What are the key features of the Jewish festivals?

Answer 1

The features common to the festivals are festive family meals, and Torah-readings and public prayer-services in the synagogues. (See: How do Jews celebrate Shabbat, which holds true for the festivals as well.)

Reasons for the holidays:

Every one of them has as its purpose "remembering the Exodus from Egypt" (as stated in our prayers and the kiddush over wine). In addition, Passover is a Thanksgiving to God for the barley-harvest, Shavuot is a thanksgiving to God for the wheat-harvest, and Sukkot is a thanksgiving to God for the ingathering of grain. (See: more about Sukkot)

Shavuot also celebrates the Giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, and Sukkot commemorates God having protected us in the wilderness.

It may also be noted that it is instinctive and a moral and emotional need to celebrate in front of God every so often. This was Cain's motivation in making his offering in Genesis ch.4 without having been commanded.

Had God not given us the Torah-festivals listed above, we might instinctively seek out those of the Canaanites, which the Torah warns against (Exodus 34:15) immediately before listing the Jewish festivals (in the following verses).

List of the festivals:

Many of these holidays are found in Leviticus ch.23. The holidays begin at sunset and last until after nightfall around 25 hours later.

• Shabbat - every Saturday (from Friday at sunset until Saturday after twilight)

• Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year, 2 days
• Yom Kippur - a fast day, the Day of Atonement, 1 day
• Pesach - Passover - 7 or 8 days
• Shavuot - Feast of Weeks; Yom HaBikurim - 1 or 2 days
• Sukkot - Feast of Booths - 7 days
• Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah - 1 or 2 days

Minor holidays and occasions (in which work is not forbidden):

• Rosh Chodesh - the new moon, every 29 or 30 days

• Hanukkah - Festival of Lights - 8 days
• Tu Bishvat - New Year of the Trees - 1 day
• Purim - 1 day, followed by 1 day of Shushan Purim
• Sefirah - Counting of the Omer - 49 days
• Lag Ba'omer - 1 day

(See: What is Lag Ba'omer?)

• The Three Weeks and the Nine Days (days of mourning preceding Tisha b'Av; see below)
• Tu B'Av - 1 day

Fast days:

• Tzom Gedalya; the day after Rosh Hashanah
• Asara B'Tevet - 10th of the month of Tevet
• Ta'anit Esther - the day before Purim
• Shiva Asar B'Tamuz - 17th of Tamuz
• Tisha B'Av - 9th of the month of Av

The fasts start shortly before dawn and end at twilight, except for Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av which start the evening before at sunset and last for 25 hours. The 3 weeks between Shiva Asar B'Tamuz and Tisha B'Av is a period of mourning for the destruction of the Temple, referred to as "the 3 weeks" or Bein Hameitzarim. The mourning intensifies during the last 9 days of these 3 weeks.(See: Destruction and diaspora)

Each festival has its specific observances and features:

• On Rosh Hashanah, the shofar (ram's horn) is blown, to mark the beginning of the Jewish year.

(See: more about Rosh Hashanah)

• Yom Kippur is a fast day on which Jews pray for forgiveness for all their sins. No eating, drinking, or bathing is allowed. Wearing leather shoes is also prohibited.
• On Pesach, leavened bread, cakes, pasta etc. are forbidden; and unleavened Matzah is eaten. Passover begins with the Seder-meal, commemorating and retelling the story of the Exodus. Matzah and ceremonial foods are eaten at the Seder. (See: Celebrating Passover)

• On Shavuot the custom is to stay up all night studying Torah to mark the date that God gave the Ten Commandments.
• On Sukkot, Jews eat all their meals in outdoor arbor-canopied booths (Sukkah) in order to commemorate the Israelites' wanderings in the desert. Some will also sleep in the Sukkah. During the morning prayers on these days, we take the 4 minim consisting of a Lulav (young palm branch), an Etrog (Citrus Medica; citron), three Haddassim (Myrtle branches) and two Aravot (willow branches).
• On Hanukkah the 8-branched menora is lit in the home; on the first night one candle, on the 2nd night 2 candles, until all 8 candles are lit on the 8th night. (See: more about Hanukkah)

• On Purim the story of Esther is read from a Megillat-Esther scroll and food baskets are given to friends and charity to the poor. (See: more about Queen Esther)