Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-10-05
THE UNION AND AMERICAN
THE HEBREW FESTIVALS.
Great Day of AtOnement - Origin

Great Day of ACOnement - origin
and Character of the Festivals.
During the latter days of the month that
has lust closed, and Ia the early part OF
October the Hebrews everywhere eeie-
bra'ed their most important religious festl-
vsls Our Jewish friends having jest OBJ
served their New Year and being at the
commencement Of the October solemnities
we condense from reliable sources a brief
account of the origin and observance OF
these festivals:
Il has been a custom, old as the dawn of
civilization, to celebrate with festive re-
joicings the advent of the new year.
Among all nations, the day from which the
year is reckoned to have commenced is set
apart for public worship and social enjoy
ment Each country, according to its ln>
stitutions, moral, social and religious, OBJ
serves the opening year with great rejoic-
ings and in many Instances with imposing
ceremonies. Chronology and historical
events have much to do with the season IN
which the year is supposed to begin.
Among the ancient Greeks and Romans
the year was supposed to begin with March.
The modern Greeks, Georgians, Armeni-
ans and Russians celebrate their New
Years day on the 18th day OF JAN
uaTy, while all other Christian ma
tioni keep the 1st of January, ac-
cording to the Usherian system of chron-
ology and Gregcrian DEGREES. la Russia,
Greece, Armenia and Moldavia, the new
year is observed with great pomp, attend
cd by impressive ceremonies. The services
in the churches are of the most solemn
character; professions attended by bands
of music parade the principal streets of the
towns and cities, while the people give
themselves up entirely to social enjoy
ments During all these days business is
entirely suspended. 1t was remarked dur
ing the siege of Sahasiopol, that on the
morning of the 18th of January, 1854,
the caunonading by the allies met with no
response from the guns of the besieged.
All was still on the ranparts and in the
towers, and the only answer received
in reply to the deep thunder of
the besiegers' artillery was the
solemn tolling of church bells within the
city. 1t was tue New Years Day of the
Russians-they felt they must keep it, let
events turn as they might We have thus
noted the universally of the custom among
the nations of Europe.
Further back in history the existence of
Grecian civilization, and many centuries
DcAOIb lAOlnlluH lhlO Au6 lOuuudtlOuS Vi lI6
city called Eternal :" nay, even before the
lofty walls of Priam's capital were laid-an
Asian race by the banks of the Jordan and
Arnon; and by the bright waters of Merab,
and on the plains of Mamre, rejoiced to see
the annual return of their Rash HaShdnd,
or ''head of the year" for such is the signi-
ication of the two Hebrew words written
above, and with songs of praise returned
t hanks to the Most High, rejoicing in the
manifestations of Providential care, shown
IN the harvests they had gathered.
Among Asiatic nations the old year died
with the falling leaves, the whitening grass
and fading flowers; the new year began
with the chilling blasts and bare aspects of
nature. Among the Hebrews the begin
ming of their sacred year was on the 26th
day of September. On that day and the
subsequent one, all business was suspended,
and 10 the days of the Temple, solemn Of
feTings of thanksgiving we're made.
More than four thousand years have
rolled away to the irrecallsble past, and
vet we find the descendants of this ancient
people, transferred from their ancestral |
lands to the banks of the Mississippi, pre-
airing to celebrate in the old way, with |
the same religious observances, making
use of the same grand old songs of praise,
used long before Marc sang or Homer re-
cited his rhapsOdies, and in a language,
too, which was the medium of intercourse
between potentates who ruled over en-
pires that persisted more than twenty CEN
turtles ago, leaving only scattered records |
of their existence.
THE FESTIVAL LAST MONTH.
The festival of Rash HGSbdnG or ''head |
of the year, continued two days, begin
ming at shutdown on the evening of the
10Th of September and ending at shutdown
on the 27th. On the Doth no Jew, what |
ever may be his belief, and however lax he
may be in the stated observance of the
synagogue, is so forgetful of the traditions
of his people as to refuse to comply with
customs of co-religionists All business
OF every character was suspended Their
stores and shops, and offices, banks and
counting houses were deserted. At con-
venieuuy early hour our Jewish fellow
citizens resorted to their synagogIes and
Temples. Among the orthodox class the
services we're conducted altogether in
Hebrew. The peculiar institutions imposed |
bV Moses we're explained. The Rabbi Of
tered a prayer in Hebrew, the congregation
responding amen After chanting another
psalm It is the usual custom of the Rabbi
to deliver a discourse in the vernacular of
the congregation, remarkiEg upon the in
stitutious Of their religion, the peculiar
Significance Of the services in Which they
had participated, and enumerating the
various causes for gratitude to the ONE GoD.
With another psalm in Hebrew, and a
short prayer In the vernacuiar, the cOngre-
CATION is dismissed. The synagogues on
these occasions are usually very handsome
ly decorated, and those who understand
the Hebrew language will not fail to per-
ceive about the altar csr'a'n suggestive
and striking sentence me law or the
prophets. o. 80 as cloth he will be
certain 10 -:a embroidered in threads Of
gold no three letters which signify the
TIMETABLE NAME. which no devout He
brew dare pronOunce-JAH, to avoid pro-
nouncing which the Hebrews use the word
Ad0Hd. There are usually two services
during the day; one in the morning, be-
ginning at about ten o'clock, and another
II the evening, beginning about five
o'clock. After the services the remainder
of the time is devoted to vIsitings, con-
gratulations and general rejoicings. Pre-
vious 10, and during this festival, the poor
among the Hebrews, If there are any, are
attended to and supplied. One rsmarks-
bAD AChAhAC VI AAO hOtAdA VI BdulLdAAyL VI
this wonderfully preserved people, is the
fact that public charity is never invoked
to aid or support Jewish paupers.
Rash HGsldHd-' head of the year is
the greatest Of all the Jewish festivals, and
one, too. that is more generally observed
Very few persons who have been raised to
appreciate the traditions of the Hebrew
race, brought up among Jews, have the
hardihoOd to remain away from the synas
gogues and other places of worship on this
day. The various synsgogues throughout
this city were crowded on the 26th and
27th instant By the descendants of the first
civilized race known to history.
Ia ruder age, when men had less RESI-
pect fO- the opinions of his fellows than
now, and when authority claimed obedi-
once, blind and unquestioned, and reason
was subOrdinated to selfish interests and
passions in greater degree than at pres
eut, these festal occasions of the Jews were
used as the opportunity, by their enemies,
to cruelty abuse, and in many instances,
massacre them by the thousands. Thus,
the pages of history for six hundred years
were stained deeply, intellectually, in the
blood of unoffending, bat stern, unyieldlng