Jewish Holidays
Discover the dates, meaning, and traditions of the Jewish holidays. Find out when each holiday falls and learn about its significance.
Major Holidays
Chanukah
Friday, December 4
Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabean victory over the Seleucid Empire.
Passover
Wednesday, April 1
Passover (Pesach) commemorates the Exodus of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. It is one of the three pilgrimage festivals and is celebrated with the Seder meal.
Purim
Monday, March 2
Purim commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman's plot to destroy them, as recorded in the Book of Esther.
Rosh Hashanah
Friday, September 11
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a time of spiritual renewal and reflection. It marks the beginning of the High Holy Days and the start of the Ten Days of Repentance leading to Yom Kippur.
Shavuot
Thursday, May 21
Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. It falls exactly 49 days (seven weeks) after Passover.
Shmini Atzeret
Saturday, October 3
Shmini Atzeret (the Eighth Day of Assembly) immediately follows Sukkot. It features the prayer for rain and the Yizkor memorial service.
Simchat Torah
Sunday, October 4
Simchat Torah celebrates the completion and restart of the annual Torah reading cycle with joyous dancing and hakafot.
Sukkot
Friday, September 25
Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, is a seven-day harvest festival commemorating the Israelites' 40-year journey in the desert when they lived in temporary shelters.
Tisha B'Av
Wednesday, July 22
Tisha B'Av (the 9th of Av) is the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, marking the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem.
Yom Kippur
Sunday, September 20
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. It is a 25-hour period of fasting, prayer, and repentance.
Minor Holidays
Chag HaBanot
Thursday, December 10
Chag HaBanot (Festival of the Daughters) is a North African Jewish women's holiday celebrated during Chanukah, honoring the bravery of Judith.
Days of the Omer
Friday, April 3
The Days of the Omer is a 49-day counting period between Passover and Shavuot, connecting physical and spiritual freedom.
Lag BaOmer
Tuesday, May 5
Lag BaOmer marks the 33rd day of the Omer count, celebrating the end of a plague among Rabbi Akiva's students and the yahrzeit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
Leil Selichot
Saturday, September 5
Leil Selichot marks the beginning of the penitential prayer season before Rosh Hashanah, setting the tone for the High Holidays.
Pesach Sheni
Friday, May 1
Pesach Sheni (Second Passover) was a make-up date for those unable to bring the Paschal offering on time. It symbolizes second chances.
Purim Katan
Sunday, February 21, 2027
Purim Katan (Minor Purim) is observed on 14 Adar I in leap years, marking the original Purim date in the extra month.
Purim Meshulash
Sunday, March 5, 2045
Purim Meshulash (Triple Purim) occurs when Shushan Purim falls on Shabbat, spreading the observances over three days.
Rosh Hashana LaBehemot
Friday, August 14
Rosh Hashana LaBehemot (New Year for Animals) is the annual cutoff date for tithing animals, observed on the 1st of Elul.
Shushan Purim
Wednesday, March 4
Shushan Purim is observed on the 15th of Adar in cities that were walled at the time of Joshua, most notably Jerusalem.
Shushan Purim Katan
Monday, February 22, 2027
Shushan Purim Katan is observed on 15 Adar I in leap years, corresponding to Shushan Purim in the extra month.
Tu B'Av
Wednesday, July 29
Tu B'Av (the 15th of Av) is one of the most joyous days in the Jewish calendar, historically a day of love and matchmaking.
Tu BiShvat
Saturday, January 23, 2027
Tu BiShvat (the 15th of Shevat) is the New Year for Trees, celebrated by eating fruits associated with the Land of Israel and planting trees.
Minor Fasts
Fast of Esther
Monday, March 2
The Fast of Esther commemorates the fast Queen Esther and the Jewish people observed before she approached King Achashverosh to save her people.
Fast of Gedaliah
Monday, September 14
The Fast of Gedaliah mourns the assassination of Gedaliah ben Ahikam, the Jewish governor of Judah after the destruction of the First Temple.
Fast of the Firstborn
Wednesday, April 1
The Fast of the Firstborn is observed on the day before Passover by firstborn males, commemorating the sparing of Israelite firstborns during the tenth plague.
Seventeenth of Tammuz
Thursday, July 2
The Seventeenth of Tammuz marks the breach of Jerusalem's walls by the Romans and begins the Three Weeks mourning period leading to Tisha B'Av.
Tenth of Tevet
Sunday, December 20
The Tenth of Tevet commemorates the beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, which led to the destruction of the First Temple.
Modern Holidays
Ben-Gurion Day
Monday, November 16
Ben-Gurion Day honors David Ben-Gurion, Israel's founding prime minister who declared the establishment of the state in 1948.
Family Day
Sunday, February 7, 2027
Family Day celebrates the importance of family in Jewish life, observed on the 30th of Shevat.
Hebrew Language Day
Thursday, December 31
Hebrew Language Day celebrates the revival of Hebrew as a spoken language, on the birthday of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda.
Herzl Day
Monday, April 27
Herzl Day commemorates Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern political Zionism and visionary of the Jewish state.
