Our Sages said that the three Major Festivals are in honor of the three Patriarchs:
Passover is in honor of Abraham who made matzot for the three angels that visited him to prophecy the birth of Isaac.
Shavuot is in honor of Isaac as the ram's horn sounded at Mount Sinai at the giving of the Torah was from the ram that was sacrificed instead of him.
Sukkot is in honor of Jacob about whom the Bible says " he built sukkot-booths-for his cattle".
And G-d wished to make the first day of each month a holiday in honor of one of the twelve tribes, but when they sinned the sin of the Golden Calf, they lost that privilege.
However, as the women of Israel did not take part in the sin of the Golden Calf, the first day of a new month is their holiday more than it is men's. That is the reason that Jewish women through the ages refrained from work that could be put off, such as sewing and laundry, on the first day of the new month.
The Ben Ish Chai, the revered Iraqi sage, said that it is a mitzvah to have a festive meal on Rosh Chodesh. If it falls on a weekday, he said to add something to the meal, and even if it falls on Shabbat, he asked to make something additional to the Shabbat meal. He also wrote to light at least two candles at the meal on the eve of the new month..
That is why women should not do any work on Rosh Chodesh, the start of the new month which sometimes includes the last day of the ending month, except for these special things. The piles of laundry will wait and so will the ironing basket, and the last row of stitches for that new sweater. Everything should stop so that we women can bask in the holiness of the new month.
A short respite once a month adds harmony, happiness and blessings to the home in the merit of the women who observe it with joy..
Today is Rosh Chodesh Kislev. May all of Israel have a good month.