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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gay Montague, Program Committee Co-Chair, welcomed everyone and began the meeting as President\u00a0Melek\u00a0Yavuz was setting up the zoom equipment. WTB\u2019s Mission Statement and Safe Place Declaration were read.\u00a0Gay 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
JoAnn\u00a0Cooke, Buddhist Chaplain at Hendrick\u2019s Chapel at SU and member of the Zen Center, began by sharing the holiday of Buddha\u2019s Birthday\u00a0usually celebrated\u00a0on\u00a0April\u00a08th. She\u00a0had just come from this\u00a0very\u00a0celebration at the Zen Center.\u00a0The 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\u00a0world as \u201cone with the great vast nature\u201d\u2014the way things are. \u00a0We humans are not separate from Nature and all that is in the universe.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Buddha\u2019s Birthday is a spring holiday\u2014with lots of flowers\u2014to remember Buddha\u2019s birth in a grove of blossoming trees.\u00a0at the time when Nature is renewing itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Baby Buddha is represented\u00a0at the altar\u00a0by a\u00a0standing figure\u00a0with one hand pointed at the heavens and\u00a0the other pointed\u00a0down at the earth. Special chants are made though out the ceremony;\u00a0nectar is ladled on the statue\u00a0to wash the baby.\u00a0Worshipers enact the special story of Buddha\u2019s birth \u2013 taking on the roles of flowers, stars, sun, Buddha\u2019s mother, and an elephant with 6\u00a0tusks;\u00a0a small child often takes the role of the baby Buddha. According to the story,\u00a0Buddha\u2019s mother\u00a0Queen\u00a0Maya was visited by a 6-tusked white elephant\u00a0in 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.\u00a0She 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\u00a0Prince Siddhartha was born from her right arm. The baby was able to\u00a0stand,\u00a0walk,\u00a0and talk from the first; he\u00a0took seven steps to the North,\u00a0to the\u00a0South,\u00a0to the\u00a0East and\u00a0to the\u00a0West. Then\u00a0he declared, \u201cFrom the\u00a0Heavens above to the Earth below, I alone am the World-Honored One.\u201d\u00a0Buddha would unite all sentient beings above and below in the oneness of Nature, what is.\u00a0JoAnn\u00a0guided our group in acting out the\u00a0story of Buddha\u2019s birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u00a0Jesus Christ rose from the dead is\u00a0the center of the liturgical year. There is no fixed date for Easter but it occurs\u00a0on a Sunday\u00a0between March 22 and April 25th<\/sup>.\u00a0Easter comes at the end of the 40 days of Lent, which begins on Ash\u00a0Wednesday.\u00a0During Lent Catholics\u00a0try to grow closer to God through fasting and\u00a0prayer. Lent is also a for time for each person to examine her conscience and perform service\u00a0to\u00a0others, especially\u00a0food pantry donations, meals, alms, and kindnesses. During the 21st<\/sup>\u00a0century the Catholic Church has relaxed prescribed \u201crules\u201d\u00a0of Lent\u00a0and left\u00a0it\u00a0up to each believer\u2019s conscience. Fish on Friday has remained a tradition, though! Palm Sunday \u2013 one week before Easter – celebrates Jesus\u2019 entry\u00a0into Jerusalem; parishioners often make crosses out of palm fronds.\u00a0On\u00a0Holy Thursday\u00a0Christians rememberJesus\u2019 last supper with his disciples, when he gave them\u00a0the sacrament of the bread and wine (Eucharist). Worshipers can follow each step in the Passion of Christ by following Stations of the\u00a0Cross; Jesus was crucified on Good Friday. Three days later comes Easter \u2013 the day Jesus rose from the dead\u2014to us this represents the triumph of Good over Evil. Easter ends Lent.\u00a0On Easter churches are beautifully decorated with spring flowers and filled with music and joy. After church, families often gather for an Easter feast.\u00a0In the Italian tradition, families bake fresh Easter breads and color hard boiled eggs \u2026 a reminder of spring and rebirth.\u00a0The 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\u00a0flowers and\u00a0the entrances beautifully decorated with the cross and flowers for the holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a 10-minute break for refreshments and conversation, the program resumed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u00a0cannot\u00a0eat\u00a0the fermented products\u00a0of barley, wheat, rye, oats of spelt; flat matza is served instead of bread.\u00a0Most of the cooking\u00a0involves\u00a0potato flour and almond flour.\u00a0Passover is a time when families gather, often traveling home from distant cities. A seder is held the first and second nights; during the meal\u00a0there 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\u00a0songs and\u00a0wonderful food. Some years ago, Carol and her husband had the occasion to be in Israel during the spring celebration \u2013 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,\u00a0called Mimouna, is a celebration hosted by people of North African descent (Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, etc.).