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Chaplaincy Services
Holy Days, Celebrations
and Observances of
August 2020
Holy Days With No Fixed Date
Eagle Dance Native American
The Native American Eagle dance performed by Indian tribes consists of movements that
emulate an eagle. The dancers are clothed with replications of eagle attire. The performance
includes sequences of songs and dances. In Native American tribes, the eagle has a symbolic
meaning. These Native American tribes believe that the eagle has a spiritual connection to their
prayers.
The Native American tribes that perform the Eagle dance believe that the eagle has the
theoretical ability to move about between heaven and earth. In times gone by, the Native
Americans have believed that the eagle has supernatural powers. Also, these Native American
tribes believe that the eagle has the power to control rain and thunder. Therefore, the Eagle
dance originated as a result of this figurative meaning.
The Native American tribes performed the Eagle dance when there was a need for divine
intervention. Historically, the Native Americans performed the dance for a variety of reasons,
including friendship creation and curing a sickness. They traditionally believed that the eagle
has the supernatural power to transport prayers to the gods.
The Native Americans believe that the eagle symbolizes wisdom, strength and power.
Some tribes believe that the eagle’s flight signifies the passage of the sun’s movements. Eagle’s
feathers are sacred, especially the Golden Eagle and Bald Eagle. Therefore, it is a privilege to
wear the eagle’s feathers. Also, these Native American tribes believe that
the eagle’s feathers should never touch the ground. Moreover, the eagle’s
feathers are used as object decorations in the eagle dance ceremonies.
The performance of the Eagle dance is a depiction of the eagle’s life
cycle from birth to death. In olden times, Native American tribes may have
performed the dance to bring rain for crops. Two central dancers perform
an imitation of the eagle’s movements. Also, a group of male dancers
provide background singing and drum music. However, there is no specific
method to perform the dance. It varies with each tribe. In general, the
dance consists of the eagle’s day to day movements. For instance, the
dancers may perform a replica of the animal’s hunting and feeding
progressions. The dancers make flapping movements to imitate the eagle’s
flight. Photo: Pinterest
ChildrensNational.org/ChaplaincyServicesHopi Snake Dance Every other year in August The Snake Dance is the grand finale
of ceremonies to pray for rain, held by individual Hopi tribes in Arizona every two
years. Hopis believe their ancestors originated in an underworld, and that their gods
and the spirits of ancestors live there. They call snakes their brothers, and trust that
the snakes will carry their prayers to the Rainmakers beneath the earth. Thus the
Hopi dancers carry snakes in their mouths to impart prayers to them.
The ceremonies, conducted by the Snake and Antelope fraternities, last 16
days. On the 11th day preparations start for the Snake Dance. For four days, snake
priests go out from their village to gather snakes. On the 15th day, a race is run,
signifying rain gods bringing water to the village. Then the Antelopes build a kisi, a
shallow pit covered with a board, to represent the entrance to the underworld. At
sunset on the 15th day, the Snake and Antelope dancers dance around the plaza, stamping on the
kisi board and shaking rattles to simulate the sounds of thunder and rain. The
Antelope priest dances with green vines around his neck and in his mouth—just as the Snake priests
will later do with snakes.
The last day starts with a footrace to honor the snakes. The snakes are washed and deposited
in the kisi. The Snake priests dance around the kisi. Each is accompanied by two other priests: one
holding a snake whip and one whose function will be to catch the snake when it’s dropped. Then
each priest takes a snake and carries it first in his hands and then in his mouth. The whipper
dances behind him with his left arm around the dancer’s neck and calms the snake by stroking
it with a feathered wand. After four dances around the plaza, the priests throw the snakes to the
catchers. A priest draws a circle on the ground, the catchers throw the snakes in the circle, the
Snake priests grab handfuls of them and run with them to turn them loose in the desert. Photo: Steve
Streadbeck Sculptures
Hopi Flute Dance Every other year in August Like the Hopi Snake Dance, the Flute Ceremony takes
place over a nine-day period in the summer on the mesas of northeastern Arizona, where the Hopi
Indians live. The two events take place on an alternating basis, with the Snake Dance occurring one
year and the Flute Ceremony the next. The purpose of the latter is to encourage rainfall and
promote the growth of corn, which is the primary food of the Hopi nation.
The Flute Ceremony takes place in the ancestral rooms of the Flute clan. It begins with a
procession into the pueblo led by the clan’s chief, who is followed by the Flute boy in his white
ceremonial kilt, with a Flute girl on either side wearing feathers in their hair and two white blankets,
one of which serves as a skirt.
