practice, members of the religious
communities and spiritual leaders alike are
mutually renewed by each other’s presence.
They give each other a fresh perspective with
which to begin the new year.
Rosh Hashanah in the United States

Despite the universal nature of Rosh Hashanah, certain traditions and
customs of the holiday are tied to specific places in both the United States
and Canada. In the United States, for instance, Rosh Hashanah often
falls on or near Labor Day. Since this secular holiday is often a popular
time to visit the beach before the cool days of autumn arrive, some Jews
will do this in addition to attending Rosh Hashanah services. The result
is a swell in the attendance of congregations in resort beach communi-
ties such as the Hamptons outside of New York City. In other American
cities, Rosh Hashanah often takes the form of a community event as
much as a religious holiday, as synagogues organize potluck dinners,
lectures, and group outings such as hikes or historical tours of the area.
One community in Falls Village, Connecticut, even puts together a vol-
untary retreat for its members, complete with yoga classes and canoe
trips. Such events are seen as a way to find the peace and quiet necessary
to this most reflective time of year.
North America 71;

Divali in North America
In the 1970s Hindus began arriving in the United States in greater num-
bers. At that time there were almost no Hindu temples in North America.
One of the few places that Hindus could go to worship were the Krishna
temples of the Hare Krishna movement. Krishna Hinduism is a form of
Hinduism that stresses chanting, movement, and singing the name of
Krishna, as well as highly ritualized devotions to Krishna. Krishna wor-
shippers have been chanting in India for 400 years. They do not exclude
anyone from worship, and they exalt the love of God over human-made
rules. The Hare Krishna movement began in the United States in the
1960s. Hare Krishnas were known in the 1960s and 1970s for their evan-
gelizing, singing, and offering sweets and literature to anyone who passed
by. At the time, they were the prominent face of Hinduism in North
America. Youthful adherents in saffron robes were a common sight in
airports and major cities around the United States. During the tumultu-
ous 1960s they converted many questioning young adults—often to the
dismay of their Christian parents. Hindu immigration to Canada began
in earnest toward the end of the British Empire at the turn of the 20th
century as Hindus from crown territories such as India were drawn to the
former British possession by economic prospects.
Devotees of Krishna filled a very important role for newly arriv-
ing Hindus. Because Hare Krishnas had temples in major cities where
Hindu immigrants were settling, such as Dallas, Denver, Chicago, and
Los Angeles, they often served as a place for immigrants to gather before
forming their own places of worship. Equally as important, they provided
a place for Hindu immigrants to celebrate holidays such as Divali when
they were feeling homesick for their native India.
In the early years after the 1965 Immigration Act in the 1960s and
1970s, Hindus mostly celebrated Divali and other major Hindu festi-
A Growing Hindu Presence

In 1977 there was only one Hindu temple that had been
built from the ground up in the United States, the Ganesha
Temple in Queens, New York. Today there are hundreds
around the country, both in large cities like New York and
Chicago and smaller ones such as Nashville.

A 17-year-old Virginia high school student lights candles for the Hindu festival of Divali at his
home. Divali marks the start of the Hindu new year and the coming of winter. “We say, ‘God
bless everybody.’ We don’t just pray for ourselves,” said the young man’s father, a native of
New Delhi, India.
vals by gathering with a few Hindu families in their homes, lighting the
traditional diyas, worshipping, and sharing food. While the celebration
used to last only one or two days, Divali can now last up to five days in
North America just as it does in India. As one Hindu Indian describes,
“When I came to this country in the 70s, we just used to celebrate Divali
with a few friends and would light up a few candles inside our living
room . . . Now it is more like a pre-Christmas celebration and even
our American neighbors, who earlier used to think that we were get-
ting ready for Christmas much before anyone, know that it is our major
festival.” (Rediff India 2005) In several major cities Divali is receiving
public recognition.
Despite the attention some cities give to Divali in the early fall, and
the growing presence of Hinduism in the United States and Canada, most
North Americans remain unaware of the significant Hindu celebration
that is taking place. Whereas in India and even parts of the Caribbean
government offices are closed, in North America schools and businesses
stay open on the most important Hindu celebration of the year. People in
North America 73;

many regions of North America are oblivious to the billions of diya can-
dles being lit by Hindu families perhaps as close as next door. Yet these
Hindus know that Lakshmi will find her way into their homes during the
new year to bring them prosperity, even if those homes are thousands of
miles from South Asia in the heartland of rural Illinois or the bustling
city of Toronto.
Divali in Canada
Canadian prime ministers have been helping ring in the Hindu new
year for several years now. In Ottawa Prime Minister Stephen Harper
opened the Divali New Year in 2007 by lighting the first diya and taking
the opportunity to praise Canada for its commitment to diversity. With
his speech, he tied together the symbolism of the lit diya for Hindus
with the enlightenment, social harmony, and tolerance of present-day
Canada.
In places in Canada without such widespread public recognition,
Hindus still find ways to gather and make the holiday meaningful,
whether by feasting together in a neighbor’s home or reserving a local
school gymnasium, storefront mall, or city warehouse in order to pray
to their gods for prosperity and celebrate the victory of good over evil.
Although Canadian Hindus number only around 150,000, their Divali
traditions are in keeping with those from around the world, including
the establishment of a prayer room, or puja, in their homes and the bath-
ing of coins in milk—the substance from which Lakshmi was born—
as part of the ceremony to welcome the goddess into their homes on
Lakshmi Puja.
The Discipline of Yoga

The popular exercise of yoga is part of Hinduism. It origi-
nated as a way to obtain religious knowledge by strength-
ening the mind and body in different areas: self-control,
posture, religious observance, breath, meditative concen-
tration, and deep contemplation. However, many people
enjoy yoga and its benefits without viewing it as religious
in any way. For them it is a way to increase their flexibility,
quiet their minds, and feel more at home in their bodies.

