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EveryParampara

Traditions of Jerusalem

A city holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims, where Shabbat, the Via Dolorosa and the call to prayer meet within a few streets.

Jerusalem is sacred to three faiths. Jews pray at the Western Wall, Christians walk the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and Muslims pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. The city is also a place of daily life for many communities, with their own food, dress and calendars.

Jerusalem: Dome of the Rock seen from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem Jerusalem
Photo: askii, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Three faiths, one city

On Friday evening Shabbat begins with candles and a procession of families to the Western Wall. On Good Friday and at Easter, Christians from many churches walk the old streets, and at Orthodox Easter the Holy Fire ceremony fills the Sepulchre. In Ramadan, Muslims gather for night prayers, tarawih, and the call to prayer sounds from many minarets.

At the table

The Old City souks sell falafel, hummus, knafeh and fresh bread with za'atar. Shabbat tables have challah, cholent and fish. The Armenian Quarter has its own food and ceramics, and the Christian Quarter serves ma'amoul at Easter. Coffee with cardamom is poured in every quarter.

Signature traditions of Jerusalem

Via DolorosaThe route of the Passion.Holy FireThe Orthodox Easter ceremony.

Also part of it, and being written: Shabbat (The Jewish day of rest.), Hummus (The chickpea dish.), Tarawih (Ramadan night prayers.).

A trail idea for Jerusalem

  1. Western Wall Visit on Friday evening to see Shabbat begin.
  2. Church of the Holy Sepulchre Visit at dawn.
  3. Mahane Yehuda Market Buy challah before Shabbat.
About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

