There are almost 20 larger holidays on the Jewish calendar. I love how they’re all so different, from days of mourning to lively celebrations. It makes the year very interesting and full of new cultural opportunities, especially if you don’t celebrate every holiday. Obviously, I have my favorites, and I’m going to share with you why my top 5 are the best.

5. Yom Ha'Atzmaut, or Israel’s Independence Day, is one of my favorites. I’ve never been to Israel, but I feel such a connection to it and am so excited to visit in the future. It’s such a special place because it’s where we can feel safe in our religion. It’s definitely not the safest right now, but the efforts the IDF makes to keep Israel as safe as possible are worth celebrating. It means so much more in these times that we have a country where we can go. I’m definitely going to celebrate a little more this next Yom Ha'Atzmaut.

4. I rank Sukkot as my number 4, despite the fact that it’s usually freezing in Wisconsin by the time it comes around. I love how we have a holiday where you’re encouraged to spend lots of time outside, even sleeping in your Sukkah. It’s such an interesting way to connect with nature. When I was younger, we’d always make paper chains or fruit drawings in religious school to hang in the Sukkah, and I’ll never forget those times.

3. Many would argue that Hanukkah is #1 because of how popular it is since it’s so close to Christmas. I love the food, like my dad’s homemade latkes and sufganiyot, as well as the presents. The story is so much fun, but something just seems different from other holidays. I feel like Hanukkah is just “Jewish Christmas” at this point, which makes it feel less special. I also hate when it’s not over winter break because my family a few states away always have a big Hanukkah party, and it’s a great time. I wish we could go more often.

2. Coming in at #2 is Purim! Purim is just so much fun; you get to dress up, there’s a carnival, the story is great, and obviously Hamantaschen. My synagogue always does a Purim skit based on a popular movie where they tell the story through parodies of the songs. One of my personal favorites was Shrek. Then there’s the carnival, where we have games, prizes, and a bounce house obstacle course. I now help during the event, but I loved participating when I was younger. The Purim story is also great because Esther is such a powerful woman who inspires girls to speak up for what they believe in, which is a great lesson for young girls to learn today.

1. My personal favorite Jewish holiday is Passover. I love everything about it: Seders, the songs, the story, the food, and getting to be with my family. It tells such an important story of the Jews getting out of Egypt, and it’s theatrical, too. At Seder, everyone gets a role, and we read the story, which is always super funny. My favorite Pesach food is either Matzo Ball soup or my mom’s flourless chocolate cake, which my sister and I love helping her make. The best part, though, in my opinion, is finding the afikomen, which is a huge competition when we have Seder. All of the “kids” (everyone under 30) run around the house like madmen looking for it. Pesach is just so fun to spend with family, and I love it so much.

Celebrating the holidays is one of my favorite parts of being Jewish. This year, I’m going to try to celebrate each one in one way or another, and I encourage you to do the same. I hope my ranking gave you new ideas for traditions, a spark of a new opinion, or at least made you laugh.