Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' (, or singular , in

transliterated Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one writing system, script to another that involves swapping Letter (alphabet), letters (thus ''wikt:trans-#Prefix, trans-'' + ''wikt:littera#Latin, liter-'') in predictable ways, such as ...

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

[]), are holidays observed by Jews throughout the Hebrew calendar.This article focuses on practices of mainstream Rabbinic Judaism. Karaite Judaism#The calendar, Karaite Jews and Samaritans#Samaritanism, Samaritans also observe the biblical festivals, but not in an identical fashion and not always at exactly the same time. They include religious, cultural and national elements, derived from four sources: ''

mitzvot In its primary meaning, the Hebrew word (; , ''mīṣvā'' , plural ''mīṣvōt'' ; "commandment") refers to a commandment from God to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of discussion of these commandments ...

'' ("biblical commandments"), rabbinic mandates, the

history of Judaism Jewish history is the history of the Jews, their Jewish peoplehood, nation, Judaism, religion, and Jewish culture, culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions and cultures. Jews originated from the Israelites and H ...

, and the

State of Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. Jewish holidays occur on the same dates every year in the Hebrew calendar, but the dates vary in the Gregorian. This is because the Hebrew calendar is a

lunisolar calendar A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures, that combines monthly lunar cycles with the solar year. As with all calendars which divide the year into months, there is an additional requirement that the year have a whole number of mont ...

(based on the cycles of both the sun and moon), whereas the Gregorian is a

solar calendar A solar calendar is a calendar whose dates indicates the season or almost equivalently the apparent position of the Sun relative to the stars. The Gregorian calendar, widely accepted as a standard in the world, is an example of a solar calendar ...

. Each holiday can only occur on certain days of the week, four for most, but five for holidays in

Tevet Tevet (Hebrew: , ''Ṭevet''; ; from Akkadian ) is the fourth month of the civil year and the tenth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It follows Kislev and precedes Shevat. It is a month of 29 days. Tevet usually occurs ...

and

Shevat Shevat (, , ; from ) is the fifth month of the civil year starting in Tishre (or Tishri) and the eleventh month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar starting in Nisan. It is a month of 30 days. Shevat usually occurs in January– ...

and six for

Hanukkah Hanukkah (, ; ''Ḥănukkā'' ) is a Jewish holidays, Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd ce ...

(see Days of week on Hebrew calendar).

General concepts

Groupings

Certain terms are used very commonly for groups of holidays. * The Hebrew-language term ''Yom Tov'' (), sometimes referred to as "festival day", usually refers to the six biblically mandated festival dates on which all

activities prohibited on Shabbat The 39 ''Melakhot'' (, '' lamed-tet avot melakhah'', "39 categories of work") are thirty-nine categories of activity which Jewish law identifies as prohibited by biblical law on Shabbat. These activities are also prohibited on the Jewish holidays ...

are prohibited, except for some related to food preparation. These include the first and seventh days of

Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Biblical Egypt, Egypt. According to the Book of Exodus, God in ...

(the Feast of Unleavened Bread / the Feast of Matzot – Exodus 23:15, Deuteronomy 16:16), irst day of

Shavuot (, from ), or (, in some Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazi usage), is a Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday, one of the biblically ordained Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan; in the 21st century, it may ...

, both days of

Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah (, , ) is the New Year in Judaism. The Hebrew Bible, biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , ). It is the first of the High Holy Days (, , 'Days of Awe"), as specified by Leviticus 23:23–25, that occur in the late summe ...

, first day of

Sukkot Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths, is a Torah-commanded Jewish holiday celebrated for seven days, beginning on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. It is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals on which Israelite ...

, and irst day of

Shemini Atzeret Shemini Atzeret (—"Eighth ayof Assembly") is a Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday. It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew calendar, Hebrew month of Tishrei, usually coinciding with late September or early October. It directly follows ...

. By extension, outside the

Land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine. The definition ...

, the second-day holidays known under the rubric '' Yom tov sheni shel galuyot'' (literally, "Second ''Yom Tov'' of the Diaspora")—including

Simchat Torah Simchat Torah (; Ashkenazi: ), also spelled Simhat Torah, is a Jewish holiday that celebrates and marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle. Simchat Torah is a component of the Hebrew Bible ...

