Jewish Holidays

Upsherin is a Jewish ritual in which a child, usually a boy, experiences his first haircut at age three. Upsherin parties are a way to celebrate a young child's first step into formal education and aging.

There are some specific rules governing Bat Mitzvah etiquette for gift giving that you should know before you choose a gift.

Along with the most commonly celebrated holidays of Christmas and Chanukah, parents and older family members might find themselves besieged with questions from kids about the story of Chanukah and Christmas. Here's a quick guide to fielding those questions.

The feast of Purim came about because one of the mitzvot (commandments) of Purim is to eat a great meal together and celebrate with food and drink.

What is Yom Kippur? Yom Kippur translates to "Day of Atonement" and is the most significant holiday of the Jewish calendar.

If you've been invited to a Bar Mitzvah, and you've never been to one, don't worry. There's a few things to know about proper Bar Mitzvah etiquette and the experience will be interesting, moving and fun.

A Bar Mitzvah ceremony is a Jewish rite of passage for a 13-year-old boy. The ceremony takes place in Synagogue and shows that the boy is old enough to accept the obligations of the commandments. After this important moment, family and friends gather for a celebration.

In preparing a Seder meal, certain symbolic and traditional items must be on the Seder Plate, to eat or show at the designated time during the Seder. Variations are acceptable and can make a traditional meal interesting and different, as long as you always avoid chametz.

At the Passover meal, traditionally the meal is eaten and the story of Passover told in a certain order, called a Seder. The word "Seder" means "order" and refers to the steps of the order of the Seder meal itself.

No matter how many people will attend your Passover Seder, certain symbolic and traditional items are necessary to have on hand, ready for the designated time during the Seder. With the right preparation, Passover Seders can be a wonderful and meaningful time for everyone.

It is customary to fete the special occasion with Bar Mitzvah gifts. When a young man celebrates his Bar Mitzvah - or a young woman celebrates the feminine equivalent Bat Mitzvah - there is a pledge to learning and growing under the philosophies of the Torah. It is a monumental occasion for a youngster taking his first steps into adulthood. 

When Jewish girls are age 12 or 13, many will participate in a Jewish milestone, a Bat Mitzvah ceremony. "Bat Mitzvah" in Hebrew means "daughter of the Commandments." It represents the idea that a girl of this age is old enough to accept the obligation to keep the Commandments as is an adult.

The Passover Seder is designed with children in mind. The Four Questions, in fact, are specifically assigned to the youngest child present who is able to recite them. In history, children's questions were always encouraged because the Seder is meant to be for teaching children, and each other, the meaning of freedom and gratitude.

A Seder plate is central to the Passover Seder. It sits as the centerpiece of the table, and is referred to a number of times during the Seder itself.

A symbolic element of the two Passover meals, known as Seders, is the four cups of wine. Wine, in Jewish tradition, is a symbol of joy, but the four cups of wine at the Passover Seder have additional meanings.

Learning a Torah portion in preparation for Bar Mitzvah requires that several key things be mastered: knowing the Hebrew words well enough to read from Torah without vowel symbols or help with pronunciation; learning the Trope; and knowing the translation of the words being chanted. It sounds like a lot, right?

When looking for Bat Mitzvah dresses, you want something that will be versatile so your daughter can wear it to the ceremony and then modify it a bit for a less formal luncheon.

One of the details involved in planning a Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration is choosing Bar Mitzvah party favors to give each guest as thanks for coming. There are plenty of choices out there. If the Bar Mitzvah youth is having a party for his peers, you may also want a separate (or additional) party favor for those friends. Here are some ideas to get you started thinking.

Understanding the Passover traditions and history, along with the meaning of each of the 15 steps, can make the festival even more memorable.

Bat Mitvah speeches from parents are one of the high points of the occasion. Use these tips to craft a meaningful and memorable speech.