The Jewish Calendar & Holidays
A guide to the Hebrew months, biblical appointed times, Jewish holidays, and their approximate dates on the Western calendar.
The Jewish calendar is more than a system for marking time. Its months, appointed times, festivals, and fast days preserve the history of Israel and commemorate events that have shaped the Jewish people for thousands of years.
Understanding the Jewish calendar can also provide important historical and biblical context for readers studying the Hebrew Scriptures.
A Note on the Calendar: Jewish holidays are fixed to specific dates on the Hebrew calendar rather than specific dates on the Gregorian, or Western, calendar. Because the Jewish calendar is lunisolar, the Hebrew months do not line up exactly with the same Gregorian dates every year.
The English months shown throughout this article are therefore approximate equivalents. Jewish days also traditionally begin at sundown, meaning a holiday begins on the evening before its listed Hebrew calendar date.
Hebrew Months and Their Approximate English Months
| Hebrew Month | Approximate Gregorian Months |
|---|---|
| Nisan | March–April |
| Iyyar | April–May |
| Sivan | May–June |
| Tammuz | June–July |
| Av | July–August |
| Elul | August–September |
| Tishrei | September–October |
| Cheshvan | October–November |
| Kislev | November–December |
| Tevet | December–January |
| Shevat | January–February |
| Adar | February–March |
| Adar II | March–April during Jewish leap years |
Major Biblical Holidays & High Holy Days
| Holiday | Hebrew Date | English Months | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosh Hashanah | 1–2 Tishrei | September–October | The Jewish New Year. A time for introspection, repentance, prayer, and the sounding of the shofar. |
| Yom Kippur | 10 Tishrei | September–October | The Day of Atonement. The holiest day of the Jewish year, traditionally marked by fasting, repentance, and intensive prayer. |
| Sukkot | 15–21 Tishrei | September–October | The Feast of Tabernacles. A biblical pilgrimage and harvest festival associated with temporary shelters called sukkahs. |
| Shemini Atzeret | 22 Tishrei | September–October | The “Eighth Day of Assembly,” immediately following Sukkot. |
| Simchat Torah | 23 Tishrei* | September–October | “Rejoicing in the Torah.” Celebrates completion of the annual Torah-reading cycle and the beginning of a new cycle. |
| Pesach (Passover) | 15–22 Nisan* | March–April | Commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and includes the Seder meal and removal of leaven. |
| Shavuot | 6–7 Sivan* | May–June | The Feast of Weeks. Associated with the grain harvest and, in Jewish tradition, the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. |
Rabbinic & Minor Holidays
| Holiday | Hebrew Date | English Months | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanukkah | 25 Kislev – 2/3 Tevet | November–January | The Festival of Lights. An eight-day celebration commemorating the Maccabean revolt and rededication of the Second Temple. |
| Tu BiShvat | 15 Shevat | January–February | Known as the “New Year for Trees,” associated today with trees, agriculture, and fruits of the land of Israel. |
| Purim | 14 Adar** | February–March | Commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman’s plot in ancient Persia as recorded in the Book of Esther. |
| Lag BaOmer | 18 Iyyar | April–May | The 33rd day of counting the Omer and traditionally a break during a period of mourning. |
| Tu B’Av | 15 Av | July–August | An ancient Jewish celebration associated with courtship and marriage. |
Modern State of Israel Holidays
Several important observances were established following the creation of the modern State of Israel.
| Holiday | Hebrew Date | English Months | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yom HaShoah | 27 Nisan | April–May | Holocaust Remembrance Day. |
| Yom HaZikaron | 4 Iyyar | April–May | Israel’s Memorial Day honoring fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. |
| Yom HaAtzmaut | 5 Iyyar | April–May | Israeli Independence Day, commemorating the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948. |
| Yom Yerushalayim | 28 Iyyar | May–June | Jerusalem Day, commemorating events surrounding Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War. |
Major Fast Days
In addition to Yom Kippur, the Jewish calendar contains several fast days commemorating important and often tragic events in Jewish history, particularly events connected with Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temples.
Tzom Gedaliah
3 Tishrei — September–October
A fast commemorating the assassination of Gedaliah, governor of Judah following the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem.
Asara B’Tevet
10 Tevet — December–January
The Fast of the Tenth of Tevet commemorates the beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem.
Ta’anit Esther
13 Adar — February–March
The Fast of Esther is traditionally observed immediately before Purim and recalls the events surrounding Esther’s appeal for the Jewish people.
Tzom Tammuz
17 Tammuz — June–July
The Fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz begins a traditional three-week period of mourning leading to Tisha B’Av.
Tisha B’Av
9 Av — July–August
One of the most solemn days on the Jewish calendar. This approximately 25-hour fast mourns the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem along with other tragedies remembered throughout Jewish history.
The Calendar as a Record of Jewish History
The Jewish calendar connects worship, Scripture, history, agriculture, national memory, and the story of Israel. Some observances originate directly in the Torah, while others developed from later events in Jewish history.
The Hebrew months themselves help readers place biblical events within the agricultural and seasonal cycle of ancient Israel. Nisan, which generally occurs during March and April, contains Passover. Sivan, generally falling during May and June, contains Shavuot. Tishrei, normally occurring during September and October, contains several of the most important observances on the Jewish calendar, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot.
For students of the Hebrew Scriptures, learning these appointed times provides valuable context for understanding biblical events, Jewish traditions, and references to festivals throughout Scripture.
The Jewish calendar is more than a way of measuring days and years. It is an ongoing remembrance of deliverance, covenant, judgment, repentance, restoration, and hope.
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