Divali in the United States
In 2005, the White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card inaugurated Divali
by lighting the first diya candle. In Queens, New York, trees on 74th
Street in the Jackson Heights neighborhood are lighted on Divali and
stay lit through the Muslim holiday of Eid, Christian Christmas, Jewish
Hanukkah, and the civil new year that is generally celebrated by everyone
regardless of religious background. While many Hindus have emigrated
from India, a large number have come from Guyana and Trinidad and
Tobago, bringing their Caribbean-inflected Divali traditions with them to
mix with those of the existing U.S. Hindu population.
In Houston, Texas, where 100,000 Indians live, Divali has been cel-
ebrated in City Hall since 2004. Every year the mayor inaugurates the holi-
day and the whole community is invited to ceremonies provided by the
many Hindu temples. Divali bazaars feature rangoli contests for children, a
health fair, live entertainment, and specialty vendors selling books, jewelry,
and other things.
Al-Hijra in North America

When Syrian and Lebanese Muslim immigrants came to the United States
more than 100 years ago, there was already a very small Muslim commu-
City Rules and Religious

Observance
An ambitious Indian businessman from Queens, New York,
named Subhash Kapadia, finally saw his wish come true in
2006. After he tirelessly lobbied the New York City Council,
it finally declared Divali an official city holiday. Besides
giving official recognition to the Hindu new year, which
includes putting it on the yearly calendar, the city will also
suspend alternate-side parking rules for the first day of the
five-day celebration. This is a huge relief to the thousands
who attend four or five days of festivities on 74th Street in
Jackson Heights, complete with lively Indian music called
Bangla and vendors selling scrumptious mithai—sugar-
drenched Indian sweets.
North America 75;

nity made up of former slaves who had retained their religious beliefs
after being forcibly taken from West Africa. While little study has been
done of these early Muslims in North America, it is known that nearly 10
percent of African slaves were Muslim. During their years of toiling on
U.S. soil, many were converted to Christianity, though some continued to
practice Islam and did so until being freed in the late 19th century.
Around this time Syrian Muslims and Christians came to America
for its economic opportunity. Most intended to return home after mak-
ing money. But like many immigrants before and after them, most were
thrilled when they experienced the freedoms democracy promised such
as equal opportunity and individual liberty. Consequently, some did not
return to the Middle East. These immigrants encouraged others from
their homeland to come join them. Early Muslims were often peddlers,
selling goods in rural areas where farmers and others in the community
lived far away from stores. In order to practice their religion in a country
without mosques, they would rotate going to houses for regular prayers.
One Muslim community in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, had its first imam, or
prayer leader, in 1929. By 1936 it had raised enough money to build a
temple. Cedar Rapids was to be an important place for early Muslim
pioneers, who taught American-born Muslims to speak Arabic and study
the Quran. In 1952 Cedar Rapids’s Abdullah Igram helped to form the
Federation of Islamic Associations in order to fight negative Muslim ste-
reotypes after being denied the right to select his religion as “Islam”
when registering for service in World War II.
Early in the 20th century in Detroit, Michigan, Henry Ford offered
Muslims five dollars a day to work for Ford Motor Company (Ford’s
focus on Muslims had partly to do with his notorious dislike of Jews
and unions). Muslims came to work for Ford in Dearborn, Michigan. In
recent years, especially after the opening up of immigration laws in 1965,
the population of Muslims in Dearborn has swelled to 87,000, with 25
percent being Arab Muslims. The Detroit metropolitan area includes
more than 250,000 Muslims, many of Lebanese and Iraqi descent.
In addition, this Detroit group has many large groups of African
Americans who converted, or whose parents converted, to Islam through-
out the 20th century and whose most vocal leaders included Elijah
Muhammad and Malcolm X. Many of the converts were southern black
Christians searching for a new identity after moving from the South to
the North to find jobs. They often did not feel that Christianity’s white
portrayal of Jesus spoke to them. As they learned about their Muslim
African heritage through the teachings of dynamic Muslims, they con-

Islam on the Plains
Syrian Muslim peddlers ended up settling in North Dakota
in the 1920s, numbering between 35 and 40 families. In
1920 one of the first mosques in the United States was built
in Ross, North Dakota. Another early mosque was built in
Highland Park, Michigan, in 1915, and another in Michigan
City, Indiana, in 1925. This is the oldest still in use today.
verted in large numbers. Today nearly three-fourths of Muslims in the

United States are African American.
More and more Muslims have come in recent years from Asia and the
Middle East to North America. Arab imams and leaders in the United
States and Canada often report the need to spend a large amount of time
educating North Americans about Islam and its many peaceful principles,
as well as its belief in the equality of races. This is important if they are to
counter negative media images that consistently equate Islam with radical
Islamic terrorist groups. Since 9/11, more than half of Canadian Muslims
say they have been the target of discrimination and feel they have to work
hard to address stereotypes.
Al-Hijra is celebrated quietly by diaspora Muslims in the United
States and Canada. Muslims get together and reflect on the past year and
discuss how they want to proceed in the new one. They might exchange
gifts or ask each other’s forgiveness for wrongdoing during the year as
well as share a meal. For some Muslims the day reminds them of financial
responsibilities to those less fortunate. Fathers and mothers communi-
cate to their children that this is the day that begins the Muslim calendar,
relating the story of Muhammad’s flight from Mecca. Thus within the
complicated cultural, social, and political environments of contemporary
North America, Muslims find ways to continue to celebrate their reli-
gious traditions.
Ashura in the United States

While Al-Hijra is not a controversial observance among Muslims in the
diaspora, the Ashura activities in recent years have been marked by ten-
sions between Middle Eastern Shii and Sunni Muslims in large Muslim
communities in the United States, notably those of New York City and
North America 77;

A Muslim family in Massachusetts sits down to a meal.
Detroit. Since the start of the war in Iraq in 2003, Shii and Sunni tensions
have come to the surface all over the world. In 2007 the New York Times
reported that Shii communities in Detroit experienced vandalism of their
mosques and businesses from local Sunnis who were upset at the treat-
ment of Sunnis in Iraq following Saddam Hussein’s death. Muslim col-
lege students who in the past would have socialized openly now encounter
tension because they are from different sects.

