Lent, Yom Kippur and Days of Repentance

Regardless of who we are, we all make mistakes. We yearn for a chance to start over, to right our wrongs, and to create a better future by improving upon our pasts. Several religious holidays around the world are devoted to this very task. These holidays are called days of repentance or days of atonement. Atonement is the act of acknowledging one's sins and asking them to be forgiven. This is done through a process of repentance, or the act of expressing sorrow for one's sins, and...
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Regardless of who we are, we all make mistakes. We yearn for a chance to start over, to right our wrongs, and to create a better future by improving upon our pasts. Several religious holidays around the world are devoted to this very task. These holidays are called days of repentance or days of atonement. Atonement is the act of acknowledging one's sins and asking them to be forgiven. This is done through a process of repentance, or the act of expressing sorrow for one's sins, and penance, a form of suffering one puts upon him- or herself to make up for previous misdeeds. This book focuses on the observation of Lent in the Christian tradition, the Jewish observance of Yom Kippur, and Vassa, the Buddhist practice also known as the Rains Retreat or Buddhist Lent. The Christian, Jewish, and Buddhist days of atonement vary greatly in beliefs and customs across different regions, but each has the ultimate goal of the practitioners bettering themselves through prayer, humility, and repentance. Each title in this series contains color photos and illustrations throughout, and back matter including: an index and further resource lists for books and online resources. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series in an effort to encourage library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content rich non-fiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers are able to reference back to the definitions-building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars are highlighted graphics with content rich material within that allows readers to build knowledge and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Video features throughout have QR codes linked to online videos that provide supplemental interviews, documentaries, and historical clips. Text-Dependent Questions are placed at the end of each chapter. They challenge the reader's comprehension of the chapter they have just read, while sending the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research Projects are provided at the end of each chapter as well and provide readers with suggestions for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. And a Series Glossary of Key Terms is included in the back matter containing terminology used throughout the series. Words found here broaden the reader's knowledge and understanding of terms used in this field.