The Jewish people are a people of celebration. All year long there are many holidays that the Jewish people love to celebrate. Seven of the major Jewish holidays are Shabbat, Purim, Passover, Yom Kippur, Hanukkah, Rosh Hashana, and Shavuot. Each holiday has its own customs, presentations, and services that make it different from the other Jewish holidays. In this essay I will explain in detail each of the seven major holidays. .

             Shabbat may be the most important holiday observant in Judaism. Shabbat is a weekly day of rest for the Jewish people. This is a day when the Jewish people pause from their normal busy lives so that the soul can rest. The source of Shabbat comes from where God created the earth in six days, and on the seventh he rested. In Exodus 20:11 the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and on the seventh day, he rested; therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it. Shabbat is the only festival required in the ten commandments.

             There are certain things that the Jews are forbidden to do on Shabbat. Any work that is creative is restricted in Jewish law. Plowing, baking, weaving, trapping, building, tying, kindling a fire, and hitting with a hammer are all tasks not to be done on Shabbat. Rabbis have also prohibited travel, buying and selling, electricity, and the use of the automobile on Shabbat. .

             Preparing for the Shabbat begins about 2pm on Friday afternoon. People leave work early to go home and prepare for Shabbat. Shabbat officially begins at sunset. Candles are lit and a blessing is recited. The ritual, performed by the women of the house, officially marks the beginning of the Shabbath. Two candles are lit, representing the two commandments zachor and shamor. Now the family attends evening service. The service is very short at about 45 minutes long. After service, everyone goes home for festive dinner. After dinner the birkat ha-mazon is recited.