12341234123412341234123
Oceania
The region of Oceania is made up of many island countries scattered
across the Pacific Ocean, primarily in the Southern Hemisphere. Australia,
the largest of these islands, together with New Zealand, makes up the
part of Oceania identified as Australasia. Of the other parts of Oceania,
Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia, Polynesia is most familiar to North
Americans because it includes the U.S. state of Hawaii. Many of the islands
of Oceania reflect great cultural diversity. The largest number of people in
Hawaii are of Asian ancestry, followed by Native Hawaiians. The islands are
also home to people of German, Irish, Portuguese, Puerto Rican, African,
Italian, Mexican, French, and British ancestry. There are also the Maori,
an indigenous group with Polynesian roots that first settled New Zealand
before 1300. They are the first known inhabitants of New Zealand.
A Maori warrior calls across the misty bay of Auckland, New Zealand, with a traditional Maori
trumpet as the sun rises.
Oceania 79 ;
Tradition and Modernity
on the Big Screen
The Maori figure prominently in the 2002 movie Whale Rider,
written by Maori author Witi Tame Ihimaera-Smiler. The movie
deals with themes of family relationships, becoming an inde-
pendent young woman, and striving to embrace traditions
and thrive within a culture. The film starred New Zealand
teenager Keisha Castle-Hughes (her mother is Maori), who
earned an Academy Award nomination for her work. She is
the youngest, at 13, ever to be nominated best actress.
New Zealand is an island country divided into two parts, South Island
and North Island. The Maori live primarily on North Island. Their ances-
tors are believed to have come by canoe from Polynesia to New Zealand.
Today the Maori make up close to 8 percent of the country’s population
and number more than 300,000.
Matariki in Taranaki, New Zealand

In Taranaki, on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand, the
elders watch for Matariki. While waiting, they make a clay oven and
place food inside to cook. When the stars finally rise, they weep and tell
the stars the names of those they have lost during the year. Then they
uncover the oven so that the food will rise and give strength to the stars.
They sometimes do this while singing a traditional Matariki song:
In the 1970s, New Zealand artists began to rediscover their ancestor’s
tradition of creating and flying kites. Some made new kites based on ancient
designs, while others created paintings and sculptures inspired by the kites.
This resurgence of interest has continued to the present day. They are once
A Traditional Matariki Song

See where Matariki are risen over the horizon,
The seven of the year winking up there.
They come with their message so I can rejoice.
Here I am full of sorrow, full of sadness within!

For the Maori the appearance of the Matariki
signals the beginning of the new year. The
Matariki are a cluster of stars whose name
means “eyes of God” or “little eyes;” they are
called the Pleiades in the West.
again a part of Matariki celebrations

with all of their symbolic and spiri-
tual meanings. In the spirit of Maori
inventiveness and creativity, hot air
balloons and fireworks now accom-
pany the soaring kites. At “The Great
Matariki Vintage Car Balloon Race”
in Hastings, New Zealand, you can
choose to ride in one of the hot air bal-
loons or jump into a vintage car and
chase the balloons across the island,
hoping to end up where they land.
He taonga tuku iho, ko te manu tukutuku, kua ngaro atu ke ki nga hau e
wha, kua whakamiharo a tatou nei ngakau kia puta ake ki te whaiao, ki
te ao marama.
(A treasured kite lost to the winds brings much joy when found again.)
—Maori proverb
Chasing Kites and Hot Air Balloons

in Hastings, New Zealand
As Maori have found a renewed interest in their culture,
Matariki celebrations are once again becoming part of New
Zealand life. A diverse crowd of 500 people came to the
first Maori new year’s celebration held in the year 2000 in
the city of Hastings on the North Island. Three years later,
the number of attendees tripled. Thanks in part to the
Maori Language Commission and the New Zealand National
Museum, the celebration has now spread to other locations
in New Zealand such as Auckland, Taumarunui, and Wairoa.
It also continues to evolve in ways that could never have
been imagined by the early Maori. There is even a move to
replace the Queen’s Birthday holiday with Matariki!
Oceania 81;
A Name for the Record Books
The Maori name for a particular hill is among the lon-
gest place names in the world. The hill used to be called
Taumata whakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapiki-
maungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu. Roughly trans-
lated it means, “The hilltop where Tamatea with big knees,
conqueror of mountains, eater of land, traveler over land
and sea, played his koauau to his beloved.” However, seven
more letters were added when the town’s name was sub-
mitted to the Guinness Book of World Records. Wales and
Thailand are still arguing that they have the world’s longest
place name.
Matariki in Taumarunui, New Zealand

In Taumarunui, a town in the central North Island of New Zealand, one
current Matariki festivity is the Te Huapae O Matariki (“Matariki on the
Horizon”) Fashion Show. Conceived in 2002, this event brings together
members of the local community to celebrate the ancient Maori art
of weaving clothing from
native plants, leaves, and
other materials. Over the
weekend-long event, visi-
tors are treated to demon-
strations, exhibitions, and
runway shows of these gar-
ments. Additionally, teach-
ers are on site to help those
who want to try to make
their own pieces and expe-
rience firsthand this indig-
enous tradition.
Maori warriors arrive in a waka

(traditional war canoe) on the
lakefront.

