Frequently I hear someone say, "I love the Jewish holidays." I love them, too, but I'm not sure we all agree on what it means to celebrate a Jewish holiday.

I know what most of you like about Jewish holidays. It's Chanukah -- lighting the candles and playing dreidel. It's the Pesach seder. Perhaps it's a meal in the sukkah. It's the special foods including gefilte fish, matzah ball soup and your other favorites. For many, the Jewish holidays mean good food and getting together with family and friends. Not that there's anything wrong with food and fellowship, but too often we miss the true essence of the festival.

The Jewish holidays are categorized as major and minor. Major festivals are those that come from the Torah, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, Pesach and Shavuot.

Minor festivals include Chanukah, Tu Bishevat and Purim; the four fast days associated with the Temple's destruction in 586 B.C.E.; plus the four recent additions -- commemorating the Shoah, Israel's independence and her fallen soldiers, and the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967.

Major festivals consist of 13 days of Yom Tov, on which we are commanded to practice the same restrictions as on Shabbat, with a few exceptions -- we are allowed to carry in public, cook and use an existing fire.

Days 3-7 of Sukkot and days 3-6 of Pesach are known as Chol Hamoed. These are ordinary working days that fall during a holiday period.

Of course, if a day of Yom Tov or Chol Hamoed coincides with Shabbat, then all of the Shabbat observances are practiced.

Some of the festival days are associated with home-based customs -- e.g. the Pesach seder, the Sukkot meal. But we mustn't forget that the essence of the Yom Tov is not the particular home-based custom, but rather to observe the complete day as an added time of holiness in our lives.

Every Yom Tov begins with candlelighting and concludes with havdalah. Every Yom Tov includes kiddush at dinner and lunch. Every Yom Tov is a day to take off from work or school and attend the synagogue service. On these days we enhance the service with Torah reading and haftarah in the morning, and special melodies to accompany the prayers throughout the day.

Just as we need the Shabbat to weekly recharge our spiritual batteries, we need the "time off" for these 13 days of Yom Tov. I hope you will enjoy festive meals on these days, accompanied by family and friends. But I also hope you will set aside the time to observe the entire day, including joining us in the synagogue.