Cultural aspects in Christian and Islamic religions - unesdoc - Unesco

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22 Calendars, their Meaning and the Reason why they are Used The rotation of the moon around the earth and the rotation of the earth around the sun provided people with the possibility to calculate time and to divide it into years, seasons, months, days, and hours. The rotation of the moon around the earth provided the rhythmic and clearest visible means to determine months. Yet, people noticed that twelve lunar rotations do not necessarily coincide with the solar year since they only include 354 days and 8 hours whereas the earth needs 365 days and 6 hours approximately to revolve around the sun. This difference led to the setting up of two calendars: one solar and one lunar.
The Solar Calendar The Christian year that we know is either a ‘fixed cycle’ that we follow in a specific ‘calendar’, or a ‘moveable cycle’, which is the ‘liturgical year’. The word ‘calendar’ is derived from the Latin ‘calendarium’. It is found in modern European languages, ‘calendar’ in English, ‘calendrier’ in French, and means ‘ruznamah’ or ‘taqwim’ in Arabic. The Syriac Maronites agreed to use the word ‘Codex’ to signify ‘the catalogue of Holidays throughout the year.’ The word ‘calendar’ means originally ‘the beginning of the month’ and ‘the day when debts are due’ for the Romans. It meant, later on, a division of times and a calculation of moments and what is related to them. This is how all civilizations got, from the beginning, calendars that are specific to them. This was in conformity with the rules of nature, for some followed the solar cycle and some the lunar cycle. The latter lunar cycle is related to a system whose bases are in the solar cycle. Nowadays, we notice a trace of this division in the names given to the days of the week in European languages such as ‘Sonntag’ and ‘Sunday’, literally ‘the day of the sun’. The division of the year into months was influenced by both the solar and lunar systems. Besides, the months of the year were initially not twelve but ten. They started, in the Roman calendar, with March. This calendar was used until 153 B.C. At that point, two months were added and the first day of January became New Year. The first to introduce the solar year into the Roman calendar was Emperor Julius Caesar in 45 B.C. In the Sixth Century, (532 AD) Pope John the First imposed the Anno Domini calendar starting with the year Jesus was born – this date was determined by an Armenian Historian monk, Dennis the Little – all the while preserving the count of the solar Julian calendar. The Syriac civilization, in which the Maronite Church is rooted, used to start its year in October. The word ‘tishrin’ (October) in Syriac is derived from the verb ‘sharu’, i.e. ‘start’. Eastern Churches maintained this tradition in their calendar until they began to follow the Latin calendar, and started their civil year with the first day of January. Syriac Churches maintained the beginning of their liturgical year on the first Sunday of October whereas the liturgical year for the Byzantines starts in September. Although the Church depends on the solar calendar in its liturgical year, it follows the lunar calendar to determine Easter. It is determined on the Sunday following the first full moon after the beginning of spring. Accordingly, in the liturgical periods that are related to this Holiday such as the periods of fasting and Pentecost, we see an ebb and flow as to the determining of Easter Day according to the yearly calendar. After the Julian calendar, Pope Gregory XIII reformed the yearly calendar, which later became known as the Gregorian Calendar, that was put in use as of its publication on February 13, 1582. In 1575, Pope Gregory XIII had formed a committee that determined the differential between the two calendars. The committee reduced the time of 23
Page 2 and 3: UNESCO Regional Office - Beirut Cul
Page 4 and 5: Table of Contents Acknowledgements
Page 6 and 7: The Most Notable Trusted Sheikhs an
Page 8 and 9: Places of Worship .................