Making Matariki a Proud Tradition
for New Zealand
A lot of New Zealanders would like to see Matariki become
a central celebration to offset the negativity associated
with Waitangi Day. This is a day set aside to honor a treaty
made between the Maori and the British. Because many
Maori feel they were not granted the land rights that the
treaty promised, they often use Waitangi Day as a chance
to protest government policies.
Matariki in Wairoa, New Zealand

Wairoa, located on the east coast of North Island, is known as the “Maori
Heartland.” It is fitting, then, that the town should have its own Matariki
festival, opening with a dawn ceremony during which viewers are treated
to a spectacular view of the Matariki stars and proceeding through a week
of concerts, fireworks, and parades. More than 100 art and craft vendors
line the streets of the town during this week, selling everything from
traditional Maori products such as woven garments, modern art pieces
reinterpreting the indigenous culture, and contemporary photography
documenting the current state of the Maori.
Another recent Matariki tradition is the annual Matariki Film Festival.
This festival, which originated in Wairoa, brings together the films of
several Maori and other indigenous filmmakers over four days of public
screenings. Filmmakers from other countries are invited to view these
rarely seen works and gain insight into the creation of indigenous art-
ists. After making its debut in Wairoa, the festival travels to Auckland,
Wellington, and Taumarunui in the days following Matariki. In this way
other New Zealanders are able to see these productions of their country’s
developing film culture.
Oceania 83;
Glossary
b
Buddhism A world religion and a way of living that is based on the life and
teachings of Buddha, a spiritual leader from ancient India who probably lived
around the time of Christ’s birth. Buddhists believe that enlightenment—
when everything becomes clear—is reached by giving up control over worldly
wants and desires.
caliph A Muslim ruler whose claim to leadership is based on being a successor
to Muhammad.
communism A system of government in which only one political party holds
complete power over the state. The state controls the economy as well as all
property or wealth of a country. Cuba and North Korea are countries in which
communism is the guiding political philosophy.
convert To accept new opinions or beliefs, especially religious viewpoints, or to
change the opinions or beliefs of another person.
diaspora The scattering of a culture or group of people who share ethnic ori-
gins when they settle outside of their native country.
exile To be forced to move from one’s original home or residence. A person might
be exiled, or required to leave a country or region as a form of punishment.
Exile can also be a personal choice made for political or religious reasons.
fast To choose not to eat food, or certain foods, for a period of days, or during
parts of a day, often for religious reasons. The word fast describes this period
of fasting.
Gregorian calendar The solar calendar implemented in 1582 during the papacy
of Pope Gregory XIII that includes a leap day every fourth February to keep
time with the astronomical seasons
High Holy Days The days celebrated by Jewish people everywhere that begin
right after the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, and end 10 days later
with Yom Kippur (which means “amends” or “apology”), the Jewish Day of
Atonement. They take place in the seventh month of the Jewish calendar
called Tishri. Tishri usually corresponds to September or October on the
Gregorian calendar.
Holocaust The deliberate killing of millions of Jews in Europe by the Nazis and
their supporters, under the command of Adolf Hitler during World War II. The
Holocaust also included the murder of gypsies, intellectuals, homosexuals, and
political protesters. Close to 6 million Jews had been murdered by the end of
the war. The word Holocaust comes from Greek and means “sacrifice by fire.”
indigenous Something that, or someone who, originates in a region or country
or has an ancient relationship to it.

karma A Hindu belief that the value of somebody’s life now and in the future is
directly related to that person’s behavior and conduct in past lives.
martyrdom Suffering or death inflicted as the result of a person remaining true
to a cause, especially a religious cause.
Messiah A person believed to be the rescuer of a region, a people, or the entire
world. For Jews, the messiah written about in the Hebrew Bible has not yet
come to Earth but when he does will establish world justice and peace. For
Christians, Jesus Christ is the Messiah foretold in the Hebrew Bible.
monotheism The belief in the supremacy of one god (as opposed to many) that
began with Judaism more than 4,000 years ago and also includes the major
religions of Islam and Christianity.
nirvana For Buddhists and Hindus, the level of enlightenment when a person
is no longer reincarnated and thus freed from the endless cycle of birth and
rebirth as well as all connection to the material world. It is sometimes associ-
ated with heaven or paradise.
observant Jew A Jewish person who practices Judaism, the religion of the Jews.
Observant Jews can be part of the Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox com-
munities. Not all observant Jews follow all of the Jewish traditions, however,
they take part in the major traditions, holy days, and religious services associ-
ated with Judaism.
Orthodox Jew A Jewish person who strictly follows Jewish laws as set forth by the
holy books, especially the Torah and the Oral Law as interpreted in medieval
times. For Orthodox Jews, every part of life is directed by their faith, including
prayer, how to dress, food and food preparation, relationships among family
members, social behavior, and customs, the Sabbath, and celebration of all
holidays.
pagan Originally, someone in ancient Europe who lived in the countryside;
over time the word gained a broader definition to refer to a person or group
who does not believe in one god, but many gods who are closely connected to
nature and the natural world. Sometimes a nonbeliever is called pagan as an
expression of disapproval.
Palestinians People who speak Arabic and who are originally from or had
family in Palestine. Palestinians are mostly Sunni Muslims although there
are many Christian Palestinians. More than half of the nearly 11 million
Palestinians live in the area that is now Israel, East Jerusalem, the West Bank,
and the Gaza Strip.
passion play The reenactment or retelling of a central religious experience or
event for a religious people. For example, the events that led up to the death
of Imam Hussein in Karbala.
penitence Feeling of regret or sadness for wrongs or offenses a person has com-
mitted. The response to the penitence is often the reparation or amends for the
wrongs that are proposed by a priest or a minister after the offender confesses.
personification Giving a nonhuman thing human traits or actions.
Glossary 85;
pilgrimage A journey, often made on foot, to a holy or sacred place. An individ-
ual, family, or community will often make a pilgrimage for religious reasons.
The journey is sometimes long, allowing time for the devout to meditate, pray,
and think about their faith along the way.
pogroms A deliberate persecution or a killing authorized by a government
against an ethnic group. Pogroms are often characterized by destruction of a
group’s homes, businesses, and religious centers.
prophet An individual who acts as the interpreter or conveyer of the will of God
and spreads the word to the followers or possible followers of a religion. A
prophet can also be a stirring leader or teacher of a religious group.
Protestant A non-Catholic Christian who does not believe in the authority
of the pope. Protestantism started in the 16th century and Protestants may
include any believer of any denomination of the Christian church.
Ramadan The holiest month of the Islamic year and the time when Muslims
believe that the Quran, their holy book, was revealed. Throughout Ramadan,
Muslims pray, fast, and stress the importance of giving and self-accountability.
There are numerous religious observances and rites that take place through-
out the month.
Reform Jews Jews who believe in a more modern view of Judaism and have
embraced changes to some Jewish traditions, such as allowing the seating of
men and women together in the synagogue or not following the kosher tradi-
tions for food preparation. Reform Judaism started in the Diaspora and today
a majority of Jews in the United States practice it.
reincarnation The belief in some religions that after a person or animal dies, his
or her soul will be reborn in another person or animal; it literally means, “to
be made flesh again.” Many Indian religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism, and
Jainism, believe in reincarnation.
repentance To express regret and ask forgiveness for doing something wrong
or hurtful.
reverence To show and feel a deep respect and admiration for someone or
some thing.
rite A traditional and often serious ceremony or custom performed by a com-
munity, often a religious group.
ritual A time-honored observance with defined actions and patterns that is often
part of a religious ceremony. A ritual does not differ greatly from ceremony to
ceremony or year to year within a defined group. Many cultures and religions
have set birth, marriage, and death rituals that have taken place in similar
ways or the same way for centuries.
Sanskrit An ancient Indian language that is the predecessor of many northern
South Asian languages. While not in wide use today, it is the language of the
Hindu sacred texts as well as important scientific and philosophical writings.
Vedas A huge body of ancient Indian texts that illustrate the oldest Sanskrit
writings and make up the sacred texts of Hinduism.

