Today is Holy Saturday, the second day of the Eastern Triduum when many Christians honor the fact that Jesus lay dead in the grave but soon will rise from the dead on Easter morning.
For Orthodox Christians, today is Lazarus Saturday, commemorating the raising of Lazarus from the dead. The day combines with tomorrow's celebration of Palm Sunday here at the end of Great Lent.
Today is also the third day of Pesach (Passover) and the Sabbath of Passover. As I read about it this morning: a special prayer for God's favor, the Yaaleh v'Yavo, is inserted into the main body of prayers, and "Half Hallel" (a shorted version of Psalm 113-118) is recited. (The Full Hallel is recited during Passover's first two days.) Two Torah scrolls are taken out of the ark.
Today is also the third day of the Theravada Buddhist New Year, a festival that begins with the first full moon of April.
(Easter is a full moon-determined holiday, too! It's the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.)
Today is also the traditional birthday of Siddhartha Gautama, Shakyamuni Buddha, who was born about 563 BCE.
The Muslim holiday Nuzul Al-Quran continues till this evening (April 7-8). The day honors the first recital of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel (Jibrail), as Muhammad was praying (doing Ibadah) in a cave near Mecca. The first recitation was eventually written as verses 1-5 of Surah 96 (Al-Alaq). The Prophet received many more revelations during his life, which were written and assembled and became the holy Quran.
Quite a wonderful day!
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