Major religions celebrate holy days

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By Mary Louise Speer | Thursday, December 21, 2006 1:11 AM CST | () comments

Most people are familiar with the season of Christmas.

“The season is special to those of us who are Christian but you may not realize it is a holiday for two other major religions,” said Chaplain Lynn Batcher, director of pastoral care at Trinity Medical Center.

The department hosted an educational holiday program this week that highlighted the holy days of Eid Al-Adha and Hanukkah at the West Campus in Rock Island.

On Dec. 31, the Muslim community will observe Eid Al-Adha, a day that marks the end of pilgrimages made by the faithful to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Muslims go on major pilgrimages, or Hajj, to the holy city as part of the Five Pillars of their faith. The month of Dhu al-Hijjah brings the time for these journeys of faith.

“Islam is an Abrahamic faith and they have a strong belief in Abraham and Abraham’s descendants,” said Malek Abdel-Fattah of Rock Island. Abraham is also known as the Prophet Ibrahim and his son, Ishmael, is the forefather of the Arab peoples.

Those ties encompass the Jews who are descendants of Abraham’s son, Isaac, and Christianity with its ties to the Jewish tradition.

Certainly growing up in a country where Christmas is so visible can be perplexing for Muslim children, he said. Children may wonder why their family does not put up a Christmas tree. But parents can use those questions as an opportunity to talk about their faith and why they follow the teachings of the Quran, or Muslim holy book, he said.

The date Eid falls on varies from year to year. The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle and in 2008, the day will be commemorated on Dec. 20, he said

Muslims gather together on Eid Al-Adha, dressed up for the occasion and pray together in community. Those prayers are rooted in unity and peace, he said.

People in the United States are welcome to greet their Muslim friends with Happy Eid, he said. In the Middle East, people may exchange greetings in Arabic of “Upon you be peace” and “May you be well year by year.”

Nir Zernyak, the Israeli volunteer at the Jewish Federation of the Quad-Cities, is learning all about the Jewish-American celebration of Hanukkah this year. “I am not a religious Jew. At least 60 percent of the people in Israel are secular Jews,” he said.

Hanukkah commemorates the miracle that kept a tiny amount of oil burning for eight days in the Temple. But Zernyak appreciates the story behind the miracle even more.

The Greek-Syrian Empire muscled its way into Israel and took control. A man named Matthias and later his son, Judah, led the Maccabees in opposing the invaders. Eventually the Maccabees won independence in 165 B.C., Zernyak said.

The city desk can be contacted at (563) 383-2450 or newsroom@qctimes.com.

holiday quiz

Christians attending the holiday program were quizzed on their knowledge of how well they know the nativity story. Question 11 asked whether the wise men brought a casserole or gifts of frankincense, myrrh and gold.

“According to Garrison Keillor, if Lutherans (or Baptists) had been coming to visit it would have been a casserole and baby clothes, and they would have cleaned up afterward,” quipped Chaplain Lynn Batcher, director of pastoral care at Trinity Medical Center.