Bibliography
b
Armstrong, Karen. Islam: A Short History. New York: Modern Library, 2002.
Basham, A. L. The Origins and Development of Classical Hinduism. Edited by Kenneth
G. Zysk. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
Esposito, John L., ed. The Oxford History of Islam. Oxford, UK: Oxford University
Press, 1999.
Flood, Gavin, D. An Introduction to Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction. New York:
Oxford University Press, 2000.
Goodman, Philip, ed. Rosh Hashanah Anthology. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication
Society of America, 1970.
Jordan, Denise M. Divali. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2002.
Kadodwala, Dilip. Divali. Austin, Tex.: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1998.
MacFarquhar, Neil. “Iraq’s Shadow Widens Sunni-Shiite Split in U.S.” New York
Times. February 4, 2007.
MyJewishLearning.com. “Rosh Hashanah, Tashlikh.” Available online. URL:
http://hillel.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Rosh_Hashana/Overview_Rosh_
Hashanah_Community/Tashlikh.htm. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Islam: Religion, History, and Civilization. New York:
HarperCollins, 2002.
Newman, Andy. “Bread and Water, and for Kayakers, Nourishment for the Soul.”
New York Times. September 12, 1999.
Rediff India Abroad. “Houston celebrates Divali.” November 10, 2005. Available
online. URL: http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/nov/10Divali.htm. Retrieved
January 18, 2009.
Robinson, George. Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs, and Rituals.
New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001.
Wilkes, Charles. Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition. During the Years
1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842. Vol. 1. London: Wiley and Putnam, 1845.
Bibliography 87;
Further Resources
b
Books
The Encyclopedia of World Religions, Revised Edition. By Robert Ellwood
and Gregory Alles, Eds. Published in 2007 by Facts On File, New York. A com-
prehensive encyclopedia of religious terms and religions, including ancient
and indigenous religions, major world religions, and new religions.
The Handbook of the Middle East. By Michael Kort. Published in 2002 by
Twenty-First Century Books, Millbrook Press, Brookfield, Connecticut.
A clear and highly readable reference book for teenagers that includes an
overview of the history and current issues important for this complex part of
the world. The handbook is enhanced by full-color maps and photographs of
people and places.
Hinduism. By Ranchor Prime. Published in 2005 by Firefly Books, Richmond
Hill, Ontario, Canada. A colorful reference book for young adults that pro-
vides clear information about a complex religious belief system.
A New Religious America: How a “Christian Country” Has Now Become the
World’s Most Religiously Diverse Nation. By Diana L. Eck. Published in
1997 by HarperCollins, New York. A portrait of the amazing religious diver-
sity that exists in the United States and the history behind how this came to
be. Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu lives in the United States are introduced
and explored.
Seasons of Our Joy, a Modern Guide to the Jewish Holidays. By Arthur
I. Waskow. Published in 1990 by Beacon Press, Boston. An interesting and
innovative guide to the Jewish holidays, including age-old traditions, songs,
recipes, and prayers. The author even suggests some new approaches to the
holiday traditions, rites, and customs.
World Religions. By Warren Matthews. Published in 1991 by West Publishing
Company, St. Paul, Minnesota. Students will learn about the myriad of diverse
religious traditions around the world and learn how they have much in com-
mon in fundamental ways. The text combines with maps, photographs, time
lines, and excerpts from holy books and texts.

