<p>I would like to post an appropriate greeting/recognition of the current holidays for some of my incoming students who are Muslim and Jewish. I am familiar with L’shana Tovah (though uncertain, when spoken, whether the accent is on the “vah” of the “to” and my Jewish friends disagree on this.)<br>
And I find the internet confusing on what might be a correct salutation for Muslim students (obviously languages will vary). Can anyone who has cultural competence with either of these holidays help me out?</p>
<p>^About the accent, it seems the to is a bit more accented than the vah, although it doesn’t drop off a ton. at least that’s the way I say it.</p>
<p>“Happy Holidays”</p>
<p>shana tova</p>
<p>In Israeli hebrew, you would accent the Va. shana toVA. Or as one online greeting card sang it, shaNA toVA.</p>
<p>In yiddish, and in common American, its more like shana TOva. </p>
<p>Like shabbat shalom vs gut shabbos, or good shabbas</p>
<p>Or…for Jewish students…you could just use English and say “Happy New Year” or “have a sweet year”.</p>
<p>My husband is a Muslim from Bangladesh. They say “Eid mubarak.” (Eed mooBAHrahk)</p>
<p>I believe this is universal among Muslims of any language, except perhaps in Turkey and parts of Afghanistan.</p>
<p>if you really want to blow the kids away say “l’shana tova u tikatevu”</p>
<p>“a good year, and may you be inscribed (in the book of life)”</p>
<p>Some wont know what you are talking about, though.</p>
<p>Or try “a gut gebenshe yor” - “a good and blessed year” (in Yiddish) Again most won’t have the foggiest.</p>
<p>I thought that since every Jewish Holiday essentially boils down to:</p>
<ul>
<li>They tried to kill us</li>
<li>We Won</li>
<li>LET’S EAT</li>
</ul>
<p>Happy Holidays would cover any one of them.</p>
<p>Brooklynborndad, is that pronounced tik-a-TAY-voo?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You definitely got a laugh out of me! Did you make that up? I have never heard it before.</p>
<p>soozie, that’s an old line. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>“Happy Holidays” is not really appropriate for Yom Kippur, as it’s the most solemn day (the Day of Atonement) of the Jewish year. It would be a bit like saying “Happy Good Friday” to a Christian.</p>
<p>Booklady, I guess I have not been around the block enough!</p>
<p>yeah that line got a good laugh from me too. But yeah the High Holy Days kinda buck that trend. </p>
<p>I’d say Happy New Year for Rosh Hashanah (I think saying Hebrew makes it seem like you are trying to hard if you’re not Jewish, because a ton of reform Jews don’t even know the Hebrew that well). I don’t know if I’d say anything for Yom Kippur. Maybe encourage students to focus on the holiday rather than more commonplace things like homework or whatever.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>For that matter, why not call it Bad Friday? Or at least Could Have Been Better Friday?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The traditional remark in English is “Have an easy fast”…but that assumes that the person you’re speaking to will actually be fasting.</p>
<p>^Huh I’ve never heard that before. Maybe because no one assumes I fast, probably because of my non-Jewish last name and my lack of wearing a kippah.</p>
<p>m.s., I could explain Good Friday to you but not in this thread.</p>
<p>Yes, Booklady, of course I am aware of the difference with Yom Kippur and the fact that it is a solemn observance but given that not everyone is, you’re right to make a point of it here.</p>
<p>And to be clear, I claim no credit for the one-liner.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>OK, my one “spray Earl gray all over the keyboard moment” today. thank you.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>and also try: T.G.I.YK (“Thank God It’s Yom Kippur”) but say the last two initials fast 
just kidding. It works especially well in 2010 when YK actually begins Friday. </p>
<p>On the serious answer, to use English and keep it simple for the Jewish kids, could say: “Have a good new year” (rather than “happy”) which still actually works on Yom Kippur as the l0 days between RH and YK bracket a special period of reflection.</p>
<p>THanks - I’m learning the way to greet for Eid here…
does mubarak mean “blessed” in that phrase ?</p>
<p>Paying3tuitions, I don’t know Arabic, but it is my understanding that “mubarak” does mean “blessed.” (Back when Hosni Mubarak was president of Egypt, I never realized his name had a meaning apart from being a name.)</p>
<p>Best wishes to all for whom tomorrow is a special day.</p>