(ABC4) – Easter, Ramadan and Passover all overlap this month, but many are not familiar with all three of these religious holidays.
Christians, Jews, and Muslims all celebrated in different ways this weekend.
Easter
Easter begins with what is known as Holy Week. Starting with the Sunday before Easter known as Palm Sunday. Christians celebrate this week as a remembrance of Christ’s journey to Jerusalem leading up to his crucifixion on Good Friday and finally, his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Ramadan
Like Easter, the date of Ramadan differs each year. The beginning and end of Ramadan are determined by the sighting of the first crescent of a new moon. This means Ramadan technically can occur any time of the year.
For Muslims across the world, Ramadan is a month-long celebration. It is believed that during this month the first verses of the Quran, Islam’s sacred text were revealed to the prophet Mohammed by God.
During the entire month, Muslims will fast every day from dawn to sunset. Muslims will wake up well before dawn to eat their first meal which will mostly be lots of high-protein foods and as much water as possible. When the evening prayer is made a light meal is then eaten.
At the end of Ramadan, a big three-day celebration called Eid al-Fitr will occur also known as the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. The current Ramadan will go from Friday, April 1 until Sunday, May 1
Passover
For many Jewish people, Passover is a significant holiday that acts as a celebration of when the Hebrews were liberated from slavery in Egypt.
The dates for Passover are chosen basked on the Hebrew calendar, from the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nissan through the 22nd day.
A special dinner is held to recount the story in Exodus. Certain foods are eaten which each symbolize a different part in the story.
This is the first time in 33 years that these three holidays are overlapping.