Web Sites
About.com. Judaism http://judaism.about.com/od/roshhashana/a/all_roshha-
shana.htm. Site with multiple links to terms and traditions, as well as a list of
the “Ten Most Important Things to Know about Rosh Hashanah.”
BBC Asia Network. http://www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork/features/Divali.shtml.
Wonderful page of information on Divali that also provides linked video clips
for each day of the Divali celebration.
Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/magazine/arti-
cle? query=Muharram&id=1. See article on alternative tradition encouraged
for Ashura entitled, “Muslim School Holds Blood Drive to Commemorate
Imam Hussain,” written by Zahra Huber for the Washington Report on Middle
East Affairs, April 2006, Vol. 25 Issue 3.
The Jewish Virtual Library. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/
Judaism/holiday5.html. Online encyclopedia providing extensive and easy-
to-follow explanations of practically every aspect of Judaism. Includes infor-
mation on important Jewish women, the Holocaust, biographies of famous
Jews, and Israel.
National Geographic One Stop Research. http://www.nationalgeographic.
com/onestop. Site by National Geographic allows students to search for
information on an endless array of topics on countries around the world.
Provides links to photographs, art, games, videos, and lesson plans.
Religious Tolerance.org. http://www.religioustolerance.org. Comprehensive
site with information on nearly every world religion, including a wide range
of articles and research tools.
Sacred Texts.Com. http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/dutt/index.htm. An abridged
version of the sacred text Ramayana that includes the important stories told
during the festival of Divali.
Virtual Jerusalem. http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/jewish_holidays/vjholidays.
html. Site with extensive information on all of the Jewish holidays that take
place throughout the year.
Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. http://www.teara.govt.nz. Online
encyclopedia with information about the country’s environment, history,
peoples, economy, and geography. More information is being prepared and
will be added over time. Entries that relate to the Maori appear in both Maori
and English.
Further Resources 89 ;
Picture Credits
b
PAGE
v iii: AP Photo/Jackson Hole 41: Reuters/Yusuf Ahmad/Landov
News, Jim Evans 43: AP Photo/Bikas Das
4: AP Photo/Gautam Singh 45: AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh
6: AP Photo/Tina Fineberg 46: AP Photo/Gautam Singh
8: AP Photo/Ariel Shalit 47: AP Photo/Aman Sharma
9: AP Photo/Kathy Willens 49: AP Photo/Binod Joshi
11: AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti 53: AP Photo/Murad Sezer
13: AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh 55: Reuters/Caren Firouz/Landov
14: Reuters/Sucheta Das/Landov 56: AP Photo/Marta Ramoneda
15: Reuters/Bazuki 57: AP Photo/ZOOM 77
Muhammad/Landov 58: Reuters/Ali Abu Shish/Landov
16: AP Photo/Ajit Solanki 61: AP Photo/Omer Messinger
17: AP Photo/Sang Tan 63: AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi
19: AP Photo/Siddharth 64: AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser
Darshan Kumar 68: AP Photo/Karen Tam
21: AP Photo/Manish Swarup 71: AP Photo/Tina Fineberg
24: Xinhua/Landov 73: AP Photo/The Manassas
25: AP Photo/Jassim Mohammed Journal Messenger,
26: AP Photo/Andy Wong Amy Drewry
27: AP Photo/Hussein Malla 78: Boston Globe/George
30: Reuters/Ali Jarekji/Landov Rizer/Landov
31: Reuters/Ali Jasim/Landov 79: AP Photo/David Guttenfelder
35: Reuters/Nigel Marple/Landov 81: NASA
38: AP Photo/Teh Eng Koon 82: Reuters/Nigel Marple/Landov

Index
b
Page numbers in italic indicate illustrations.
A candles. See also diyas (devotional candles)

on Rosh Hashanah, 6–7, 8
Africa, 62 Card, Andrew, 75
American Revolution, 68 Caribbean. See Latin American and Caribbean
Andes Mountains, 33 casting sins into sea, 9, 10
Annakut, 44 Castle-Hughes, Keisha, 80
Al-Aqsa Mosque, 56, 57 Central Park, New York, 9
Ashkenazi Jews, 60, 68 Choti Divali, 17–18
Ashura, 27, 29–30, 31, 58 Christians, in Middle East, 55–56
controversy of observance, 77–78 Collca (“storehouse”), 33
in India, 48–49 communism, 70, 85
in Iraq, 58–59 convert, 66, 76–77, 85
for Shiis, 31, 77–78 cows, sacred, 42
for Sunnis, 31, 77–78
in United States, 77–78
atonement D
sin, 49 dates, 53
water and, 10 David (King), 56, 57
day of sorrow. See Ashura
designs, 15–17, 75
B Dhanteras, 17
Bali, 43 diaspora, 12, 57, 67, 70, 77–78, 85
Battle of Karbala, 49 Divali, 13, 15, 17, 32, 38, 43, 54
Bhai Dooj (Brother’s Day), 22, 49 in Canada, 73–74
Bhai Tika, 49–50 celebrating, 15
Bhoot Chatur, 18 Choti, 17–18
blessings, on candles, 8, 10 decorating home for, 15–17, 16
Brother’s Day, 22, 49–50 fifth day of, 22, 49–50
Buddhism, 40, 42, 48, 85 first day of, 17
fourth day of, 20–21, 44–45
Hindu, 41–47, 45, 46, 49, 50
C Hindu calendar and, 14
calendar house cleaning for, 15–17
Gregorian, 3, 14, 24, 28, 34, 51, 85 Jain, 48
Hindu, 14 lights during, 19, 21, 42–43
Jewish, 5 meals for, 43–44
lunar, 14 in Nepal, 49
of stars, 33–34 in North America, 72–75
caliph, 26, 85 origins of, 12–14
Canada, 64 preparing for, 15–17
Divali in, 73–74 Ramayana reading during, 22–23
Hasidic Jews in, 69 second day of, 17–18
Hinduism, 65–66 Sikh, 47–48
Islam in, 66 in Singapore, 50
Judaism in, 65 in Sri Lanka, 50
Muslims in, 66, 77 third day of, 18–20, 45
Rosh Hashanah in, 70–71 in United States, 73, 75
Index 91;
Divali New Year, 2007, 74 in United States, 65–66, 67
diyas (devotional candles), 17, 18, 20, 42, yoga, 74
43, 44, 48, 50, 52, 72, 73, 74, 75 Holocaust, 69, 85
Dome of the Rock, 56 hot air balloons, 81
house cleaning, for Divali, 15–17
E Hussein, Imam, 27, 31, 49, 58–59, 79
Hussein, Saddam, 59, 78
ethnographer, 34, 85
exile, 25, 85
I
F Igram, Abdullah, 76
Ihimaera-Smiler, Witi Tame, 80
family, 32
Immigration Act, of 1965, 65, 72
fasting, 29, 48, 85
India
feasts, 34, 43–44
Ashura in, 48–49
Federation of Islamic Associations, 76
Hindu Divali, 41–47, 45, 46,
festival of lights. See Divali
49, 50
Five Pillars of Islam, 29, 30
Jewish women in, 4
Ford, Henry, 76
Mumbai, 4, 42, 46
Ford Motor Company, 76
Sikh Divali in, 47–48
Indra, 20–21
G Iowa, 76
Ganesh, 14, 45 Iran, 58–59
Govardhan Puja, 44, 47 Iraq
The Great Matariki Vintage Car Ashura in, 58–59
Balloon Race, 81 war in 2003, 78
Gregorian calendar, 3, 14, 24, 28, 34, Islam, 24. See also Five Pillars of
51, 85 Islam; Al-Hijra; Muhammad
Guinness Book of World Records, 82 (prophet); Nation of Islam
in Canada, 66
clothing in, 67
H in India, 40
hakari (feasts), 34 in North America, 66
Hare Krishna movement, 72 Shiis and Sunnis, 26, 27, 28
Harper, Stephen, 74 Israel
Hasidic Jews, 69 Jerusalem, 56–58, 60
Hekhal, 4 Judaism in and around, 57
High Holy Days, 6, 7, 64, 64, 70, Rosh Hashanah in, 59–61
71, 85. See also Judaism Istanbul, Turkey, 53
Al-Hijra, 24–31, 25, 26, 32, 40, 53, 54
in African countries, 62
in North America, 75–78 J
origins of, 24–28 Jainism, 48
in Saudi Arabia, 61 Jerusalem, 56–58, 60
in Syria, 62 Jesus, 76
in United States, 75–78 Jewish calendar, 5
Hinduism, 12–13. See also Divali Judaism, 3–4, 55–56, 56, 57. See also
apparel of, 44 Israel; Rosh Hashanah
calendar of, 14 Ashkenazi, 60, 68
in Canada, 65–66 in Canada, 65
Divali, 41–47, 45, 46, 49, 50 Hasidic, 69
Krishna, 72 High Holy Days, 6, 7
Lakshmi in, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, in India, 4
42, 43, 45, 74, 75 Karaite, 11
in North America, 65–66 in Mexico, 65
temples of, in United States, 73 mysticism in, 69