Many of the rites involved in the Flute Ceremony are actually pantomimes of
what the Hopis want their gods to do. For example, the priest may scatter meal on
the ground or around the flute altar in imitation of falling rain. Pouring water into
the bowl that sits in front of the altar from the six cardinal directions of the world
(north, south, east, west, up, down) shows the gods that the priest wants them to
send rain from six different directions. Blowing clouds of smoke on the altar shows
that he wants rain clouds to appear. And a bullroarer, an instrument that makes
a whizzing sound when swung in circles overhead, is used to imitate the sound of
thunder. Photo: Amazon.comHoly Days With Fixed Date
August 1 Lammas Lammas is one of the four “Greater Sabbats,” making it one of the most
important days on the Wiccan Wheel of the Year. It is the cross-quarter day between the Summer
Solstice and the Autumn Equinox, and it marks the beginning of the harvest season. Though it’s often
the hottest part of the Summer, this is also the moment when the first hints of Autumn are
perceptible—the first grains are ready to be harvested, the trees begin dropping their fruits, and
the ever-shortening daylight becomes more apparent with each sunset. At this time we give thanks
for the abundance of the past growing season and look forward to the remaining weeks of light and
warmth as we continue reaping what we have sown.
Wiccan mythology holds that the God’s power begins to wane at this time, as the days grow
shorter and the crops are ready to be cut down. In some traditions, the Sun God actually infuses the
grain with his power, and so is sacrificed, in a sense, when the grain is harvested. This grain is then
used to bake the first bread from the year’s crop, which in earlier times would then be taken to a
church and laid on the altar to be blessed. This custom is a good example of how pagan religions
and Christianity were able to coexist and even commingle for a time. The name “Lammas” actually
comes from this tradition, taken from an old Anglo-Saxon phrase meaning “loaf mass.”
Lammas rituals are related to harvest and gratitude, and recognizing the manifestations of our
intentions that have unfolded so far during the course of the year. Bread-making is a common way
to mark the holiday, as it represents bringing the seeds of intention into full fruition. People also might
make a corn dolly—a traditional poppet made from straw—for use in ritual and magic. Decorate your
altar with the colors of summer and fall—yellow, orange, red, green and brown. Use harvest imagery
like scythes and baskets and, of course, loaves of bread. A Lammas feast should definitely involve
bread, as well as late-summer fruits and vegetables, corn, and other grain dishes. Spellwork related to
securing abundance and a happy home is particularly powerful at this time.
Another name for Lammas is Lughnasa, after the ancient Celtic festival
celebrated on this date. Lughnasa honors the god Lugh, who is associated with
the Sun (his name translates roughly as “shining one”) as well as many skills and
talents, including building, smithcraft, poetry and magic. Irish legend has it that
the festival originated with Lugh himself, when he held a funeral feast and
sporting competition to honor his foster mother, Tailtiu. She had died from ex-
haustion after clearing the plains of Ireland so the people could grow crops. Lugh
was also a great warrior, and many Pagan groups celebrate this holiday with
competitive games in addition to harvest-related festivities. Wiccans and other
Pagans who follow Celtic traditions may focus their celebrations on giving thanks
for their skills and talents as well as for the grain harvest, but the emphasis is on
gratitude all the same. Photo: whisperingearth.co.uk
August 1 Fast in Honor of Mary the Holy Mother Orthodox Christian Jesus’s mother Mary is a major
figure for most of the world’s 2 billion Christians who are either Catholic or Eastern Orthodox,
however, Eastern Christians have a more extensive and enduring tradition of fasting throughout the
Christian year. In the opening 14 days of August, Orthodox Christians look ahead to the August 15
Great Feast of the Dormition (or the “falling asleep” or death) of the Theotokos. The title Theotokos
refers to Jesus’s mother and is Greek for “birth-giver” or “bearer of God.”Unlike Western Christians, observant Orthodox families spend a little over half of each year
living with some form of dietary limitation, described in general as fasting. The two-week fast in early
August is sometimes called the Dormition Fast and bars consumption of red meat, poultry, dairy
products including eggs, fish, oil and wine.
August 3 Raksha Bandhan Hindu Raksha Bandhan, also abbreviated to Rakhi, is the Hindu festival
that celebrates brotherhood and love. It is celebrated on the full moon in the month of Sravana in the
lunar calendar. The word Raksha means protection, whilst Bandhan is the verb to tie. Traditionally,
during the festival sisters tie a rakhi, a bracelet made of interwoven red and gold threads, around
their brothers’ wrists to celebrate their relationship.
Today the festival has developed with others joining in the festivities: Priests tie rakhis around
the wrists of congregation members. Rakhis are often shared between close friends. Women tie
rakhis around the wrists of the prime minister. Rakhis are tied around the wrists of soldiers.
