So much is going on in the world of religious celebration, I figured I’d wax philosophical for a moment on the most important factor I have observed in this early stage—decision. It is totally inevitable when trying step back, breathing in the scope of religion; because it is daunting. If one has never really studied religion, they most likely think there are a ridiculous amount of religions, sects of those religions, and various schools of philosophies attached to any one of them. After just a couple weeks into this project, I, who has studied religion at a pretty high clip for the better part of a decade now, am feeling near uncontrollable awe at the vastness of the term “religion”. In regards to OYRH, this represents directly in the form of decision making.
Every calendar I come across is a little different. From Jewish calendar to calendar, Hindu, Baptist, Sikh, Jain, Zoroastrian, you name it, they agree on about half of what they say. I couldn’t pin down sixty-plus percent of Holidays with multiple street teams researching in every country. Because, it comes quite clear after only a few days of research I will have to choose between sects and when, happily celebrating a holiday twice in that makes sense, but I have a caveat. If the choice is between a holiday I have already celebrated and the opportunity to celebrate something new, I have to go with something new. Read More »
The second of April didn’t have any religious holidays for me to officially kick off the project with, but I was able to get into the spirit via a Jewish observation. Something I had been unaware of is that the Jewish calendar is astrologically built and doesn’t follow the Gregorian way of keeping dates at all. So, the Hebrew date is the 23rd of Adar Beit (pronounced “bet”). The second word is like “II”, only applicable during a leap year. Of course citizens will use appropriate calendars for commerce, but the observations and holidays march to the beat of their own drum. “Halleluhu Betoff Umachol
An Arkansas Atheist 