KindSpiritualFestivalRite of passageTable customSeasonalDressPerformanceEtiquetteCraftGameFolkloreHomeCeremony
MealBreakfastLunchDinnerSupperTea-time and snacking customsTea, coffee and drinking ceremoniesSweets given and sharedFeasts and festival mealsFasting and breaking the fast
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelPassoverืคืกื— A Jewish spring festival celebrating freedom from slavery with ritual mealsSpiritual ยท Dinner ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreHanukkahื—ึฒื ึปื›ึธึผื” An eight-day Jewish festival marking the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of a single day'Festival ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelYom Kippurื™ื•ึนื ื›ึดึผืคึผื•ึผืจ The holiest day in Judaism, dedicated to fasting, prayer and atonementSpiritual ยท Fasting and breaking the fast ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelSukkotืกื•ื›ื•ืช A seven-day autumn Jewish festival of temporary booths, harvest prayers and hospitalitySpiritual ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 1 morePurimืคึผื•ึผืจึดื™ื A lively Jewish festival of storytelling, shared food, masks and charityFestival ยท Feasts and festival meals ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland and 1 moreMarch of the LivingMarsz ลปywych (Polish) ยท ืžืฆืขื“ ื”ื—ื™ื™ื (Hebrew) An annual two-week journey to Poland ending in a silent walk from Auschwitz to BirkenauCeremony ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreHoly Fireแผ‹ฮณฮนฮฟฮฝ ฮฆแฟถฯ‚ A fire ceremony in Jerusalem each year, kept by Orthodox Christians before EasterSpiritual ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Israel and 3 moreDreidelื“ืจืฒื“ืœ (Yiddish); ืกื‘ื™ื‘ื•ืŸ (Hebrew) A four-sided top spun for small stakes, most often by Jewish families at HanukkahGame ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreTisha B'Avืชืฉืขื” ื‘ืื‘ A solemn fast day in July or August to mourn the destruction of the Jerusalem Temples and other Jewish tragedies.Spiritual ยท Fasting and breaking the fast ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 2 moreMezuzahืžึฐื–ื•ึผื–ึธื” (mezuzah) A parchment scroll with Hebrew verses placed in a case on the doorposts of Jewish homes.Spiritual ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelShavuotืฉื‘ื•ืขื•ืช A late-spring Jewish festival of the wheat harvest and the giving of the TorahSpiritual ยท Feasts and festival meals ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 5 morePresentation of Jesus at the TempleIn praesentatione Domini A February feast of candles and welcome, kept forty days after ChristmasSpiritual ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States and 2 moreMartin Luther King Jr. Day An American federal holiday honouring the civil rights leader with service and remembranceCeremony ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelPassover Sederืกื“ืจ ืคืกื— A ritual meal opening Passover, told over wine, matzah and symbolic foodsSpiritual ยท Feasts and festival meals ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreShemini Atzeretืฉึฐืืžึดื™ื ึดื™ ืขึฒืฆึถืจึถืช The eighth day of assembly, kept right after Sukkot with a prayer for rainSpiritual ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡น Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and 1 moreMeskelแˆ˜แˆตแ‰€แˆ (Mesk'el) A celebration in Ethiopia and Eritrea marking the discovery of the True Cross with a large bonfire.Spiritual ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Morocco and 4 moreMimounaืžึดื™ืžื•ึผื ึธื” A Maghrebi Jewish celebration marking the end of Passover with sweets and open doorsFestival ยท Dinner ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelVia DolorosaุทุฑูŠู‚ ุงู„ุขู„ุงู… (Arabic) / ื•ื™ื” ื“ื•ืœื•ืจื•ื–ื” (Hebrew) A pilgrim walk through Jerusalem's Old City, marking the last journey of JesusSpiritual ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Moscow, Russia and 5 moreNovy Godะะพะฒั‹ะน ะ“ะพะด A secular winter celebration of decorated trees, family feasts and midnight giftsFestival ยท Feasts and festival meals ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ถ Karbala, Iraq and 4 moreMuharramูฑู„ู’ู…ูุญูŽุฑูŽู‘ู… The sacred opening month of the Islamic year, observed through remembrance and fastingSpiritual ยท Fasting and breaking the fast ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Tel Aviv, Israel and 1 moreAdloyadaืขื“ืœืื™ื“ืข A humorous Purim parade in Israel featuring giant puppets and satirical floats.Festival ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Moscow, Russia and 5 moreImmortal Regimentะ‘ะตััะผะตั€ั‚ะฝั‹ะน ะฟะพะปะบ (Bessmertnyy polk) A civic procession where people carry portraits of relatives who served in the Second World War.Festival ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Germany and 3 moreTashlikhืชืฉืœื™ืš A Jewish new year rite of casting sins into flowing water, kept by the watersideSpiritual ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Safed, Israel and 5 moreHakafotื”ึทืงึธึผืคื•ึนืช Circling the synagogue platform with the Torah scrolls, at Sukkot and Simchat TorahSpiritual ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreSimchat Torahืฉึดื‚ืžึฐื—ึทืช ืชึผื•ึนืจึธื” The day Jewish communities finish the Torah reading and start it again, with dancingSpiritual ยท Feasts and festival meals ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 3 moreHanukkah menorah A nine-branched lamp that gains one more flame on each of Hanukkah's eight nightsSpiritual ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreBar and bat mitzvahื‘ึทึผืจ ืžึดืฆึฐื•ึธื” / ื‘ึทึผืช ืžึดืฆึฐื•ึธื” A Jewish rite of passage marking when youth reach adulthood and take responsibility for their own actions.Rite of passage ยท Feasts and festival meals ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreFour speciesืืจื‘ืขืช ื”ืžื™ื ื™ื (Arba'at HaMinim) A ritual waving of four plants during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.Spiritual ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreShofarืฉืื•ึนืคึธืจ A ram's horn blown in synagogue to mark the Jewish new year and the end of Yom KippurSpiritual ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง United Kingdom and 5 moreHarvest festival A thanks for the gathered crop, kept with church meals, songs and shared foodSeasonal ยท Feasts and festival meals ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Rome, Italy and 2 moreAssumption of Mary A feast on 15 August, when Christians remember Mary taken up into heavenSpiritual ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelRosh Chodeshืจึนืืฉื ื—ึนื“ึถืฉื The start of each Hebrew month, marked by the new moon and kept with prayerSpiritual ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreLand DayูŠูŽูˆู’ู… ุงูŽู„ู’ุฃูŽุฑู’ุถ (Yawm al-Ard) A yearly day of remembrance for Palestinians marking the 1976 protests against land seizures.Ceremony ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelJerusalem Film Festivalืคืกื˜ื™ื‘ืœ ื”ืงื•ืœื ื•ืข ื™ืจื•ืฉืœื™ื / ู…ู‡ุฑุฌุงู† ุงู„ู‚ุฏุณ ุงู„ุณูŠู†ู…ุงุฆูŠ Ten summer days of films from around the world, held in Jerusalem since 1984Performance ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreKiddush Levanahืงื™ื“ื•ืฉ ืœื‘ื ื” A Jewish ritual service held after the new moon to bless God for the lunar cycle and seek protection.Spiritual ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 1 moreSimchat Beit HaShoeivahืฉืžื—ืช ื‘ื™ืช ื”ืฉื•ืื‘ื” Nightly music and dancing during the intermediate days of the festival of SukkotFestival ยท Tea-time and snacking customs ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelTikkun HaKlaliืชื™ืงื•ืŸ ื”ื›ืœืœื™ A set of ten Psalms recited for repentance and spiritual healing within the Breslover Hasidic tradition.Spiritual ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, Israel and 2 moreDough offeringHafrashat challah A Jewish ritual where a portion of bread dough is set aside for a priest.Spiritual ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelAliya la'regelืขืœื™ื™ื” ืœืจื’ืœ A Jewish commandment to appear at the Temple in Jerusalem during three annual festivals.Spiritual ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Jerusalem, IsraelAravahืขืจื‘ื” The ritual waving and beating of willow branches during the festival of SukkotSpiritual

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The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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