Fast of the Firstborn tends to precipitate contrition in the one who fasts (see Joel, 2:12–18). This is why the Bible requires fasting (lit. self-affliction) on Yom Kippur (Jewish holiday of atonement) (see Leviticus, 23:27,29,32; Numbers, 29:7; Tractate "Yoma", 8:1; ibid. Babylonian Talmud, 81a). Because, according to the Hebrew Bible, hardship and calamitous circumstances can occur as a result of wrongdoing (see, for example, Leviticus 26:14–41), fasting is often undertaken by the community or by individuals to achieve atonement and avert catastrophe (see, for example, Esther 4:3,16; Jonah 3:7). Most of the Talmud's Tractate "Ta'anit" ("Fast[s]") is dedicated to the protocol involved in declaring
Day of the Sun banks, and retail close for the Day of the Sun. It is also a common holiday for weddings. The Day of the Sun is followed by two days of rest, making it a three-day holiday. The day following the Day of the Sun typically features political meetings in which the Ten Principles of the ideological system are sworn allegiance for. A similar holiday exists for 16 February, the birthday of former leader Kim Jong-il, known as the Day of the Shining Star. The two-month period between the Day of the Shining Star and the Day of the Sun is known