What do Jews do during their festivals?

Answer 1

On each festival, there are special prayers and festive meals. In addition, each festival has specific observances (see also Leviticus ch.23). Here are some:

• On Rosh Hashanah, the shofar (ram's horn) is blown, to mark the beginning of the Jewish year.
• 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 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 Hannukah 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.
• On Pesach leavened bread, cakes, pasta etc. are forbidden and unleavened Matzah is substituted. Passover begins with the Seder-meal commemorating and retelling the story of the Exodus. Matzah and ceremonial foods are eaten at the Seder.
• On Purim the story of Esther is read from a Megilat-Esther scroll and food baskets are given to friends and charity to the poor.
• On Shavuot the custom is to stay up all night studying Torah to mark the date that God gave the Ten Commandments.

Answer 2

See also: More about these festivals

Each festival has its specific purpose and laws:

• Rosh Chodesh marks the beginning of each Hebrew month (all of which are lunar) and is a minor holiday.
  
• On Rosh Hashanah, the shofar (ram's horn) is blown, to mark the beginning of the Jewish year.

• 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.

• On Shavuot the custom is to stay up all night studying Torah to mark the date that God gave the Ten Commandments.
• Sefirah - In the weeks between Pesach and Shavuot, we count the Omer, symbolizing the anticipation we felt in the days leading up to the Revelation at Mount Sinai. These weeks are a time of introspection and improvement.
• 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).
• Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah - In Israel, these two occasions are observed on the same day (the eighth day from the beginning of Sukkot), while elsewhere they are kept separately (on the eighth and ninth days). This is a time of great rejoicing, with Shemini Atzeret symbolizing our close relationship with God (Rashi commentary, Numbers 29:35-36), and Simchat Torah celebrating the completion of the yearly cycle of reading the entire Torah scroll.
• On Hanukkah the 8-branched menorah 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.

• 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.