Holy Places Around the world
Holy Places Around The World
Every world religion has many religious sites and locations that are considered holy. Some places are physical features such as a mountain, river, field, etc. Other places are locations of scripture where miracles were performed, birth and death places of important prophets, holy ciites. etc.
Click on the link below to view many of these holy places around the world:
Holy Calendars
Religious Calendars
Universalizing Religions have their own calendars that sometimes use the lunar phases and others use historical calendars.
Baha'i Calendar
Many religious calendars are set on physical features and processes. Ethnic religions use seasonal processes to help harvest, pray, and give thanks to their gods.
Click on the MayaCalendarAudioDescriptionVersion.wmv to explore one of the world's most fansinating calendars.
Let's take a look at some religious calendars practiced throughout the world today:
Jewish Calendar
The Jewish calendar is based on the agricultural seaons in the Holy Land (modern day Israel). The major Jewish holidays are in the Autum season:
-Rosh Hashanah (New Year)
-Yom Kippur (Day of Atonment)
-Sukkot (Gathering of Harvest)
- Pesach (Passover)
- Shavuot ( Feast of Weeks)
Israel uses a Lunar calendar, based on the phases of the moon.
-New Moon = New Month
-Lunar Month = 29 Days
-Lunar Year = 350 Days
-Every 19 years, some months are added to keep the consistency with holidays and growing seasons.
The Solstice
The solstice is a major holiday in Pagan religions. Depending on your geographic location, there are two types of solstice.
The Winter Solstice is on December 21st or 22nd in Northern Hemisphere (opposite in Southern Hemisphere)
The Summer Solstice is June 21st or 22nd in Northern Hemisphere. Many pagan religions used the solstice as a way to praise ancestors for harvest and spring (new planting season). There are many structures that stand today that use the solstice for religious meaning.
Stonehenge in England
Universalizing Religions have their own calendars that sometimes use the lunar phases and others use historical calendars.
Islam
The religion of Islam uses a lunar calendar. According to Islamic beliefs, the Islamic calendar has 30 years cycle, with 19 years, of 354 days. Some cycles have only 11 years with 355 days. This is why Muslim holidays fall into different seasons each generation. One of the main holidays in Islam is Ramadan. During this holiday, Muslims fast during the daylight hours and feast at night. Many Muslims make a pilgrimmage to Mecca during this season.
Baha'i CalendarThe Baha'i calendar consists of 19 months wtih 19 days. There is an additon of four days that create 5 total leap years. Believers of Baha'i believe that the start of the year is the first day of Spring, March 21st. On the first day of each month, believers celebrate the Nineteen Day Feast
Christian Calendars
Many of the Christian holidays are based off of biblical stories and miracles that are recorded in the Bible.
-Easter (Reserrection of Jesus) is the most important holiday in Christianity. It is the first Sunday of the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.
-Christmas (birth of Jesus) is considered to be held during winter conditions but different Christian calendars consider Jesus's birth at different types of the year.
Catholics and Protestants use a Gregorian calendar (normal every day calendar with 12 months with 30-31 days in a month)
Eastern Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar similar to ancient Greeks and Romans.
