Back

As I was preparing for Passover this year, I decided for some reason to set about explaining each of the major Jewish holidays through haiku. I may have been subconciously inspired by having heard of David M. Bader's Haikus for Jews, although I've never read the book.

THE JEWISH HOLIDAYS,
EXPLAINED THROUGH HAIKU
by Craig Fifer
April 2008

Rosh Hashannah
The Jewish new year.
We hope for a bright future.
And we eat sweet foods.


Yom Kippur
Day of atonement.
We deny ourselves and pray.
So we do not eat.


Sukkot
Harvest festival.
Honoring ancient nomads,
We eat out in booths.


Shemini Atzeret
Day after Sukkot.
We don't know exactly why.
Still, can't hurt to eat.


Simchat Torah
Torah starts again.
Words without vowels are hard,
But eating is not.


Chanukkah
Festival of lights.
The oil lasted for eight days,
So we eat fried foods.

Tu B'Shevat
Holiday for trees.
Conveniently, they bear fruit.
And then we eat it.


Purim
Jews survived... again.
Like we needed a reason,
We send snacks around.


Pesach
Recall Exodus.
Fleeing Jews could not bake bread.
So our food is flat.


Lag B'Omer
Break from an old plague.
Since we've been busy mourning,
We should stop to eat.


Shavuot
Torah was given.
Ah, land of milk and honey.
Let us eat dairy.


Tisha B'Av
The Temples were ruined,
This day is quite unlucky.
Best we shouldn't eat.