First: Christmas is not a Jewish holiday at all. Not even close (and before you ask, no Hanukkah is not a Jewish version of Christmas). December 25th is just another normal day on the Jewish calendar.
The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, traditionally a minor one, is considered important in the modern United States because it occurs during the Christmas and holiday season; many American Jews view it as a Jewish counterpart to Christmas.
Some Jewish people are also Christian, or have Christian relatives, so they still unwrap presents, make gingerbread houses and more. Other Jews don't unwrap gifts at all, and they simply treat Christmas like any other day of the year.
Though it's not a pulbic holiday in Israel (the main religions of Israel being Judaism and Islam) and is missing lots of the commericalism of the western world, it's an extremely meaningful place to spend Christmas.
The Jewish Sabbath—Shabbat in Hebrew, Shabbos in Yiddish—is observed every week beginning at sunset on Friday evening and ending after dark on Saturday evening. For religiously observant Jews, Shabbat is as important as any other holy day. Orthodox Jews do not work or travel on Shabbat.
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish year. It concludes the 10 Days of Awe. The day is devoted to repentance for sins that were committed during the previous year.
A Hebrew birthday (also known as a Jewish birthday) is the date on which a person is born according to the Hebrew calendar. This is important for Jews, particularly when calculating the correct date for day of birth, day of death, a bar mitzva or a bat mitzva.
The American Jewish habit of eating at Chinese restaurants on Christmas is a common stereotype portrayed in film and television, but has a factual basis as the tradition may have arisen from the lack of other open restaurants on Christmas Day.
First: Christmas is not a Jewish holiday at all. Not even close (and before you ask, no Hanukkah is not a Jewish version of Christmas). December 25th is just another normal day on the Jewish calendar.
What is Christmas called in Israel? In Hebrew Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Chag Molad Sameach' (חג מולד שמח) which means 'Happy festival of the Birth'.
Prohibition in Jewish law
The Torah (Pentateuch) contains passages in Leviticus that lists the animals people are permitted to eat. According to Leviticus 11:3, animals like cows, sheep, and deer that have divided hooves and chew their cud may be consumed. Pigs should not be eaten because they don't chew their cud.
Most do not. I have seen Jews decorate their homes for Chanukah as gentiles decorate for Christmas except in blue, rather than in red and green, and with dreidels and menorahs, rather than nativity seems. But, most Jews just light their menorah without decorating their homes.
The traditional greeting for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah in English is Happy Hanukkah.
If you're looking for the Jewish holiday that occurs arount Christmastime, you want Chanukah, the festival of lights. Christmas is not a Jewish holiday.
Special Christmas services are held throughout the Holy Land in Christian Churches along with Christmas concerts, markets, bazaars, parades, services and events. Nazareth lights up with Christmas lights and outdoor markets celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, while Hanukkah is in remembrance of past miraculous event, when Jews reclaimed their temple after Syrians forced them to worship false gods.
Since only 2.5% of the country's population are Christians and Christmas is not one of Israel's holidays, Christmas is not a common holiday in Israel. However, the Christmas story took place according to tradition in the Holy Land, in the territories of the State of Israel and in the areas under its control.
Both Judaism and Islam have prohibited eating pork and its products for thousands of years. Scholars have proposed several reasons for the ban to which both religions almost totally adhere. Pork, and the refusal to eat it, possesses powerful cultural baggage for Jews.
The Torah explains which animals are kosher and which are not. Kosher animals are ruminants, in other words they chew cud, and they have split hooves, such as sheep or cows. Pigs are not ruminants, so they are not kosher. Animals that live in water can only be eaten if they have fins and scales.
Every region (or even every town!) has its own customs, but if there's one tradition that everyone in Italy can agree on, it's not eating meat on Christmas Eve. December 24 is the time for fish or cheese dishes to shine.
The wife and mother in Hebrew, is called "akeret habayit," which in English translation means "mainstay of the house." In traditional and Orthodox Judaism the akeret habayit, or woman of the house, tends to the family and household duties.
On birthdays, Jews greet each other with 'ad meah v'esrim' - 'may you live until 120. ' This blessing, which can be traced back to the Torah, seems to acknowledge that our days are numbered.
The birth of a baby in a Jewish family is attended with great rejoicing and prayerfulness. Blessings are sought for the mother and the baby at the synagogue and an apt Hebrew name, as well as a civic name, is selected.
This fact sheet highlights four major cultural and religious holidays (Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Hanukkah) observed by a significant portion of Jewish American populations and addresses some of the ways that these holidays have been recognized by elected officials.
I've been asked, “What do Jews do for Easter?” many times in my life. The answer is, “Nothing. We celebrate Passover!” Passover will begin at sunset on Friday, April 22 and commence at sunset on Saturday, April 30.