Festival Days: A History of Jewish Celebrations / Gives the history and background of the major Jewish celebrations together with descriptions of the festivals, their distinctive character, and traditions and observance.
The Jewish festivals are presented with a wholly original approach. Chaim Raphael takes us through the seasonal cycle of the major Jewish celebrations, including the Pilgrim Festivals and the Day's of Awe, the Patriotic Memories, and the eight Minor Celebrations. His rich history and vivid descriptions expand our understanding of the festivals by showing us that although these feasts and fasts are firmly grounded in the Bible and tradition, these ancient rituals have been constantly transmuted by history, personal experience, and the influence of time and change on the Jewish people. Diversity of expression, we find is what distinguishes the festival days, that mark the unity and spirit of Jewish culture.