Page 10 and 11: institutions; they have made this b
Page 12 and 13: Ever since we started working on th
Page 14 and 15: 14 He may think that Joseph is not
Page 17 and 18: Time: Perceptions and Concepts The
Page 19 and 20: Time in Christianity The Holy Book
Page 21: Moments in the Day It is said that
Page 25 and 26: The Lunar Calendar The Glorious Kor
Page 27 and 28: The Lunar/ Hegira Months The lunar
Page 29 and 30: appearance of grass. Rabi’ al-Aww
Page 31 and 32: Sunday for Christians The liturgica
Page 33: Muslim acts of worship, as mentione
Page 36 and 37: 36 The Liturgical Cycle and Holiday
Page 38 and 39: 38 place of the pagan holiday on Ja
Page 40 and 41: 40 people of Rome who had returned
Page 42 and 43: 42 Santa Claus Ever since the Fourt
Page 44 and 45: 44 and those who are in it, as a si
Page 46 and 47: 46 Carnival The word is derived fro
Page 48: 48 Sundays of Lent Fasting season i
Page 51 and 52: of this Palm Sunday, parents dress
Page 53 and 54: The Rite of Washing of Feet has Two
Page 55 and 56: After Supper, Christ went as usual
Page 57: day is a reminder of the many suffe
Page 60 and 61: 60 The faithful come out of the chu
Page 62 and 63: 62 Chocolate Eggs About a century a
Page 64 and 65: 64 The Exaltation of the Cross On S
Page 66 and 67: 66 Holidays and Special Religious O
Page 68 and 69: 68 Based on the Holy Koran and Prop
Page 70 and 71: 70 ‘Id al-Fitr It is the first da
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72 God, He is free from imperfectio
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74 ‘Id al-Adha Just like ‘Id al
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76 Religious Occasions Al-Mawlid al
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78 Al-Isra’ wal-Mi’raj Al-‘is
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80 ‘Ashura’ The occasion occurs
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82 Remembering Al-‘Awliya’ and
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84 A representation of the healing
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even in the Nestorian Church. It is
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All Saints’ Day On this Holiday,
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the inside and making it immune fro
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John the Baptist (Yahya, A.S.) Chri
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96 Job (Ayyub), A.S. Job for Christ
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98 Saint Georges/ Al-Khidr - For Ch
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100
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102 Birth Bearing children is a mar
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104 Before being immersed in the wa
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106 Communion The newly baptized ta
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108 Marriage and Related Matters Ma
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110 The Wedding Ceremony (The Crown
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112 Annulment of Marriage and Divor
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114 The Marriage Contract Marriage
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116 Polygamy The Koran allows polyg
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118 Death Death is in fact the grea
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120 Praying Upon and Burying the De
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122 Death in Islam Traditions and c
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124 Adoption and Sponsoring of Orph
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126
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128 Prayer Prayer (Salāt) from the
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130 In Islam Salat al-Farida (Oblig
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132 Salat al-‘Idayn (Prayor of th
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134 Holy Mass for Christians (See S
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136 Pilgrimage Pilgrimage is a prac
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138
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140 a kiswa (Kaaba covering) manufa
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142 The Return of Pilgrims of pilg
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144 Repentance indicat
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146 Nashid, Hymns, and Tajwid Music
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148 Incense and Candles Incense and
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150 Prayer Beads (Misbaha) The use
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152
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154 God is omnipresent. Yet, the be
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156 Parts of the church: denominati
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158 The Confessional: At first, ba
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160 In both Catholic and Orthodox t
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162
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164 A mosque includes nine parts or
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166 the minaret of the Dome of the
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168 Monasteries The word ‘monaste
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170 Public and Private Sanctuaries
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172 Hermitages and Cells Ascetics h
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he shrine of Imam Uza’i in Beirut
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176 Husayniyyat These are places th
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178
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180 Garments and Sundry Clothes cha
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182 The Bishop ordains priests at a
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184 small Cross on the lapel of the
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186 Garments and Sundry in Islam Is
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188 The Five-Colors Flag for the Mo
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190 General Customs and Traditions
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192 For Muslims names are special a
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194 Festive Religious Re-Enactments
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196 Lazarite Re-Enactment Lazarus o
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Decorating Homes and Cars There are
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