It is believed that when a woman ties a rakhi around the hand of a man it becomes obligatory
for him to honor his religious duty and protect her. Traditional stories state that rakhis are blessed
with sacred verses and are encompassed by them. Sometimes rakhis are consecrated in rice and
grass before they are given, and they are traditionally tied by people familiar with the Vedas.
Following these customs the rakhi is believed to remove sin from one hand and provide safety to the
other. The protection offered by a rakhi is believed to remain for a year.
As the rakhi is tied, a prayer is offered asking for happiness and prosperity.
Today rakhis are often decorated with multi-colored silk thread, and often adorned with
stones and beads. Once the rakhi has been tied a mantra is chanted either in Sanskrit or Punjabi.
At the end of the ceremony the sister places a sweet in her mouth. Following this her brother gives
her a small monetary gift of appreciation.
This festival has evolved over the years to encompass the importance of many people in
Hindu society, yet foremost it continues to honour and uphold the relationship between a sister and
brother.
August 6 Transfiguration of Jesus Orthodox Christian The event of the Transfiguration is recorded
in three of the four Gospels: Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-8, and Luke 9:28-36. Jesus took the Apostles
Peter, James, and John with Him up upon a mountain, and while they were on the mountain Jesus
was transfigured. His face shone like the sun, and His garments became glistening white.Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ, talking to Him. Peter declared how good it was for
them to be there and expressed the desire to build three booths for Moses, Elijah, and Christ. This
reference to the booths could imply that this occurred during the time of the Feast of Tabernacles
when the Jews would be camping out in the fields for the grape harvest; for this Feast had acquired
other associations in the course of its history, including the memory of the wanderings in the
wilderness recorded in the Old Testament book of Exodus.
While Peter was speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them. A voice came from the cloud
saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” When the disciples heard
this they fell on their faces filled with awe. Jesus came to them and told them to not be afraid. When
the three looked up they saw only Jesus.
As Jesus and His disciples came down the mountain, He told them not to speak of what they
had seen until He had risen from the dead.
Icon of the Feast: In the icon of the Feast of the Transfiguration, Christ is the
central figure, appearing in a dominant position within a circular mandorla. He is
clearly at the visual and theological center of the icon. His right hand is raised in
blessing, and his left hand contains a scroll. The mandorla with its brilliant colors
of white, gold, and blue represent the divine glory and light. The halo around the
head of Christ is inscribed with the Greek words O on, meaning “The One Who is”.
Photo: geoarch.org
August 9 World Indigenous Peoples Day On 23 December 1994, the United Nations General
Assembly decided, in its resolution 49/214, that the International Day of the World’s Indigenous
People shall be observed on 9 August every year. The date marks the day of the first meeting, in
1982, of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations.
On this day, people from around the world are encouraged to spread the UN’s message on
the protection and promotion of the rights of indigenous peoples.
Events at the UN headquarters in New York include messages from high-level UN officials,
governments, indigenous peoples and other key leaders; performances by indigenous artists; and
panel discussions on emerging issues. Other events are also held worldwide to celebrate the day.
August 11 Krishna Janmashtami Hindu This is one of the most important Hindu festivals,
Janmashtami (Krishna Jayanti) is the birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth reincarnation of Lord
Vishnu who gave the vital message of the Bhagwat Gita - the guiding principles for every Hindu.
Across India, there will be ceremonies and prayers at temples dedicated to Krishna. The day
before may consist of fasting and prayer up to midnight, the time at which it was said that Krishna
was born.
Krishna was born in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. In this region, a common tradition is the
performance of Krishna Lila, a folk drama consisting of scenes from Krishna’s life.
Many customs have developed in the different parts of India, all based on stories from
Krishna’s life. For instance, it is said that as a boy, Krishna loved butter and milk so much that they had
to be kept out of his reach. This story is reflected in many climbing games for children.In Tamil Nadu, oiled poles with pots of money tied to the top are set up. Boys dressed as Krishna
then try to climb these poles to get the money while onlookers squirt water at them.
In Maharashtra, where the festival is known as Govinda, pots containing buttermilk are
suspended high over streets. Teams of boys then form human pyramids competing against
each other to see who can break the most pots.
Many colorful legends tell of Krishna’s life and he is a
prominent figure in Hindu writings. As a child, he is noted for his pranks
such as the aforementioned butter stealing and images of him as a
child often show him dancing joyously and holding a ball of butter in
his hands. As an adult, he is most commonly depicted as a dancer or
a lover, often playing the flute and surrounded by adoring women. In
one story, it is said that defeated the many-headed serpent Kaliya by
dancing it into submission.
Janmashtami is celebrated with great enthusiasm by Hindus across the Indian
subcontinent and beyond.
