A season of holiness: Three major religions observe holidays in Springfield

The holiest season of the year has arrived, and Muslims, Jews, and Christians are gathering to observe the sacred events that define their faith identities.

Members of the community will observe Ramadan, Passover, and Easter Sunday in Springfield through a variety of religious traditions. Here is a look at the practices and stories behind why they celebrate:

Ramadan (Thurs, March 23- Fri, April 21)

The sight of a crescent moon marks the beginning of Ramadan, a time for fasting and prayer in the Islamic community. It is the ninth and most sacred month of the Islamic calendar, which is based on a lunar cycle, so the date it's observed can fluctuate year to year.

Muslims believe the holy book of Koran was revealed to its founder, prophet Muhammad, during the period of Ramadan, so they use the time to cleanse the soul and seek revelation.

"For me, Ramadan is a spiritual boot camp. It's a way to purify our hearts and improve character because you feel the empathy of those in need by fasting," said Driss El-Akrich, a member of the board of the Islamic Society of Greater Springfield.

Fasting begins at sunrise until sundown for 30 days, or until the next sighting of a crescent moon, and Muslims abstain from food, water, and sexual contact throughout its duration. El-Akrich said members typically break the fasts with family every evening throughout the week, but a supper known as ‘Iftar’ is held every Friday and Saturday during Ramadan to break the fast with the broader community.

"This is unique to us because in other places where the community is larger, they do breaking the fast with the community every night," he said. "We have a mosque and a community center here that we just purchased where everybody gets together to break the fast with food from different parts of the world, so it's been a blessing. Springfield has been very welcoming and peaceful for us."

`Delicacies like Briwat, a sweet or savory puff pastry, and Chebakia, a fried flower-shaped sesame cookie that is dipped in honey, are popular to consume during Ramadan. Ramadan began on Thursday March 23 at sunset and will continue until the evening of April 21.

Passover (Wed, April 5 - Thurs, April 13)

Gatherings surround appreciation and reflection on a newfound freedom for eight days during Passover, the most family oriented Jewish holiday.

It commemorates the time that God led the Israelites out of slavery from Egypt through Moses, according to the Hebrew bible.

The traditional part of the holiday begins during the first and second night, when Jews host a ritualized meal at home known as a Passover Seder. At that time, members consume special flatbread called Matzah and four cups of wine or grape juice with bitter herbs.

"Once the good news came about freedom from Egypt, our ancestors had to leave quickly and didn't have enough time for the dough to rise so they took it and put it on their backs which made flat bread. Eating that is the most important part of the holiday," said Rabbi Mendy Turen of the Chabad Jewish Center of Springfield. "On one hand, we’re celebrating our freedom, but we’re also remembering the suffering, so we have bitter herbs. Then we lean when we eat sometimes like royalty, to remember that we’re free."

It's also part of the Passover tradition to fast from leavened bread during the eight days. Turen said the story of freedom is one that Jews keep close to their hearts today.

"We all have different, not necessarily a government or person holding us captive, but things in our lives that are keeping us in some sort of non-physical slavery, and this is the holiday to be freed," he said. "Also when we were freed, we weren't free to do whatever our hearts desired; God gave us the ten commandments to become a nation so we were no longer slaves but servants of God."

While the holiday is family-based, Turen said, some households invite guests over for the seder, which also includes prayer, singing and storytelling. Passover began at sundown on Apr. 5 and concludes at nightfall on April 13.

Holy Week (Sun, Apr 2, 2023 - Sat, Apr 8, 2023)

The week preceding Easter Sunday is the most sacred for members of the Catholic and many other Christian faiths. Both use the time to reflect on the last moments of Jesus' life as he made preparations for death and resurrection.

"It begins on Palm Sunday with the commemoration of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem as people greeted him with palms to welcome him as the king," said Father Daren Zehnle, pastor of St. Augustine parish in Ashland and director of divine worship for the Diocese of Springfield. "On Good Friday, we celebrate his death with a devotion and we fast throughout the day from meat."

Observances of other key moments of Jesus' life are held throughout the week until the final celebration on Sunday for his resurrection. Pastor T. Ray McJunkins of Union Baptist Church said many Christian churches host sunrise services at 6 a.m.

"We use sunrise service to denote that Christ rose at the dawning of a new day and new beginning. We believe the cross is vacant; he's not there; the tomb is empty," he said. "Every church is different, but the objective is to be in worship while the sun comes up. It symbolizes that no matter how sad your Friday may have been as it relates to persecution and crucifixion, there's always a resurrection Sunday morning, which is a new beginning."

El-Akrich said the Springfield area has been a peaceful place to express the freedom of religion.

"Being able to share our traditions with other faiths and churches, synogues, is a blessing and something Springfield should be proud of," he said.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield celebrates Ramadan, Passover, Holy Week 2023