Explore upcoming Jewish holiday dates, candle lighting times, fast schedules, and festival rules for both civil and Hebrew years. Filter by region (Israel vs Diaspora) and view full chronological listings for major pilgrimage festivals, high holy days, and rabbinic observances.
How the Jewish Holiday Calendar Works
Jewish holidays are fixed on the Hebrew calendar, occurring on the same Hebrew date every year. Because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar while the civil calendar is solar, holiday dates appear to shift on the civil Gregorian calendar from year to year.
Our holiday calendar utility dynamically calculates all observances using verified astronomical and Rabbinic logic:
- Chronological Schedules: Displays complete holiday lists for upcoming civil years (such as 2026 and 2027) or Hebrew years (such as 5787).
- Sunset Context: Explicitly lists the civil evening on which each holiday begins, as all Jewish observances commence at sundown.
- Regional Custom Adaptations: Adjusts festival lengths and holiday end times based on whether you are observing in Israel or the Diaspora.
To examine the algorithms and open source libraries behind our holiday calendar, read our calculation methodology and data sources.
Important Considerations
When referencing holiday dates and planning observances, keep these essential factors in mind:
Israel versus Diaspora Festival Durations
A fundamental distinction exists between holiday observances in Israel and the Diaspora:
- Second Day of Yom Tov: Outside Israel, major biblical festivals (Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot, and Shemini Atzeret) are observed for an extra day (Yom Tov Sheni Shel Galuyot). This practice originated in antiquity when calendar sanctification relied on witnesses in Jerusalem, requiring distant communities to observe two days to ensure proper observance.
- Passover: Observed for 7 days in Israel and 8 days in the Diaspora.
- Shavuot: Observed for 1 day in Israel and 2 days in the Diaspora.
- Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah: In Israel, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are celebrated simultaneously on a single day. In the Diaspora, Shemini Atzeret is observed on the 22nd of Tishrei and Simchat Torah is celebrated as a distinct second day on the 23rd of Tishrei.
Sunset Start Times and Candle Lighting
Every Jewish holiday begins at sunset on the civil evening prior to the main holiday date. On major biblical festivals (Yom Tov), candle lighting is required before sunset, similar to Friday Shabbat candle lighting. When a festival immediately follows Shabbat or another Yom Tov day, candles are lit after nightfall from a pre-existing flame. Exact times can be calculated using our Shabbat candle-lighting calculator.
Major Holidays, Fast Days, and Chol HaMoed
The calendar includes distinct categories of observances:
– Major Biblical Holidays (Yom Tov): Includes Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, Passover, and Shavuot. Work is prohibited as on Shabbat (with exceptions for certain food preparation on Yom Tov).
– Intermediate Days (Chol HaMoed): The middle days of Passover and Sukkot, which combine holiday joy with relaxed work restrictions.
– Minor Holidays: Rabbinic festivals such as Hanukkah and Purim, where regular work is permitted.
– Fast Days: Major fasts (Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av) run from sunset to nightfall, while minor fasts (such as Fast of Gedaliah or Fast of Esther) run from dawn to nightfall.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Jewish holidays begin at sunset on the prior civil evening?
According to the creation account in Genesis, evening precedes morning (“and there was evening and there was morning, one day”). Consequently, in Jewish law, every date begins at sunset on the preceding civil evening.
Why do some holidays last longer outside Israel?
Historically, news of the new moon declared by the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem took time to reach Jewish communities in the Diaspora. To ensure that holidays were celebrated on the correct day, Diaspora communities instituted the practice of observing an additional day for major festivals, a tradition that continues today.
Why do holiday dates change on the civil calendar every year?
The Hebrew calendar follows lunar months (29 or 30 days) totaling roughly 354 days per year, while the civil calendar follows a solar year of 365 days. Because of this 11-day difference, Hebrew dates fall on different civil dates each year.
Where can I check candle lighting times for upcoming holidays?
You can look up exact candle lighting and Havdalah times for any holiday and location using our dedicated Shabbat candle-lighting times page.
How are Torah portions assigned during holiday weeks?
On major holidays, the regular weekly Torah portion is paused and replaced by special thematic holiday readings. If a holiday second day falls on Shabbat outside Israel, the Diaspora reads the holiday portion while Israel resumes the regular weekly cycle. For details, read our Bar & Bat Mitzvah calculator guide or our overarching Jewish calendar guide.
Related Calendar Tools
Explore additional tools for comprehensive Jewish calendar planning:
- Convert any holiday date between civil and Hebrew systems with our Hebrew date converter.
- Check weekly Shabbat times and Torah readings with our Shabbat candle-lighting times tool.
Use the holiday calendar options above to explore festival dates for any year and region today.