August 13 - 15 Obon Buddhist The Obon festival is one of Japan’s largest and most significant religious
events. This is a Buddhist custom honoring the spirits of one’s ancestors, which is why it is also known as
the festival of the dead or the festival of souls.
It would be unusual for a Buddhist festival not to have a monk-based legend and Obon doesn’t
disappoint. In this case, the festival is based on a legend about a Buddhist monk called Mogallana. The
story goes that Mogallana could see into the afterlife, and saved his deceased mother from going to
hell by giving offerings to Buddhist monks. Having gained redemption for his mother, he danced in
celebration, joined by others in a large circle. This dance is known as the Bon Odori dance.
Probably the closest equivalent in the west is Halloween, but the big difference here is that the
spirits aren’t to be frightened away. The Buddhist custom is that the spirits of ancestors come out on
Obon to visit their families, so they are welcomed with the Bon Odori dance and traditional meals are
prepared for the spirits. The spirits are then guided home, sometimes with paper lanterns to light their
way.
August 15 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin/Dormition of the Theotokos Catholic/Orthodox Christian
The two events are similar between the east and west, but each community holds to a
slightly different accent of importance. The Dormition - or falling asleep/death - of Mary, the theotokos
is especially esteemed in the Orthodox tradition. While, for western Catholics the focus is upon her
Assumption into heaven upon her death.August 22 Ganesh Chaturthi Hindu 10-day festival marking the birth of the elephant-headed
deity Ganesha, the god of prosperity and wisdom. It begins on the fourth day (chaturthi) of the
month of Bhadrapada (August–September), the sixth month of the Hindu calendar.
At the start of the festival, idols of Ganesha are placed on raised platforms in homes or in
elaborately decorated outdoor tents. The worship begins with the pranapratishtha, a ritual to
invoke life in the idols, followed by shhodashopachara, or the 16 ways of paying tribute. Amid the
chanting of Vedic hymns from religious texts like the Ganesh Upanishad, the idols are anointed
with red sandalwood paste and yellow and red flowers. Ganesha is also
offered coconut, jaggery, and 21 modaks (sweet dumplings), considered to
be Ganesha’s favorite food.
At the conclusion of the festival, the idols are carried to local rivers
in huge processions accompanied by drumbeats, devotional singing, and
dancing. There they are immersed, a ritual symbolizing Ganesha’s
homeward journey to Mount Kailas—the abode of his parents, Shiva and
Parvati.
August 28 Ashura Islam Āshūrā, Muslim holy day observed on the 10th of Muharram, the first
month of the Muslim calendar (Gregorian date variable). The term is derived from the Arabic
word for the number ten. The word Muharram itself derives from the Arabic root one of whose
meanings is “forbidden”. Traditionally, Muharram was one of the four sacred months when
fighting was not allowed.
Fasting on Āshūrā was the norm in early Islamic society, and the Prophet Muhammad
himself fasted on this day. Later in his life, however, Muhammad received a revelation that
caused him to make adjustments in the Islamic calendar. With these, Ramadan, the ninth month,
became the month of fasting, and the obligation to fast on Āshūrā was dropped.
Among Sunnis, Āshūrā is commemorated as the day that Allah parted the Red Sea for
Moses (Mūsā) and his followers to escape from the pharaoh.
For the Shi’ah, the 10th of Muharram is the day on which Al-husayn ibn ‘Alī, the Prophet’s
grandson by his daughter Fātimah and his son-in-law ‘Ali and most of his small band of followers
were killed by Umayyad forces in the Battle of Karbala (October 10, 680). Across the Shi’i world,
believers annually commemorate his martyrdom. Preachers deliver sermons, recount the life of
Husayn and the history of the battle, and recite poetry commemorating Husayn and his virtues.
Passion plays and processions are also staged.
It is important to be sensitive to the different meanings ascribed to this day for the two
communities of Islam: Sunni and Shi’ah.Resources for this newsletter include: theclassroom.com, encyclopedia2.com, wiccaliving.com, bbc.co.uk,
geoarch.org, un.org, officeholidays.com, britannica.com. Pictures are from the subscription service
Shutterstock unless otherwise identified.
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Chaplaincy Staff: NOT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE:
Rev. Kathleen Ennis-Durstine, room 4201, x.3321 Catholic Mass is held Thursday at noon
Rev. Eliezer Oliveira, habla Espanol, room 4115, x 5050 and Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Main
Rev. Matthew Schlageter, room 4115, x 6736 Chapel, third floor Main, room 3201.
Rev. Lavender Kelley, room 4115, x 4638
Rev. Bryan Baker, room 4115, x 2626 Jummah Prayer is held Friday at 12:15
p.m. in the Main Chapel, third floor Main,
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