in North America, 65 Jerusalem, 60
observant, 3, 8, 86 Muslim sects, 54–55
Orthodox, 4–5, 10–11, 11, 58, 61, 86 religions of, 54–63
Reform, 4–5, 10, 70, 87 Saudi Arabia, 61
Sephardic, 60–61, 69 Shiis and Sunnis, 54–55
Ultra-Orthodox, 61 Syria, 62, 63
Yom Kippur, 5, 6, 60, 64, 71 mikvah (ritual baths), 11
molokhia (soup), 61
monotheism, 56, 86
K Mount Govardhana, 21, 46
Kaaba, 25, 26, 29 30 mourning, 28, 29–30, 31, 49, 58
Kali Chaudas, 18 Muhammad (prophet), 24–26, 54, 56, 58,
Kapadia, Subhash, 75 76, 77
Karaite Jews, 11 Muhammad, Elija, 76–77
karma, 22, 86 Mumbai, India, 4, 42, 46
kilimia (“to hoe”), 33 Muslims, 24, 24, 25, 26. See also Al-Hijra
kites, 35–36, 81 in Canada, 66, 77
Krishna, 20–21, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 72 clothing in, 67
Krishna Hinduism, 72 in North America, 67–68, 76–77, 78
sects in Middle East, 54–55
Myanmar (formerly Burma), 42
L mysticism, Jewish, 69
Lakshmi, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 42, 43, 45, 74
Latin American and Caribbean, 51–52
lights, Divali, 19, 21, 42–43 N
lotus roots, 18 Narakasura, 43
lunar calendar, 14 Nation of Islam, 25, 66
Nepal, 49–50
New York City
M Central Park, 9, 75
Machzor (prayer book), 7 Divali in, 75
Mahavira, Vardhmana, 48 New Zealand, 32, 79–80. See also Matariki
Malcolm X, 66, 76 kites and hot air balloons in, 81
Maori, 32–34, 79, 79–83, 82. See also Matariki Taranaki, 80–81
Maori Language Commission, 81 Wairoa, 83
martyrdom, 58, 86 New Zealand National Museum, 81
Matariki, 32–38 nirvana, 48, 86
calendar of stars, 33–34 North America, 64–79. See also
celebrating, 34–35 Canada; United States
fashion show, 82 Divali in, 72–75
kite making, 35–36 Al-Hijra in, 75–79
Maori belief system, 32–33 Hinduism in, 65–66
origins of, 32–34 Islam in, 66
in Taranaki, New Zealand, 80–81 Judaism in, 65
in Wairoa, New Zealand, 83 Muslims in, 67–68, 76–77, 78
Matariki Film Festival, 83 observance challenges in, 67–68
Mecca, 24–26, 29–30, 40, 53–56, religion in, 65–79
66–67 Rosh Hashanah in, 68–71
meditation, 74 North Dakota, 77
mercy, 44
Messiah, 3, 86
Mexico, Jews in, 65 O
Michigan, 76–77 observant Jew, 3, 8, 86
Middle East, 53–63 Oceania, 79–83
Christians and Jews, 55–56 oral laws, 11, 86
Israel, 56–61 Orthodox Jews, 4–5, 10–11, 11, 58, 61, 86
Index 93;
P in North America, 68–71
origins, 3
pagan, 25, 86 Orthodox, 10–11, 11
Palestinians, 57, 86 shofar, 7, 59, 64
pantheon, 12–13, 87 sweet and round foods on, 7–9, 8
passion play, 58, 87 in United States, 71
penitence, 60, 87 round foods, 7–9, 8
personification, 13, 87
pikopiko, 34
pilgrimage, 20, 29, 30, 48, 59, 66, 87 S
Pleiades, 33, 34, 81
Sanskrit, 43, 88
pogroms, 69, 87
Saudi Arabia, 61
prasada (mercy), 44
secular, 29, 51, 69, 71, 88
prayer book, 7
self-flagellation, 58
prophet, 10, 24, 42, 54, 87. See also
self-reflection, 34
Muhammad (prophet)
Sephardic Jews, 60–61, 69
Protestant, 64, 87
September 11 terrorist attacks, 77
Seven Sisters, 34
Q Shehechiyanu blessing, 8, 10
Quechua people, of Andes, 33 Shiis, 58, 77–78
Quraysh, 25 Ashura for, 31, 77–79
Ashura Tazieh of, 55
in Iran, 58–59
R Islam of, 26, 27, 28
Rama, 23, 43 in Middle East, 54–55
Ramadan, vii, 87 sin atonement of, 49
Ramayana, 22–23 Shiva, 13, 18
rangoli (designs), 15–17, 75 shofar, 7, 59, 64
Ravana, 23 Sikh Divali, 47–48
Reform Jews, 4–5, 10, 70, 87 sin
reincarnation, 22–23, 87 atonement, 49
repentance, 3, 7, 10, 53, 87 casting, into sea, 9, 10
reverence, 44, 87 Singapore, 50
rice cake wraps, 40 Sita, 23
rite, 32, 67, 87 soup, 61
rituals, 88 Sri Lanka, 50
of Ashura, 49 Subaru (“Pleiades”), 33, 34, 81
baths, 11 Sunnis, 58–59, 66
Divali, 12, 15, 17, 20–21, 27, 42, 49–50, 72 Ashura for, 31, 77–79
of Al-Hijra, 53 Islam of, 26, 27, 28
kite, 36 in Middle East, 54–55
of Maori, 34 sin atonement of, 49
Middle East, 59–61 sweet foods, 7–9, 8
mourning, 31 taiglach, 71
in North America, 67, 70 syncretism, 12
puja, 21 Syria, 62, 63
for Rosh Hashanah, 6, 10–11
of Sikhism, 48
Rosh Hashanah, 3–11, 32, 54, 59–61, T
64, 68 taiglach (dessert), 71
blessing the candles on, 8, 10 Taranaki, 80–81
in Canada, 70–71 tashlik, 10
candles and worship on, 6–7 tazias (Hussein’s tomb), 49
casting sins into sea, 9, 10 Te Huapae O Matariki (Matariki on
celebrating, 5–6, 6 the Horizon) Fashion Show, 82

