MARCH 26
Birth Anniversary of Zarathustra (Zoroastrianism)
Zarathustra (also called "Zoroaster") lived in Persia sometime between 1500 and 1000 B.C.E. and developed a religion that profoundly influenced the cosmology of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Zoroastrianism focuses on the epic struggle between the forces of good and evil. Although Zarathustra's precise dates are not known, his "birthday" is celebrated on this day, which is part of the Iranian New Year festival.
Recommended Reading:
Richard Foltz's Spirituality in the Land of the Noble: How Iran Shaped the World's Religions traces the history of religion in Iran and observes the ways that other faiths have incorporated many of its beliefs and practices. (Oneworld, Mar.) This month, Knopf releases a paperback version of Paul Kriwaczek's 2003 travelogue In Search of Zarathustra: The First Prophet and the Ideas that Changed the World. In a starred review of the first edition (Jan., 2003), PW called it "the most brilliant and thorough survey of Zoroastrianism, and its prophet Zarathustra, to date." (Knopf, Mar.)
APRIL 6-13
Passover/Pesach (Judaism)
15—22 Nisan 5764
Beginning at sundown on April 5 and continuing for eight days, Passover commemorates the ancient Israelites' hasty and miraculous flight from Egypt. During Passover, Jews around the world have seders, ritual meals that symbolically re-enact various elements of the Exodus. The seder plate includes roasted egg (to symbolize mourning); sweet charoset (symbolizing the brick and mortar used to build the pyramids); a lamb bone (the lamb that was killed in the place of the firstborn son from each Israelite household); and salt water and bitter herbs (the bitter lives of the Hebrew slaves). Throughout the Passover season, Jews eat unleavened bread as a reminder of the abrupt departure from Egypt.
Recommended Reading:
Two hands-on Passover guides promise help with making a more personal, meaningful seder. Rabbi Alan Kay and Jo Kay offer Make Your Own Passover Seder: A New Approach to Creating a Personal Family Celebration, a creative, step-by-step how-to guide written entirely in English and geared for today's families. ( Jossey-Bass, Jan.) In the innovative guide Creating Lively Passover Seders: A Sourcebook of Engaging Tales, Texts & Activities, David Arnow encourages readers to make the seder their own, using Passover as an opportunity to better understand and internalize Judaism, freedom and faith. (Jewish Lights, Mar.)
APRIL 9
Good Friday (Western Christianity)
In the Christian tradition, Good Friday marks the day of Christ's crucifixion and death. Many churches offer Good Friday services all afternoon, with a mood of somber restraint. In some countries, particularly in Eastern Europe, Good Friday is observed with street processionals that mimic the painful road to Calvary.
Recommended Reading:
In a year fueled by the excitement and controversy over Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ, there is no shortage of books on Christ's suffering and death. Tyndale offers the official companion volume to the film, The Passion: Photography from the Movie The Passion of the Christ, with exclusive color stills from the movie and a brief foreword by Gibson. (Tyndale, Mar.) Integrity recently released His Passion: Christ's Journey to the Resurrection, a year-long daily devotional (Integrity, Jan.). And Patrick Ryan provides an enlightening history of Lenten practice in When I Survey the Wondrous Cross: Scriptural Reflections for Lent (Paulist, Jan.).
APRIL 11
Easter (Western Christianity)
Easter marks the dramatic and joyful culmination of the Lenten season for Christians. After a six-week period of sober introspection and remembrance of Christ's suffering, Easter Sunday is a festive celebration of his resurrection from the dead. Since the time of the early church, Easter has been the pivotal observance of the liturgical calendar and a time to celebrate new life. Today, Easter is as much a cultural and commercial observance as a religious one, and vestiges of the holiday's pre-Christian origins as a spring fertility festival are still visible in the form of Easter bunnies and eggs.
Recommended Reading:
It's been the year of the paschal apologists. Lee Strobel argues for the resurrection in The Case for Easter, a journalistic apologia for the historicity of Christianity's foundational miracle. This $2.99 paperback is poised to be the little backlist gem that could. (Zondervan, Feb.) Kregel offers The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, by New Testament scholars Gary Habermas (who is also cited as an expert in Strobel's book) and Michael Licona. (Apr.) On the Catholic front, Gregorian University biblical scholar Gerald O'Collins presents a weighty historical argument for Christ's resurrection in Easter Faith: Believing in the Risen Jesus. (Paulist, Jan.)
MAY 1
Beltane (Wicca)
Flowers and fertility are high on the agenda of this ancient Celtic festival, which ushers in the joys of spring with colorful Maypoles, bonfires and bacchanalian delights. According to folk tradition, revelers who are lucky enough to find a four-leaf clover on this day will be able to claim their heart's true desire.
Recommended Reading:
Llewellyn offers a full-color 2004 Witches' Calendar with notes on various sacred days, herbal lore, astrological data, and significant dates in the history of witchcraft. The back pages of the calendar offer seven articles on Wiccan belief and practice. There's also The Celtic Year: A Celebration of Celtic Christian Saints, Sites, and Festivals by Shirley Toulson. (Vega, Nov. 2003)
