New Year in Five Faiths

A new year has begun in the secular West, and ancient religious cycles continue as they have for centuries.

Following is a sampling of religious holidays in five major faiths for 1999. Jewish holidays begin at sundown on the preceding day; Islamic dates may vary slightly depending on location and astronomical conditions.

*

Christianity

DATE: Jan. 6

HOLIDAY: Epiphany

WHAT IT MARKS: End of the 12 days of Christmas

DATE: Feb. 17

HOLIDAY: Ash Wednesday

WHAT IT MARKS: Beginning of Lent

DATE: March 28

HOLIDAY: Palm Sunday

WHAT IT MARKS: Beginning of Holy Week

DATE: April 2

HOLIDAY: Good Friday

WHAT IT MARKS: The day Jesus was crucified

DATE: April 4 (Western)

HOLIDAY: Easter Sunday

WHAT IT MARKS: Resurrection of Jesus

DATE: April 11 (Orthodox)

HOLIDAY: Easter Sunday

WHAT IT MARKS: Resurrection of Jesus

DATE: May 23

HOLIDAY: Pentecost

WHAT IT MARKS: Descent of Holy Spirit on Apostles

DATE: Nov. 28-Dec. 25

HOLIDAY: Advent

WHAT IT MARKS: Four weeks of preparation for Christmas

DATE: Dec. 25

HOLIDAY: Christmas

WHAT IT MARKS: Birthday of Jesus Christ

*

Judaism

DATE: March 2

HOLIDAY: Purim

WHAT IT MARKS: Deliverance of Jews in ancient Persia

DATE: April 1-8

HOLIDAY: Passover

WHAT IT MARKS: Exodus of Jews from Egypt

DATE: April 13

HOLIDAY: Yom Hashoah

WHAT IT MARKS: Holocaust Remembrance Day

DATE: May 21-22

HOLIDAY: Shavuot

WHAT IT MARKS: Giving of Torah and Commandments

DATE: Sept. 11-12

HOLIDAY: Rosh Hashana

WHAT IT MARKS: Beginning of the new year

DATE: Sept. 20

HOLIDAY: Yom Kippur

WHAT IT MARKS: Day of Atonement; prayer and fasting

DATE: Sept. 25-Oct. 1

HOLIDAY: Sukkot

WHAT IT MARKS: Dwelling of Israelites in the wilderness

DATE: Oct. 2-3

HOLIDAY: Simchat Torah

WHAT IT MARKS: Torah reading cycle ends, begins again

DATE: Dec. 4-11

HOLIDAY: Hanukkah

WHAT IT MARKS: Rededication of temple at Jerusalem

*

Islam

DATE: Jan. 18 (ends)

HOLIDAY: Ramadan

WHAT IT MARKS: First revelations to prophet Muhummad

DATE: Jan. 14

HOLIDAY: Laylat al-Qadr

WHAT IT MARKS: Revelation of Koran to Muhummad

DATE: Jan. 19

HOLIDAY: Eid al-Fitr

WHAT IT MARKS: Festival at the end of fasting

DATE: March 28

HOLIDAY: Eid al-Adha

WHAT IT MARKS: End of the pilgrimage to Mecca

DATE: April 17

HOLIDAY: Al-Hijra

WHAT IT MARKS: 1st of Muharram, New Year’s Day

DATE: June 26

HOLIDAY: Ma’uled al-Nabi

WHAT IT MARKS: Prophet Muhummad’s birthday

DATE: Nov. 6

HOLIDAY: Laylat al-Isra and al-Mi’raj

WHAT IT MARKS: Muhummad’s ascent to heaven and return

DATE: Nov. 23

HOLIDAY: Laylat al-Bara’ah

WHAT IT MARKS: God calls humanity to grant forgiveness

DATE: Dec. 9 (begins)

HOLIDAY: Ramadan

WHAT IT MARKS: First revelations to prophet Muhummad

Hinduism

DATE: March 1

HOLIDAY: Holi

WHAT IT MARKS: Spring carnival of bonfires, pilgrimages

DATE: March 25

HOLIDAY: Ramnavami

WHAT IT MARKS: Birth of Rama

DATE: Aug. 26

HOLIDAY: Rakhi

WHAT IT MARKS: Celebration of love and friendship

DATE: Sept. 2

HOLIDAY: Krishna Janmashtami

WHAT IT MARKS: Birth of Krishna

Buddhism

DATE: Feb. 15

HOLIDAY: Nirvana Day

WHAT IT MARKS: Death of Buddha

DATE: April 8

HOLIDAY: Wesak

WHAT IT MARKS: Birth of Buddha

DATE: Dec. 8

HOLIDAY: Bodhi Day

WHAT IT MARKS: Enlightenment of Buddha

1999 Judaic calendar

BEGINS / MONTH

Jan. 18 / Shevat

Feb. 17 / Adar

March 18 (first month of Judaic calendar) / Nisan

April 17 / Iyar

May 16 / Sivan

June 15 / Tammuz

July 14 / Av

Aug. 3 / Elul

Sept. 11 / Tishri

Oct. 11 / Heshvan

Nov. 10 / Kislev

Dec. 10 / Tevet

****

MONTH / BEGINS

Shawwal / Jan. 9

Zul-Qa’dah / Feb. 18

Zul-Hijjah / March 19

Muharram / April 17 (first month of Islamic calendar)

Safar / May 17

Rabi-al-Awwal / June 15

Rabi-al-Thani / July 15

Jumada-al-Awwal / Aug. 13

Jumada-al-Thani / Sept. 11

Rajab / Oct. 11

Sha’ban / Nov. 10

Ramadan / Dec. 9

Note: Months on the Judaic and Islamic calendars are similar because both are based on the lunar cycle.

Sources: National Conference for Community and Justice, B’nai Brith, Islamic Society of North America