ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Three Pilgrimage Festivals

Okay kiddo, there are three special times a year that are important for people who follow the Jewish religion. These times are called "pilgrimage festivals".

The first one is called Passover. During Passover, we remember a story from a long time ago when the Jewish people were slaves in Egypt. They wanted to be free, so God sent a man named Moses to help them. Moses asked the Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) to let the Jewish people go free, but the Pharaoh said no. So God sent ten plagues to Egypt, like frogs and locusts, to convince the Pharaoh. Finally, the Pharaoh let the Jewish people leave. During Passover, we eat special foods like unleavened bread (called "matzah") and tell the story of how the Jewish people were freed from slavery.

The second pilgrimage festival is called Shavuot. Shavuot is like a birthday party for the Jewish religion. You see, a long time ago, God gave the Jewish people the Ten Commandments on a mountain called Mount Sinai. This was a very important moment for the Jewish people because it helped them understand how to live a good life. Shavuot is a time when we celebrate that special moment when God gave us the Ten Commandments.

The third pilgrimage festival is called Sukkot. Sukkot is a time when we remember a story from the Bible about when the Jewish people wandered in the desert for 40 years after they left Egypt. During that time, they lived in tents called "sukkot". So during Sukkot, we build our own sukkot and decorate them with fruits and vegetables. It's a special time to remember how our ancestors lived long ago.

So you see, these three pilgrimage festivals are important times for people who follow the Jewish religion. They help us remember important stories from a long time ago, and they remind us to be thankful for all the good things in our lives.
Related topics others have asked about: