Religion Update: All Faiths Calendar

Tisha B'av (Judaism)
Hebrew Calendar:
Av 9, 5761
Tisha B'Av is a public fast day when Jews mourn the loss of the Jerusalem temple, which was destroyed in 70 CE. Eating, drinking and washing are forbidden. Jews may not engage in sexual relations or wear leather shoes, though regular work is permitted. In the synagogue, the lights are dimmed, and sometimes the walls are draped in black. The Book of Lamentations is chanted plaintively, in low tones.

Recommended reading:
The classic guide is The Jewish Festivals: A Guide to Their History and Observance by Hayyim Schauss, first published in 1938 by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and reissued in 1996 with a foreword by Harold Kushner. In 2000, Jason Aronson released Holidays, History, and Halakhah, which profiles most of the Jewish holidays for a general audience.

Lughnasa/Lammas (Neo-Paganism)
Lughnasa (pronounced LOON-a-sah) is one of the four quarterly Celtic festivals (the others being Samhain on November 1, Imbolc on February 1, and Beltane on May 1). Lughnasa is the "first fruits" festival, when the first crops of the summer are harvested and celebrated; Lugh is the name of an Irish sun god. Although Lughnasa was an ancient holiday in England, Ireland and France, it was abandoned when those countries became industrialized, and has only recently been revived by Neo-Pagans. Like most pagan festivals, Lughnasa has a history of Christian syncretism: During the Middle Ages, Christians adopted the festival of Lughnasa as "lammas," or loaf-mass, when a loaf of bread was placed on the altar in a gesture of eucharistic thanksgiving. The traditional foods of the festival are apples, grains and berries; activities include hilltop gatherings, games and athletic contests.

Recommended reading:
Lughnasa is the least-known of the quartet of Celtic festivals, but a new book from Llewellyn may remedy that. Lammas: Celebrating Fruits of the First Harvest by Anna Franklin and Paul Mason explains the origins and rituals of the holiday, and provides recipes and ideas for its contemporary celebration (June). Also from Llewellyn is Elen Hawke's In the Circle: Crafting the Witches' Path, which explores many Neo-Pagan festivals, including Lammas/Lughnasa. (Jan.)

Sri Krishna Jayanti/Janmashtami (Hinduism)
This joyous holiday celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna with holy chants and special rituals. Krishna, considered to be the incarnation of Vishnu, is possibly the most beloved god of the Hindu pantheon, and this festival celebrates his mischievous, childlike qualities. Devotees make food offerings, particularly of sweets and butter, which the divine lord once stole to satisfy his craving. Statues of Krishna are ceremonially immersed in mixtures of curds, milk, honey, dried fruit and basil. Towns are colorfully decorated, and Krishna's temples are strewn with flowers and food offerings. Many people fast for the day, then break the fast at midnight with great fanfare. Folk theater productions narrate the highlights of the god's life, while musicians sing jovial hymns. Mathura, believed to be the site of Krishna's birth, is the site of a special celebration that is broadcast live on Indian television.

Recommended reading:
One does not have to travel to India to witness a Janmashtami festival; Hinduism is a rapidly growing religion in the United States. In A New Religious America: How a "Christian Country" Has Become the World's Most Religiously Diverse Nation, Diana Eck chronicles the rise of Hinduism (and other religions) in the United States, paying particular attention to a Krishna festival in New Jersey. (Harper San Francisco, June)

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic Christianity) and Dormition of the Theotokos (Orthodox Christianity)
This feast day honors Jesus' mother the mother of Jesus, a figure Roman Catholics believe was "assumed" into heaven "when the course of her earthly life was finished." Mary's body, like that of Jesus', did not rest in its tomb, but was taken into paradise. Feasts celebrating this assumption occurred as early as the fourth century, though the Catholic Church did not proclaim an official doctrine of the Assumption until 1950. In the East, Orthodox Christians celebrate a feast of the Mary's dormition, or "falling asleep." In Orthodox tradition, Mary is called the Theotokos, or "God-bearer"; unlike Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians do not believe that Mary was free of original sin, though she was free of "actual" sin.

Recommended reading:
An informative August release from Harper San Francisco offers detailed daily synopses of all of the feast days of the Roman Catholic Church. In Lives of the Saints: From Mary and St. Francis of Assisi to John XXIII and Mother Teresa, Richard P. McBrien gives a comprehensive guide to saints, their feast days, and canonizations-in-progress. The Orthodox perspective on Mary is well-explicated by Frederica Mathewes-Green in At the Corner of East and Now, which Tarcher released in paperback last September. n