\u00a0It is held in homes but also includes huge festivals in public parks with games, music, costumes, attractions,\u00a0and all\u00a0the\u00a0pastries and yeast products forbidden during the eight days of Passover!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n WTB President\u00a0Melek\u00a0Yavuz spoke\u00a0of\u00a0Islam\u2019s holiest month \u2013 Ramadan, the 9th<\/sup>\u00a0month of the Islamic calendar Ramadan\u00a0follows a lunar calendar and\u00a0can fall any\u00a0time during the year.\u00a0In 2023\u00a0Passover, Easter, and Ramadan fall\u00a0at 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.\u00a0(April 16th in Syracuse\u00a0— from about 4:30 am to 7:45 pm.)\u00a0Exceptions are made if one is pregnant, breast-feeding, ill or traveling\u2014the person\u00a0just has\u00a0to make it up later.\u00a0Muslims should fast with their whole\u00a0bodies\u2014don’t gossip (mouth); don\u2019t go to bad places (feet); don\u2019t listen to idle talk (ears); don\u2019t touch what doesn\u2019t belong to you (hands).\u00a0The fast is ended by the call to prayer at sunset\u2014in Muslim countries this is broadcast\u00a0on loudspeakers.\u00a0The daily fast is usually broken with dates\u00a0and water following the practice of the Prophet Muhammad.\u00a0An Iftar meal\u00a0is served after prayers and\u00a0is often shared\u00a0and celebrated\u00a0with\u00a0family, friends\u00a0or community groups.\u00a0Fasting is a form of\u00a0spiritual\u00a0self-discipline, but it also helps Muslims develop empathy for those who don\u2019t have enough food or clean water. Service to others and charity is hugely important during Ramadan. Zakat,\u00a0a form of charity\u00a0involving financial assets, happens only during Ramadan.\u00a0The\u00a0Night of Power, the\u00a0holiest night of the year,\u00a0occurs during the last 10 days of Ramadan on an odd day; it marks\u00a0the night that the\u00a0Qur\u2019an\u00a0started being revealed\u00a0as\u00a0the Angel Gabriel appeared\u00a0to Muhammad.\u00a0Muslims pray\u00a0throughout\u00a0that night because every single prayer will be accepted by God.\u00a0The end of Ramadan is\u00a0the festival\u00a0Eid al-Fitr. Eid is\u00a0a four-day\u00a0joyous\u00a0celebration\u00a0with\u00a0shared 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<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cher Holt-Fortin, member of the Baha\u2019i Community of Syracuse,\u00a0shared the Baha\u2019i traditions of spring.\u00a0Baha\u2019i is the last revealed religion founded in the 1800s by Baha\u2019u\u2019llah. Baha\u2019i teaches that all major religions are\u00a0progressive\u00a0manifestations of one God and believes in the unity and equality of all people. It follows a mix of solar and lunar calendars. Baha\u2019i celebrates the Spring Festival of\u00a0Naw-Ruz, the Persian New Year.\u00a0Baha\u2019i\u00a0Faith\u00a0began in Iran; it has spread worldwide, and\u00a0each continent has a beautiful\u00a0temple\u00a0—\u00a0North America (Chicago), Australia, Uganda, Germany, Panama, Samoa, and India.\u00a0Nowruz began as an ancient Persian festival celebrating the\u00a0Spring equinox, a point of renewal at the balance point between light and dark.\u00a0Naw-Ruz\u00a0is celebrated March 21st<\/sup>\u00a0with fasting and prayer to deepen our relationship with God.\u00a0It 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\u00a012-day\u00a0festival held in April and May\u2014the Festival of\u00a0Ridvan\u2014that celebrates the 12 days in 1863 when Baha\u2019u\u2019llah announced his mission as God\u2019s messenger\u00a0and his message of peace, justice and the oneness of mankind.\u00a0This\u00a0a\u00a0holy and joyous time.\u00a0Baha\u2019u\u2019llah was persecuted and exiled\u00a0from Persia\u00a0to Bagdad.\u00a0Authorities then decided to exile him to Constantinople.\u00a0He\u00a0stayed in the Garden of\u00a0Ridvan\u00a0outside Bagdad\u00a0for 12 days\u00a0receiving friends and visitors\u00a0before 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\u2019s 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.\u00a0This is the holiest time of the Baha\u2019i year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Questions were asked about dietary restrictions during Passover, and more about the Baha’i faith. Cher said that\u00a0Baha\u2019i\u00a0is\u00a0a faith now led by\u00a0elected leaders.\u00a0It 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\u00a0the faith traditions, which all have a form of the Golden Rule. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The meeting ended with people forming a circle in which we each prayed for Ukraine in our own tradition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" At our April 16 gathering, women from Islamic, Buddhist, Catholic, Jewish and Baha\u2019i traditions will share their customs and rituals related to spring.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[30,21,15,16,17],"class_list":["post-10351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-programs","tag-bahai","tag-buddhism","tag-christianity","tag-islam","tag-judaism",""],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10351"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10351\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10539,"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10351\/revisions\/10539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wtb.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}