tilak (sacred mark on forehead), 22 V
Torah, 6, 6
Tov, Baal Shem, 69 Vedas, 22, 88
Tu Wharetoa tribe, 35 vegetarianism, 45, 47, 48
Turkey, 53 Vishnu, 13, 20, 23, 42, 43
W
U Wairoa, New Zealand, 83
Ultra-Orthodox Jews, 61 Waitangi Day, 83
United States, 64 waka (war canoe), 82
Ashura in, 77–78 war canoe, 82
Divali in, 73, 75 whaanau (family), 32
Hasidic Jews in, 69 whakapapa (foundation), 33
Al-Hijra in, 75–78 Whale Rider, 80
Hindu temples in, 73 World War II, 57, 65, 66, 76
Hinduism in, 65–66, 67
Islam in, 66
Judaism in, 65 Y
North Dakota, 77 yoga, 74
Rosh Hashanah in, 71 Yom Kippur, 5, 6, 60, 64, 71
Index 95;
About the Author
b
Ann Morrill is a freelance writer, occasional bilingual editor, and adjunct
college Spanish instructor living in Colorado. Her published writing
includes poetry, opinion pieces, Spanish language phonics books, con-
servation articles, and creative nonfiction. She holds a master’s degree in
Latin American studies from the University of New Mexico and a B.A. in
history from Carleton College. When not writing or teaching, she enjoys
hiking, reading, drinking coffee, and hanging out with her husband and
two boys, Lucas and Marcos.

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Holidays and Celebrations

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Regional Traditions and Customs

:vi Religious New Year’s Celebrations

Introduction to Holidays and Celebrations vii ;

:viii Religious New Year’s Celebrations

:2 Religious New Year’s Celebrations

origins of rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah: The “Head” of the Jewish Year 3;

Two Major Groups of Judaism:

:4 Religious New Year’s Celebrations

The Jewish Calendar

Celebrating Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah: The “Head” of the Jewish Year 5;

of the Hebrew scriptures, Leviticus. (The Hebrew scriptures are called

Candles and Worship

: 6 Religious New Year’s Celebrations

Sweet and Round Foods

The Ancient Call

Rosh Hashanah: The “Head” of the Jewish Year 7;

also means “more.”

Blessing the Candles

: 8 Religious New Year’s Celebrations

Rosh Hashanah: The “Head” of the Jewish Year 9 ;

Casting Sins into the Sea

Orthodox Rosh Hashanah

Water and Atonement

:10 Religious New Year’s Celebrations

example, in many Jewish places of worship singers are often accompanied

Rosh Hashanah: The “Head” of the Jewish Year 11;

One River, Two Streams

:12 Religious New Year’s Celebrations

The Hindu pantheon is vast.

Divali: A Festival of Lights for the Hindu New Year 13;

The Hindu Calendar

:14 Religious New Year’s Celebrations

Preparing for Divali

Divali: A Festival of Lights for the Hindu New Year 15;

:16 Religious New Year’s Celebrations

The Five Days of Divali

The Second Day of Divali

Two women adjust a lamp in a Divali

Divali: A Festival of Lights for the Hindu New Year 17;

The Third Day of Divali and the Lights of Diyas

:18 Religious New Year’s Celebrations

Divali: A Festival of Lights for the Hindu New Year 19 ;

The Fourth Day of Divali

:20 Religious New Year’s Celebrations

Divali: A Festival of Lights for the Hindu New Year 21;

The Fifth and Last Day of Divali

Reading the Ramayana Epic

:22 Religious New Year’s Celebrations

Divali: A Festival of Lights for the Hindu New Year 23;

A Muslim family walks among pigeons in

After this revelation Muhammad began preaching around Mecca to

Muhammad’s Exile and Victory

Al-Hijra: The Islamic New Year 25;

Shii and Sunni Muslims

:26 Religious New Year’s Celebrations

Ann Morrill - Religious New Year's Celebrations

Ann Morrill - Religious New Year's Celebrations