Jubilee


A jubilee is a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, or 70th anniversary. Of biblical origins, the term is often now used to denote the celebrations associated with the reign of a monarch after a milestone number of years have passed.

Religious usage

The Jubilee year and the Sabbatical year are Biblical commandments concerning ownership of land and slaves. The laws concerning the Sabbatical year are still observed by many religious Jews in the State of Israel, while the Jubilee has not been observed for many centuries. According to the Hebrew Bible, every seventh year, farmers in the land of Israel are commanded to let their land lie fallow. The celebration of the Jubilee is the fiftieth year, that is, the year after seven Sabbatical cycles. In Roman Catholic tradition, a Jubilee is a year of remission of sins and also the punishment due to sin.

Other usage

These are nevertheless used as general terms also in the modern world.