Religion & Spirituality

Jewish Holidays

From Ariela Pelaia, former About.com Guide

There are many holidays that make up the Jewish calendar. Learn more about these special days by exploring the articles on this page.

Jewish Holiday Calendars
Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur
Sukkot & Simchat Torah
Hanukkah
Hanukkah for Kids
Tu B'Shvat
Purim

Passover
The Omer
Holocaust Remembrance Day
Yom HaZikaron & Yom HaAtzmaut
Shavuot
Tisha B'Av

Jewish Holiday Calendars

Wondering when Jewish holidays fall during an upcoming year? The calendars below have all the info you need.

Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur

The Jewish High Holidays, also called the High Holy Days, consist of the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and encompass the ten days from the beginning of Rosh Hashanah through the end of Yom Kippur.

Sukkot & Simchat Torah

Sukkot is an eight-day harvest holiday that arrives during the Hebrew month of Tishrei. Tishrei is filled with many other holidays, such as Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur and Simchat Torah. Simchat Torah is a celebratory Jewish holiday that marks the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days and nights. It starts on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev, which coincides with late November-late December on the secular calendar.

Hanukkah for Kids

Involving children in Hanukkah celebrations is a wonderful way to enhance their experience of the holiday. Below are articles with information and/or activities that are especially kid-friendly.

Tu B'Shvat

Tu B'Shvat is the Jewish New Year for the trees. It takes place on the 15th of Shvat, which is a Hebrew month that usually falls between mid-January and mid-February. In Hebrew, "tu" correlates with the number fifteen and "b" means "of." Hence, Tu B'shvat literally means "15th of Shvat."

Purim

On Purim is a festive holiday that celebrates how Queen Esther saved the Jews from destruction. This story is recorded in the biblical Book of Esther.

Passover

Passover is a holiday that remembers the Israelite exodus from slavery in Egypt. It is celebrated with a festive meal and the retelling of this story, as it is recorded in the biblical Book of Exodus.

The Omer

The Omer are forty-nine days between the holiday of Passover and the holiday of Shavuot. Also known as Sefirat HaOmer (Counting the Omer), these forty-nine days are counted aloud during evening services. The thirty-third day of the Omer is celebrated as Lag Ba'Omer.

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Holocaust Remembrance Day, known as Yom HaShoah in Hebrew, is a day when we remember those who perished in the Holocaust.

Yom HaZikaron & Yom HaAtzmaut

Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut are Israeli holidays. Yom HaZikaron is also known as Israel Memorial Day and is a time to remember all those who lost their lives in struggle for Israeli independence, as well as the soldiers who have died while serving in Israel's armed forces. Yom HaAtzmaut is Israel Independence Day.

Shavuot

Shavuot is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the giving of the Torah to the Jews. The Talmud tells us that God gave the Ten Commandments to the Jews on the sixth night of the Hebrew month of Sivan. Shavuot always falls 50 days after the second night of Passover.

Tisha B'Av

Tisha B’Av, also known as “The Ninth of Av,” is a fast day that commemorates the destruction of the two Temples. It falls on the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, which usually coincides with late July or mid-August on the secular calendar.

Judaism