Please click on this link http://wwwjackbenimble.blogspot.com/2007/01/today-is-link-to-jack-day.html for an alternative to hallmark holidays.
And, for yesterday's background, you might also want to click this link:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2007/01/alternative-to-festivus.html
CELEBRATION FOR TWO DAYS OUTSIDE THE LAND - EXPLANATORY NOTE
Why do people who live in Golus observe two days of yontevim, but residents of Israel observe the yonteff for only one day? And why is it that people from outside Israel who are in the land during yomim tovim also observe two days, whereas Israelis abroad only observe one day of yom tov?
The reason is because outside the land one cannot be certain of the exact day of a yomtov, as dates were determined by the sighting the new moon at the beginning of the month, as testified to by two edim before the Sanhedrion.
If weather conditions prevented the sighting, the yomtov would be declared to occur on the day after the new moon should have been seen - and as the communities in exile could not know of the weather conditions in Israel, that came to mean a second day of cake and cookies just to be on the safe side.
[If circumstances interfered with the testimony of two edim that the hillel had been sighted, the same rule was applied - yomteven would occur one day later.]
Pursuant thereto, today is the SECOND day of 'chag ha link le Yakov' outside the land. Enjoy the festivities. A gitn yawm tuf.
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And why is it that people from outside Israel who are in the land during yomim tovim also observe two days, whereas Israelis abroad only observe one day of yom tov?
They're really supposed to keep the second day, or at least refrain from melokho on it.
that the hillel had been sighted
Huh? "Hillel" does not mean "moon".
BOTH:
First it is enlightening to consider the structure of our callender with regards to the festivals. Elul and adar (adar bais) are always chasser, or lacking. The months that are full and lacking alteranate, practicaly speaking, thus keeping the average length of a month 29.5 days, very close the the cycle of the moon. As mentioned, these cycles where arranged so that adar and nissan, the months that preceed the holiday seasons, are always lacking. Because we can always determine rosh chodesh down to two days, whether or not we have the sanhedrin, and because the time between these times is fixed, we are always certain with regards to which days it is possible for rosh chodesh to occur, even though we do not know which of the two days it actualy is.
We will further notice that when examining the schedual for 1 or 2 day rosh chodesh that always the day after the twenty ninth day is rosh chodesh. When this day comes we celebrate rosh chodesh lest that day be declared rosh chodesh. When this day turns out not to be rosh chodesh because the witnesses did not report seeing the new moon, we then postpone the observance of rosh chodesh on to the next day, and proceed to observe it again. This pattern holds true now as well.
Now back to the topic at hand. because we always mark the months preceeding the holidays as being lacking, we find that the day marked as the potential celebration of rosh chodesh is in fact potentialy the 30th day of the previous month. We can say for surety that this day is potentialy the 30th day and not, for instance the 29th day, because the date of the full moon is always known within 2 days, as mentioned (the full moon being rather obvious). because of this schedual is why we observe the second day of a festival on the subsequent day, instead of celebrating the festival the day before.
Now you see, kislev this year was full, so um, the second day of the festival was yesterday, not today, as the day in question would have had to begin 1 day earlier, lest kislev have been lacking instead of full.
that the hillel had been sighted
Huh? "Hillel" does not mean "moon".
Sorry about that - in Arabic 'Hillal' refers to the first sliver of the moon visible after new moon.
Which, when you think about it, makes sense - the sighting marks a new month. Both the end of the fasting month, and the beginning of the following month.
Perhaps outside the land the Edomites should fast for two months.
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