About 28 women gathered at CNY RISE Center on a summery, sunny Sunday afternoon to learn about Spring holiday traditions in several faith traditions. A refreshment table decorated with flowers offered lemonade as well as variety of waters, homemade scones and cookies, fresh fruit and salty snacks. Chairs were arranged in a large circle with the speakers in front of a coffee table as part of the circle. The meeting was zoomed as well as in person.
Gay Montague, Program Committee Co-Chair, welcomed everyone and began the meeting as President Melek Yavuz was setting up the zoom equipment. WTB’s Mission Statement and Safe Place Declaration were read. Gay explained that women from four or five traditions graciously came to share their spring holiday traditions; each would speak for about 10-15 minutes in the order of oldest to most recent religion.
JoAnn Cooke, Buddhist Chaplain at Hendrick’s Chapel at SU and member of the Zen Center, began by sharing the holiday of Buddha’s Birthday usually celebrated on April 8th. She had just come from this very celebration at the Zen Center. The sacred holiday celebrates the birth of Siddhartha Gautama who became the Buddha, the Enlightened One, later in his life. He was born an Indian prince; his family tried to protect him from knowing the suffering in the world, but ultimately, they failed in keeping him from this knowledge. Buddha is not a god; his birth represents world as “one with the great vast nature”—the way things are. We humans are not separate from Nature and all that is in the universe.
Buddha’s Birthday is a spring holiday—with lots of flowers—to remember Buddha’s birth in a grove of blossoming trees. at the time when Nature is renewing itself.
Baby Buddha is represented at the altar by a standing figure with one hand pointed at the heavens and the other pointed down at the earth. Special chants are made though out the ceremony; nectar is ladled on the statue to wash the baby. Worshipers enact the special story of Buddha’s birth – taking on the roles of flowers, stars, sun, Buddha’s mother, and an elephant with 6 tusks; a small child often takes the role of the baby Buddha. According to the story, Buddha’s mother Queen Maya was visited by a 6-tusked white elephant in her dream. White elephants are rare and thought to be auspicious, especially with 6 tusks. It was then that she learned she was going to give birth to the prince, who was predicted by the royal seer to become a great spiritual leader. She made a journey under the stars and sun and through the flowers. On this journey she gave birth standing up under a flowering tree; the baby Prince Siddhartha was born from her right arm. The baby was able to stand, walk, and talk from the first; he took seven steps to the North, to the South, to the East and to the West. Then he declared, “From the Heavens above to the Earth below, I alone am the World-Honored One.” Buddha would unite all sentient beings above and below in the oneness of Nature, what is. JoAnn guided our group in acting out the story of Buddha’s birth.
Lorraine Markley, member of Immaculate Conception Parrish in Fayetteville, spoke about the spring holidays in the Catholic faith. Lorraine noted that Easter commemorating the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead is the center of the liturgical year. There is no fixed date for Easter but it occurs on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25th. Easter comes at the end of the 40 days of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday. During Lent Catholics try to grow closer to God through fasting and prayer. Lent is also a for time for each person to examine her conscience and perform service to others, especially food pantry donations, meals, alms, and kindnesses. During the 21st century the Catholic Church has relaxed prescribed “rules” of Lent and left it up to each believer’s conscience. Fish on Friday has remained a tradition, though! Palm Sunday – one week before Easter – celebrates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem; parishioners often make crosses out of palm fronds. On Holy Thursday Christians rememberJesus’ last supper with his disciples, when he gave them the sacrament of the bread and wine (Eucharist). Worshipers can follow each step in the Passion of Christ by following Stations of the Cross; Jesus was crucified on Good Friday. Three days later comes Easter – the day Jesus rose from the dead—to us this represents the triumph of Good over Evil. Easter ends Lent. On Easter churches are beautifully decorated with spring flowers and filled with music and joy. After church, families often gather for an Easter feast. In the Italian tradition, families bake fresh Easter breads and color hard boiled eggs … a reminder of spring and rebirth. The Easter season ends with Pentecost, when Christ ascended into heaven. Lorraine brought palm crosses and Easter eggs to how they are designed; she showed photos of homemade Easter bread, eggs and flowers and the entrances beautifully decorated with the cross and flowers for the holiday.
After a 10-minute break for refreshments and conversation, the program resumed.
