Religious & Cultural Festivals

Observant people may not work during this time and may attend synagogue on Friday night and Saturday morning. There is a special meal on Friday night at the beginning of Shabbat, where family and friends gather, and a key mitzvah (commandment) is that women, particularly mothers, will light the candles with a blessing. There are also prayers before drinking wine and breaking bread (challah). Observance may extend to not turning on devices for communication, cooking or electric lights. This could create difficulties for people accessing appointments or interacting with healthcare staff.

• Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year, is a day of judgement, renewal and spiritual rebirth. It is full of fertility and pregnancy symbolism; miraculous conceptions, labour-like shofar blast (the rams horn blown in synagogue) and a prayer caling it ‘the conception of the world’. The Talmud says God remembered three women who struggled to conceive and it has been suggested that they conceived on this day; Sarah, Rachel and Hannah. Sweet foods are eaten at new year as well as other symbolic ones such as a whole fish with the head on, so you will be ‘at the head of the year’, apples are dipped in honey so you will have a sweet year and seasonal & plentiful fruits and vegetables.

• Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day in the Jewish year. It is a 25-hour fast focused on introspection, repentance and seeking forgiveness. According to Halacha (Jewish law) pregnant women are generally obligated to fast, however, is there is any risk to the mother or baby eating and drinking is permitted. If labour starts on Yom Kippur, due to the law of Pikuach Nefesh (preservation of life), which priorities health and life above all other commandments it is permitted (and required) to seek help, use transportation and eat & drink as necessary. The first 3 days after birth, fasting is not allowed, days 4-7 depending on wellbeing and breastfeeding mothers are allowed to drink small amounts.

• Sukkhot - The feast of Tabernacles (includes Sheimini Atzeret & Simchat Torah), comes five days after Yom Kippur and is a seven-day festival that celebrates the gathering of the harvest and the protection to the children of Israel as they left Egypt. It is a time of gathering, gratitude and shelter. A temporary shelter, sukkah is created outside where all meals are taken during the festival. Sukkot reminds us of the sacred spaces we build in our work, spaces of safety, compassion and respect for women, birthing people and families.

• Chanukah - meaning ‘dedication’ is the Jewish festival of light, and 8 day celebration marking the victory of thee Maccabees over Seleucid empire, the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of the oil. Chanukah normally falls in late November or December. It is celebrated by lighting candles every night on an 9-branched Chanukah, which is traditionally placed in the window, so publicise the miracle to passers-by. In honour of the miracle of the oil, which lasted eight days, when there was only one days supply we eat foods cooked in oil, such as latkes (potato pancakes) and doughnuts. The festival of Chanukah celebrates the miracle of hope, resilience, hope and light even in the darkest times and therefore can resonate with the Jewish community going through difficult times as well as individual women and families.

• Tu Bishvat - ‘New Year for Trees’ Festival is based on an ancient agricultural festival that marks when trees in Israel awake from Winter. It has evolved into a festival with significant themes of environmentalism, nature and the connection to the Land of Israel. Some communities will have a ritual seder meal that involves eating specific fruits that represent the seven species of Israel: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. Some contemporary interpretations connect the holiday to the themes of the sacred feminine - Shekhinah, the Divine Presence. Women may use the holiday to reflect on their own fertility, growth and connection to ‘Mother Nature’.

• Purim - Festival of Lots, Purim features two important female characters, Queen Vashti & Queen Esther and their defiance against the Persian King Ahasuerus of the late 5th century BCE, and triumph over the evil politician Haman who seeks to destroy the Jewish people. It is the most joyous of Jewish festivals and involves fasting, feasting and the giving and receiving of gifts and eating of special foods such as hamantachen - triangular filled pastries thought to represent Haman’s hat or ears.
  Important Considerations for Pregnancy, Birth and New Parents During Purim, or if you’re supporting a Jewish Family on Purim:
  Fasting on Purim (Ta’anit Esther) - The day before Purim (13th of Adar) is a fast day known as Ta’anit Esther. Pregnant and postpartum people (within 30 days of birth) are generally exempt from fasting as Jewish law prioritises maternal and fetal health.
  Dressing up - Many children and adults wear costumes, symbolising the hidden miracles in the Purim story.
  Giving charity - It’s customary to give gifts to those in need (Matanot La’Evyonim), ensuring everyone can celebrate.
  Mishloach Manot (Purim Gift Baskets) - Giving Mishloach Manot is a key Purim custom. Supporting new parents by delivering or helping with these gifts can be a thoughtful way to participate.
  A festive meal - Families gather for a joyous feast (Seudat Purim), with storytelling, laughter, and plenty of delicious food.
  Listening to the Megillah - The Scroll of Esther (Megillat Esther) is read aloud, with lively audience participation - especially making noise to drown out Haman’s name! Listening to the Megillah is an important mitzvah, but it may be too long or noisy for some. Some communities offer quieter readings, and home or hospital readings can be arranged for those who are unable to attend in person.

• Passover - Pesach (Passover) is a major Jewish festival commemorating the Exodus from Egypt — it’s a time of liberation, transition, and transformation and a particularly resonant season for those preparing to give birth.
  If you’re supporting a Jewish woman around this time, here are a few things to be mindful of:
  - Food and dietary restrictions: Many Jewish families follow dietary laws during Pesach, avoiding chametz (leavened foods). This can impact what is available or acceptable to eat in pregnancy or postnatally, especially when appetite or nausea are in play. Be sensitive and ask.
  - Increased household demands: The preparations for Pesach are intensive — deep cleaning, cooking, hosting seders. Pregnant women or new mothers may feel under pressure. Emotional and practical support is essential.
  - Themes of birth and renewal: Pesach celebrates new beginnings and freedom. These themes can hold deep personal meaning for pregnant women or those recovering from birth.
  - Hospital stays: If a woman is in hospital during Pesach, kosher-for-Passover food may need to be brought in from home or arranged through a chaplaincy.
  - Timing: Seders go late into the evening. This may affect rest or routines, particularly with newborns or if a woman is close to labour.

• Shavuot – The Festival of Weeks celebrates harvest of first fruits and commemorates the giving of the Torah and Commandments at Mount Sinai.
  The word Shavuot (or Shavuos) means “weeks.” It celebrates the completion of the seven-week Omer counting period between Passover and Shavuot.
  Shavuot is a two-day holiday & coincides with the date that God gave the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai more than 3,000 years ago. It comes after 49 days of eager counting, as we prepared ourselves for this special day.
  It is celebrated by lighting candles, staying up all night to learn Torah, hearing the reading of the Ten Commandments in synagogue and feasting.
  It is customary to eat dairy foods on Shavuot. Menus range from traditional cheese blintzes and cheesecake to quiches, casseroles and more.
  Some have the custom to decorate their homes (and synagogues) with flowers and sweet-smelling plants in advance of Shavuot.
  As with all religious festivals parents may need appointments changed during holiday periods, and if they are observant might have been up all night studying Torah!

• Tisha B’Av - the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples, along with many other tragedies in Jewish history and includes a day of fasting.
  Jewish law (Halacha) prioritises health, especially during pregnancy and birth. Therefore:
  – Pregnant women may be exempt if fasting poses any risk.
  – If weak, dizzy, or dehydrated, eating and drinking is allowed.
  – Women in labour are fully exempt.
  – No fasting is required in the first 3 days after birth.