Jabotinsky Day
Tuesday, July 14
Jabotinsky Day commemorates Ze'ev Jabotinsky, founder of Revisionist Zionism and the Jewish Legion.
Sigd
Monday, November 9
Sigd is an Ethiopian Jewish holiday celebrating the acceptance of the Torah and yearning for Zion, recognized as an Israeli national holiday.
Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day
Thursday, October 22
Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day commemorates the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin and promotes democracy and tolerance.
Yom HaAliyah
Saturday, March 28
Yom HaAliyah (Aliyah Day) celebrates Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel, established as a national holiday in 2016.
Yom HaAliyah School Observance
Sunday, October 18
Yom HaAliyah School Observance is the school-based celebration of Aliyah Day, observed on the 7th of Cheshvan.
Yom HaAtzma'ut
Wednesday, April 22
Yom HaAtzma'ut (Israel Independence Day) celebrates the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 with festive prayers and celebrations.
Yom HaShoah
Tuesday, April 14
Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) commemorates the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust with ceremonies, sirens, and survivor testimonies.
Yom HaZikaron
Tuesday, April 21
Yom HaZikaron (Israel's Memorial Day) honors fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism with nationwide sirens and memorial ceremonies.
Yom Yerushalayim
Friday, May 15
Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in 1967.
Special Shabbatot
Shabbat Chazon
Saturday, July 18
Shabbat Chazon (Shabbat of Vision) is the Shabbat before Tisha B'Av, with a haftarah from Isaiah rebuking Israel's sins.
Shabbat HaChodesh
Saturday, March 14
Shabbat HaChodesh features a maftir about establishing Nisan as the first month and the laws of the Passover offering.
Shabbat HaGadol
Saturday, March 28
Shabbat HaGadol (the Great Shabbat) is the Shabbat before Passover, traditionally featuring a special rabbinic sermon on Passover laws.
Shabbat Nachamu
Saturday, July 25
Shabbat Nachamu (Shabbat of Consolation) is the first Shabbat after Tisha B'Av, with a haftarah of comfort from Isaiah.
Shabbat Parah
Saturday, March 7
Shabbat Parah features a maftir reading about the Red Heifer purification ritual, reminding people to purify themselves before Passover.
Shabbat Shekalim
Saturday, March 6, 2027
Shabbat Shekalim is the first of four special Shabbatot before Passover, featuring a maftir reading about the half-shekel Temple tax.
Shabbat Shirah
Saturday, January 23, 2027
Shabbat Shirah (Shabbat of Song) features the Torah reading of the Song of the Sea sung after crossing the Red Sea.
Shabbat Shuva
Saturday, September 19
Shabbat Shuva (Shabbat of Return) falls during the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Shabbat Zachor
Saturday, February 28
Shabbat Zachor (Shabbat of Remembrance) falls before Purim with a special maftir commanding remembrance of Amalek's attack.
Rosh Chodesh
Rosh Chodesh Adar
Sunday, February 7, 2027
Rosh Chodesh Adar begins the happiest month, containing Purim. In a leap year, there are two months of Adar.
Rosh Chodesh Av
Wednesday, July 15
Rosh Chodesh Av begins the month containing Tisha B'Av. The Nine Days of intensified mourning start on the 1st of Av.
Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan
Sunday, October 11
Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan marks the beginning of Cheshvan, a month with no holidays, representing the return to everyday life.
Rosh Chodesh Elul
Thursday, August 13
Rosh Chodesh Elul begins the month of preparation before Rosh Hashanah, when the shofar is blown daily.
Rosh Chodesh Iyar
Friday, April 17
Rosh Chodesh Iyar begins the month associated with healing, falling during the Omer counting period.
Rosh Chodesh Kislev
Tuesday, November 10
Rosh Chodesh Kislev marks the beginning of the month containing Chanukah, the Festival of Lights.
Rosh Chodesh Nisan
Thursday, March 19
Rosh Chodesh Nisan begins the month of redemption containing Passover. Nisan is the first month for counting months.
Rosh Chodesh Shevat
Saturday, January 9, 2027
Rosh Chodesh Shevat marks the beginning of the month containing Tu BiShvat, the New Year for Trees.
Rosh Chodesh Sivan
Sunday, May 17
Rosh Chodesh Sivan begins the month in which the Torah was given at Mount Sinai and Shavuot is celebrated.
Rosh Chodesh Tammuz
Monday, June 15
Rosh Chodesh Tammuz begins the month containing the Fast of the 17th of Tammuz, starting the Three Weeks.
Rosh Chodesh Tevet
Thursday, December 10
Rosh Chodesh Tevet uniquely falls during Chanukah, combining Rosh Chodesh and Chanukah observances.
Looking for Holiday Prayers?
Am Hazak provides complete prayers and blessings for all Jewish holidays in Hebrew with English translations.
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About the Jewish Calendar
The Jewish calendar is a lunisolar calendar, meaning it's based on both the moon's cycles and the solar year. Jewish holidays fall on specific dates in the Hebrew calendar, which means their Gregorian dates vary from year to year.
All Jewish holidays begin at sunset the evening before the date listed and end at nightfall on the final day. In the diaspora (outside Israel), some holidays are observed for an additional day.