A Season of Holy Days, by Revs Tovis and Terri

As we enter the month of October, the days grow shorter; deciduous trees begin to shed their leaves; and there is a coolness in the air at night. It is autumn. This year our attention is rightly focused on the approaching election, the war spreading in the Middle East, the devastation of yet another record breaking hurricane in the southeast, and all the other things vying for our attention and care. And still, the Earth turns. The seasons change. And just as people have done for thousands of years before us, we enter a time of holidays.

The three months that end the year are a season of Holy Days, for all the major religious traditions but Islam. (Muslims will celebrate major days of repentance and reflection on Feb. 14th and nearly the whole month of March in 2025.) We want to invite the community to pause a moment and think of these holidays as a package, to draw our attention to the linkages, themes that connect us across all faith traditions (and even those with no faith at all). It’s so easy to get caught up in the busyness of the holiday season, and the long to-do list, and to miss the point that…the point is not exhaustion. On the contrary, Holy Days are meant to give us pause so we can reflect, connect and deepen.

In our reading of all the approaching holidays, the primary collective point is ‘Right Relationship’: between ourselves and others, between ourselves and the world, and between ourselves and a higher power or personal code of ethics, however we define it.

In this season, rituals are about reflection, sometimes focused by fasting, that ask us to identify and name what might not be healthy in these various forms of relationship and where repair and renewal may be needed. Our Soul Matters theme for the month of October is deep listening: many of the approaching holidays ask us to listen deeply to our souls, our consciences, our lives, our world and our sources of wisdom. Holidays this time of year invite us to make amends and to get our lives and relationships back on track. In this way, the holidays share a common theme of renewal. Renewal happens naturally in seasonal cycles, even if we don’t work at it, but isn’t it better if we do?

Another theme across many of the holidays is good vs. evil, and the idea that good wins out eventually, that even if we find ourselves stuck in the desert with no idea where we are exactly headed, or called to a census in some far off place while pregnant on a donkey, that our needs will eventually be met, that everything will be alright at the end of the chapter.

It’s about noticing exemplars, ancestors, and saints of all kinds that were also human but managed extraordinary things (or maybe just one extraordinary thing, like being the best grandparent ever) and those among us that barely have the bandwidth for another day, to whom we offer hope and charity. Taking a moment to reflect on those who are more ordinary, in families and communities, and recognize that community too, has power.

As we enter the Season of Holy Days, may we be open to the spiritual reminder that reflection is necessary for spiritual growth and renewal. In the busyness of the season, may we take gifts of pause, and give gifts of attention, to the things that matter more than feasts and presents and even ritual. What matters most is the work (sometimes hard) to be done inside each of us and in between us, in cycles of time. This is the spiritual depth that calls us all.

The Season of Holy Days

Many of the following celebrations are tied to the position of the moon instead of a specific date, so the dates we share below are for 2024. Because many of these traditions are not our own, we did our best to describe them accurately and briefly, with the caveat that all these celebrations are of course more complex than presented here. Let us know if we got something wrong about YOUR tradition!

October 3 – Navratri

This ten-day Harvest Festival is Hindu and is observed by a period of fasting. It’s a celebration of Good over Evil and of the Divine Feminine. Each day a new goddess is worshiped, a specific scripture is reflected upon.

October 2 – The Jewish High Holy Days, often called the Days of Awe, begin.

These days feature charitable deeds, and seeking right relationship between ourselves, God, and others. It is a period of repentance, deep reflection, and renewal. The Days of Awe begin with Rosh Hashanah (Oct 2‒4), the Jewish New Year, which commemorates the creation of the world and affirms that only God is God. These are days of rest (no work). The Days of Awe conclude on October 11‒12 with Yom Kippur. These are also days of rest. Yom Kippur is focused on atonement; having made amends to God and each other, a ritual forgiveness is granted, and names are sealed into the Book of Life once again.

October 16‒23 – Sukkot

This Jewish celebration has a spirit of joy and happiness. Many practicing Jews dwell in a Sukkah (look it up!) to celebrate God’s sheltering, and the ways God met the needs of ancestors who traveled from Egypt (slavery) to the promised land. Sukkot includes a ritual reminder that all Jewish people share this heritage, and are one body.

Oct. 31‒Nov. 4 – Diwali

Diwali is the Hindu Festival of Lights symbolizing the fight of good over evil and its victory. Diwali is celebrated by Sikhs, Hindus, Jains, and mostly Newar Buddhists.

October 31‒November 3 – Samhain, All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day, Dio de los Muertos

On October 31‒November 1, the Pagan holiday of Samhain recognizes the time when the “veil” between the world of the living and the world of the dead is thinnest. On November 1st, the Christian holiday of All Saints’ Day honors all holy people who are recognized as exemplars by Christian communities in formal or informal ways. November 2nd is All Souls Day, also called the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed in Christianity. In Mexico and in Mexican American communities, El Dio de los Muertos is a multi-day holiday in early November honoring loved ones who have died.

November 5 - U.S. Election Day

Just thought we would throw this one in here. Our deeply democratic Unitarian Universalist tradition places a high value on democracy, and the UUA lifts up democracy as one tool of justice. Democracy only works when we vote!

November is an important month for the Baha’i faith. November 3 honors its founder, Baha’u’llah, remembering the ways he challenged people to fight back against racial prejudice and to be one human family. On November 25 Baha’is observe the Day of the Covenant and a reaffirmation of the commitment to safeguard the faith from any division. November 27, the Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha, honors the day that Abdu’l-Baha, the Servant of Baha, died. His funeral was attended by over 10,000 people of different religious backgrounds.

December 8 – Bodhi Day

This Buddhist holiday commemorates the day that Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment (“bodhi” in Sanskrit and Pali). This holiday is also celebrated on the lunar date, which was January 18, 2024, and will be January 7, 2025

December 21 to January 1 – Yule

Pagans and Wiccans celebrate the winter solstice during this winter festival, celebrating the imminent return of light and warmth.

December 25 – Christmas

Coming at the end of the season of Advent, Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. (Jesus was more likely born in the Spring, but never mind.)

December 25 - January 2 – Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a minor Jewish holiday that commemorates a story of victory against all odds and the miracle of light.

December 26 - January 1 – Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa celebrates African heritage and African-American culture. It lifts up unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith (a belief in righteousness and that the struggle for liberation is just).