Holy days, optimism arrive for faithful as pandemic eases

Holy days, optimism arrive for faithful as pandemic eases

Passover, Easter, Ramadan see brighter days
Altar server Samantha Holmes of East Brookfield, Mass., center, carries a crucifix with palm leaves March 28 during a procession at the start of Palm Sunday Mass at Mary, Queen of the Rosary Parish in Spencer, Mass. For Christians across the United States, Easter services on Sunday will reflect an extra measure of joy as the nation experiences rising optimism after a year of pandemic.
The Rev. William Schipper, left, pastor of Mary, Queen of the Rosary Parish, celebrates Palm Sunday Mass on March 28 as parishioners hold palm leaves at the Catholic church in Spencer, Mass. Parishioners wore masks out of concern for the coronavirus.
People buy flowers from a sidewalk flower stand on the first day of Passover on April 8, 2020, in the Williamsburg neighborhood of New York during the coronavirus pandemic.
Rabbi Shlomo Segal, left, and his family wave goodbye to participants after he conducted a virtual Passover Seder for members of his congregation, friends and family broadcast on YouTube on April 8, 2020, from his home in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn. From left, are Segal; daughter Shira, 12; wife, Adina, and daughter, Rayna, 8. In 2021, the Sabbath led directly into Passover, limiting the use of technology for Segal and his congregants. Instead of streaming their seder, the synagogue provided online workshops prior to Passover so families could do it on their own. Segal says that many of his members are still reluctant to gather together in person.
Rabbi Joseph Schwartz, left, and Ryan Eleazar use boiling water Jan. 7 to prepare equipment for the Hanan Products’ kosher-for-Passover production run in Hicksville, N.Y. At Hanan Products, which since 1946 has made primarily whipped toppings, icings and dessert fillings for the bakery industry, cleaning and production for kosher-for-Passover products begin long before the weeklong holiday that this year starts in late March.
Ahmad Kamel, right, performs the Maghrib prayer with his wife, Nadia Chaouch, on April 28, 2020, as their son Ahmad Kamel runs past after the family broke the Ramadan daily fast just after sunset in their home, during the coronavirus outbreak in Seattle.

Holy days, optimism arrive for faithful as pandemic eases

Altar server Samantha Holmes of East Brookfield, Mass., center, carries a crucifix with palm leaves March 28 during a procession at the start of Palm Sunday Mass at Mary, Queen of the Rosary Parish in Spencer, Mass. For Christians across the United States, Easter services on Sunday will reflect an extra measure of joy as the nation experiences rising optimism after a year of pandemic.
The Rev. William Schipper, left, pastor of Mary, Queen of the Rosary Parish, celebrates Palm Sunday Mass on March 28 as parishioners hold palm leaves at the Catholic church in Spencer, Mass. Parishioners wore masks out of concern for the coronavirus.
People buy flowers from a sidewalk flower stand on the first day of Passover on April 8, 2020, in the Williamsburg neighborhood of New York during the coronavirus pandemic.
Rabbi Shlomo Segal, left, and his family wave goodbye to participants after he conducted a virtual Passover Seder for members of his congregation, friends and family broadcast on YouTube on April 8, 2020, from his home in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn. From left, are Segal; daughter Shira, 12; wife, Adina, and daughter, Rayna, 8. In 2021, the Sabbath led directly into Passover, limiting the use of technology for Segal and his congregants. Instead of streaming their seder, the synagogue provided online workshops prior to Passover so families could do it on their own. Segal says that many of his members are still reluctant to gather together in person.
Rabbi Joseph Schwartz, left, and Ryan Eleazar use boiling water Jan. 7 to prepare equipment for the Hanan Products’ kosher-for-Passover production run in Hicksville, N.Y. At Hanan Products, which since 1946 has made primarily whipped toppings, icings and dessert fillings for the bakery industry, cleaning and production for kosher-for-Passover products begin long before the weeklong holiday that this year starts in late March.
Ahmad Kamel, right, performs the Maghrib prayer with his wife, Nadia Chaouch, on April 28, 2020, as their son Ahmad Kamel runs past after the family broke the Ramadan daily fast just after sunset in their home, during the coronavirus outbreak in Seattle.