Christmas seems to be the biggest holiday of the year for countries with a christian history, even if they are secular today.
In China it is spring festival. I’ve heard that is the big one in other east asian nations, is that true?
Are most/all of the world’s biggest holidays essentially astronomical in nature?
I guess it depends on how you define biggest. In Judaism the most important holidays are a Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, though Passover and Purim gets a lot of attention as well even by Nonreligious Jews. Of course Hanukkah has become somewhat inflated due to the tradition of giving gifts so close to the Christmas season.
I don’t know if Diwali is the most important Hindu holiday, but I think it’s the biggest Indian festival.
I wonder if there is anything preventing it from being a big festival in the USA too because it looks like a lot of fun. It could spread much further then our Indian population.
It’s on the lunar calendar for the new moon, so I guess it’s astronomical. Or at least moononomical.
But how big of a deal is Hanukkah in Israel where there’s no pressure on families to “compere” with Christmas?
In Russia, New Years Eve is the biggest holiday of the year. Gift-giving, fir trees, feasts and drinking.
For those which actually have vacation for it, which happen to be most majority-Christian countries, Easter often is at least as big on the secular side (no gift-giving, though).
I’d place Passover ahead of the rest, at least here in Israel. Everyone celebrates Passover, observant or not; you can’t say that about Yom Kippur.
Pretty big, actually. It’s considered the most “fun” holiday, with the coolest rituals, best food and best songs. Kids are also pretty happy with the 8-day vacation (cut down to 5 this year, thank God). I suppose it’s possible that it’s also popular here because of the whole Jews-kicking-ass aspect; it’s as much a civil state holiday as it is a religious one.
Gift-giving isn’t that big an aspect of it, though. That’s Rosh Hashanah and Passover.
Why is it cut down to five days this year?
In Judaism, Hanukkah at best is a 2nd tier holiday. Food is very much related to Jewish holidays, so any holiday where one is supposed to Fast is going to be more important than ones where you can it. Passover has a ritual meal, so that’s probably the most important 2nd tier. Hanukkah and Purim each have their own special foods, but they’re just sides or desserts/snacks. As stated upthread, Hanukkah gets a huge boost in perceived importance because of it’s proximity to Christmas. And as for the 8 days of presents, kids old enough to keep score will discover that at best, only 6 of the presents will be toys, the rest will be boring clothes.
Some deal between the Ministry of Education and the teachers’ unions. I think they extended the summer vacation by three days, so they cut them off Hanukkah to make up.
When I was a kid, I heard “Hanukkah isn’t Christmas” in response to requests for Hanukkah gifts, albeit, I got gelt (money) on Hanukkah, which was chocolate coins when I was really little, but became serious money after I started Hebrew school. It was just $20 the first year, increased by $10 every year, and getting bumped to $200 my 13th year, but I had to put half in the bank. It was $200 every year after, and I had to put some in the bank, but I got to decide how much, although, there was a lot of pressure to put at least half away, unless I was spending it on something like a school trip. My 18th year, I got $500, and it ended after that.
Now, of course, my mother spends about $300 every year on gifts for my son, and still buys him gifts on his birthday and Purim.
FWIW, we always got gifts on our birthdays and Purim that were pretty equal to what kids got for Christmas then, it seemed, but I don’t think most kids got the kind of gift explosions in the 70s that they get now. It wasn’t the Depression-- kids definitely hauled some loot-- but it still wasn’t like now, unless it’s just a question of it seeming like more because of inflation, and me hearing about prices, more than actual tonnage.
We also got candy on Hanukkah when I was a kid, and other junk food. We had entire meals of fried food, because you are supposed to eat things cooked in oil for Hanukkah. My parents always took a couple of dozen doughnuts to the teachers’ lounge at my school, so now I do that at my son’s school.
In my mind, Purim is still the most important holiday after the Torah holidays (the High Holy days and Passover are in the Torah, as well as Simchat Torah, Sukkot and Shavuot, and that gives them special importance; Hanukkah comes from the Book of the Maccabees, and Purim comes from the Book of Esther). For most people, it’s Passover, but my family always made a special fuss over Purim, for some reason.
I think my son thinks of Hanukkah as more important than it is, because he goes to a public school, and gets Hanukkah gifts. He really isn’t getting the “Hanukkah isn’t Christmas” message.
But it’s true that gift-giving at Hanukkah is something the has really been imposed on the holiday by merchants to increase sales, and public schools to be inclusive.
This doesn’t seem to be the case in my part of the world (S. Florida). I don’t celebrate either holiday, but it’s hard to turn around this time of year and not have Christmas hit you over the head. Easter doesn’t have nearly the same impact.
Mild pun not intended.
South Florida doesn’t get vacations for Easter, Mr I Live In South Easter.
I don’t know about easter, it isn’t a very big holiday from what I’ve seen in the US. It is more of a secondary holiday if that.
I think that’s her point: if we all had Holy Week off, we’d use the time ti travel to be together, and it would feel like a major holiday. A lit of what makes xmas xmas is that so many families make such an effort to be together-and our culture helps.
Which I suspect is a hold-over from communist times, but I’ve never actuall confirmed as much.
I suspect Eid (al-Fitr) is the biggest Muslim celebration of the year.
Can any Muslims here confirm that?
Officially yes. But, it tends to vary amongst countries. In Pakistan, Eid-ul-Fitr(called ChotiEid, or “small” Eid here) which is the end of Ramzan is in most ways bigger.
Bigger than what? I’m culturally ignorant of Muslim holidays and would like to learn more. Thanks.
My appologies - I misread the quote and missed the part about having a defined vacation for Easter. I withdraw my comment.