Carol Lipson, a member of Temple Adath, explained Jewish Passover traditions. Passover follows a lunar calendar; the date varies, but it always falls sometime in March or April. Jesus was a Jew and it is thought the Last Supper was a Passover meal. The eight-day holiday Passover commemorates two things: (1) Moses leading the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and (2) the first barley harvest (barley was planted in late winter and harvested in the spring). In ancient Israel, Passover was celebrated with animal sacrifices in the Temple and gifts of the first cutting of barley. During Passover Jews cannot eat the fermented products of barley, wheat, rye, oats of spelt; flat matza is served instead of bread. Most of the cooking involves potato flour and almond flour. Passover is a time when families gather, often traveling home from distant cities. A seder is held the first and second nights; during the meal there are readings from the book called a Haggadah, telling the story of Passover. It is a joyous occasion with games for the kids and lots of songs and wonderful food. Some years ago, Carol and her husband had the occasion to be in Israel during the spring celebration – it was a very different experience. Universities close the day before and after Passover for travel; dance, music and theater festivals are held throughout the country. The day after Passover, called Mimouna, is a celebration hosted by people of North African descent (Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, etc.). It is held in homes but also includes huge festivals in public parks with games, music, costumes, attractions, and all the pastries and yeast products forbidden during the eight days of Passover!
WTB President Melek Yavuz spoke of Islam’s holiest month – Ramadan, the 9th month of the Islamic calendar Ramadan follows a lunar calendar and can fall any time during the year. In 2023 Passover, Easter, and Ramadan fall at the same time in the Spring. Muslims believe that during Ramadan the doors of Heaven are opened and the doors of Hell are closed. You get rewarded for everything. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the 5 pillars of Islam. All able-bodied Muslims are required to fast (nothing to eat or drink) from sunrise to sunset for the entire month. (April 16th in Syracuse — from about 4:30 am to 7:45 pm.) Exceptions are made if one is pregnant, breast-feeding, ill or traveling—the person just has to make it up later. Muslims should fast with their whole bodies—don’t gossip (mouth); don’t go to bad places (feet); don’t listen to idle talk (ears); don’t touch what doesn’t belong to you (hands). The fast is ended by the call to prayer at sunset—in Muslim countries this is broadcast on loudspeakers. The daily fast is usually broken with dates and water following the practice of the Prophet Muhammad. An Iftar meal is served after prayers and is often shared and celebrated with family, friends or community groups. Fasting is a form of spiritual self-discipline, but it also helps Muslims develop empathy for those who don’t have enough food or clean water. Service to others and charity is hugely important during Ramadan. Zakat, a form of charity involving financial assets, happens only during Ramadan. The Night of Power, the holiest night of the year, occurs during the last 10 days of Ramadan on an odd day; it marks the night that the Qur’an started being revealed as the Angel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad. Muslims pray throughout that night because every single prayer will be accepted by God. The end of Ramadan is the festival Eid al-Fitr. Eid is a four-day joyous celebration with shared breakfasts, candy collecting for the kids, and gifts. In Muslim countries Eid is an extended holiday; in Syracuse some school districts are closing for Eid on Friday April 21st.
Cher Holt-Fortin, member of the Baha’i Community of Syracuse, shared the Baha’i traditions of spring. Baha’i is the last revealed religion founded in the 1800s by Baha’u’llah. Baha’i teaches that all major religions are progressive manifestations of one God and believes in the unity and equality of all people. It follows a mix of solar and lunar calendars. Baha’i celebrates the Spring Festival of Naw-Ruz, the Persian New Year. Baha’i Faith began in Iran; it has spread worldwide, and each continent has a beautiful temple — North America (Chicago), Australia, Uganda, Germany, Panama, Samoa, and India. Nowruz began as an ancient Persian festival celebrating the Spring equinox, a point of renewal at the balance point between light and dark. Naw-Ruz is celebrated March 21st with fasting and prayer to deepen our relationship with God. It is a time of spiritual renewal and regeneration as the spiritual cycle returns again. The festival is also filled with music, feasting, and lots of spring flowers. There is a second 12-day festival held in April and May—the Festival of Ridvan—that celebrates the 12 days in 1863 when Baha’u’llah announced his mission as God’s messenger and his message of peace, justice and the oneness of mankind. This a holy and joyous time. Baha’u’llah was persecuted and exiled from Persia to Bagdad. Authorities then decided to exile him to Constantinople. He stayed in the Garden of Ridvan outside Bagdad for 12 days receiving friends and visitors before his exile to Constantinople. The Tigris River flooded and it was 9 days before his family could join him there. Day 1 (his arrival), day 9 (his family’s arrival), and day 12 (his departure) are holy days when we stay home from school and work. The community gathers on those days sharing prayers and celebrations. This is the holiest time of the Baha’i year.
Questions were asked about dietary restrictions during Passover, and more about the Baha’i faith. Cher said that Baha’i is a faith now led by elected leaders. It stresses the unity of all people that all religions share fundamental truths. Several women pointed out the similarities between the spring holidays and the commonalities between the faith traditions, which all have a form of the Golden Rule.
The meeting ended with people forming a circle in which we each prayed for Ukraine in our own tradition.