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Happy-Diwali
Happy Diwali!

Happy Diwali!

Today is the first day of Diwali, a five-day celebration of lights and of the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil. Happy Diwali! Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs all over the world celebrate this holiday, each based on their own traditions. Sometimes likened to a “Hindu Christmas” rolled up with a New Year celebration, most scholars believe it originated as a post-harvest festival. In contemporary times, people celebrate Diwali all over the world, wherever Hindus, Jains, or Sikhs have dispersed. It is an important through…

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a round palm branch frames "Happy Sukkot!" the citron, myrtle, and willow artistically round out the four species of tradtion.
Happy Sukkot!

Happy Sukkot!

If it seems to you that there have been a lot of Jewish holidays recently, that’s because there have been. September through October is a busy time of year for our observant Jewish friends and neighbors. Tonight at sundown begins another holiday, one that’s been in preparation since Yom Kippur ended. Happy Sukkot! Also known as the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot is, as one commenter put it, kind of a “picnic holiday,” because you eat outside in a little hut, and may even…

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Rosh Hashanah greetings of Shana Tovah!
Rosh Hashanah greetings

Rosh Hashanah greetings

This post should go live a little before sunset in Kansas City on September 29, 2019, which is the beginning of this year’s Rosh Hashanah celebration, and the start of the year 5780. I’m happy to extend Rosh Hashanah greetings to my Jewish friends! As I understand it, Rosh Hashanah goes for two days, which means this year it will last until sunset on October 1. Shanah Tovah (or Shana Tova, as Tatiana Sidenko’s calligraphic treatment above renders it), means “Have a good year!” This is the first of the…

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with an image of someone meditating in the mountains, I wish you a Happy Paryushan Parva!
Happy Paryushan Parva

Happy Paryushan Parva

Today (at least, by some calendars) culminates Paryushana, the most holy festival of the year for Jains. It is a time for seeking a deeper level of spiritual intensity, through seeking forgiveness, prayer, meditation, and fasting. In honor of the holiday, Happy Paryushan Parva! I have been seeking  greater understanding about participants in many major world religions during the latter part of this summer. I steadfastly believe that only through reaching out and learning about each other can we become truly respectful through greater understanding.  On this…

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