—are also included in this grouping. Colloquially,

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur ( ; , ) is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, corresponding to a date in late September or early October. For traditional Jewish people, it is primarily centered on atonement and ...

, a biblically mandated date on which even food preparation is prohibited, is often included in this grouping. The tradition of keeping two days of Yom Tov in the diaspora has existed since roughly 300 BCE. * The English-language term

High Holy Days In Judaism, the High Holy Days, also known as High Holidays or Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim; , ''Yāmīm Nōrāʾīm'') consist of: #strictly, the holidays of Rosh Hashanah ("Jewish New Year") and Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement"); #by extension, th ...

or High Holidays refers to

and

collectively. Its Hebrew analogue, "Days of Awe" (), is more flexible: it can refer just to those holidays, or to the Ten Days of Repentance, or the entire penitential period, starting as early as the beginning of

Elul Elul (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard , Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ) is the twelfth month of the civil year and the sixth month of the Jewish religious year, religious year in the Hebrew calendar. It is a m ...

, and (more rarely) ending as late as

. * The term

Three Pilgrimage Festivals The Three Pilgrimage Festivals or Three Pilgrim Festivals, sometimes known in English by their Hebrew name ''Shalosh Regalim'' (, or ), are three major festivals in Judaism—two in spring; Passover, 49 days later Shavuot (literally 'weeks', or ...

( or ''ḥaġim'') refers to

(the Feast of Unleavened Bread / Feast of Matzot),

and

. Within this grouping, Sukkot normally includes Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. * ''Ma'agal Hashana'' (; "year cycle"), a more general term, is often used – especially in educational settings – to refer to the overall study of the Jewish calendar, outlining the month by month events, with

and

minhag ''Minhag'' ( "custom", classical pl. מנהגות, modern pl. מנהגים, ''minhagim'') is an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. A related concept, '' Nusach'' (נוסח), refers to the traditional order and form of the pra ...

im, and philosophical material, that occur over the year.

Terminology used to describe holidays

Certain terminology is used in referring to different categories of holidays, depending on their source and their nature: ''

Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; , , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the seven-day week, week—i.e., Friday prayer, Friday–Saturday. On this day, religious Jews ...

'' () (

Ashkenazi Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...

pron. from

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

''shabbos''), or Sabbath, is referred to by that name exclusively. Similarly, ''

Rosh Chodesh In Judaism, Rosh Chodesh or Rosh Hodesh (; trans. ''Beginning of the Month''; lit. ''Head of the Month'') is a minor holiday observed at the beginning of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the birth of a new moon. Rosh Chodesh is obs ...

'' () is referred to by that name exclusively. *''Yom tov'' () (Ashkenazi pron. from Yid. ''yontif'') (''lit.,'' "good day"): See " Groupings" above. * ''Moed'' () ("festive season"), plural ''moadim'' (), refers to any of the

of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot. When used in comparison to ''Yom Tov,'' it refers to

Chol HaMoed ''Chol HaMoed'' (), a Hebrew phrase meaning "mundane of the festival", refers to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot. As the name implies, these days mix features of ''chol'' (mundane) and ''moed'' (festival). On Passover, ''Chol HaMoe ...

, the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot. * ''Ḥag'' or ''chag'' () ("festival"), plural ''chagim'' (), can be used whenever ''yom tov'' or ''moed'' is. It is also used to describe

and

Purim Purim (; , ) is a Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jews, Jewish people from Genocide, annihilation at the hands of an official of the Achaemenid Empire named Haman, as it is recounted in the Book of Esther (u ...

, as well as '' Yom Ha'atzmaut'' (Israeli Independence Day) and '' Yom Yerushalayim'' (Jerusalem Day). * ''Ta'anit'' (), or, less commonly, ''tzom'' (), refers to a ''fast''. These terms are generally used to describe the rabbinic fasts, although ''tzom'' is used liturgically to refer to Yom Kippur as well.

"Work" on Sabbath and biblical holidays

The most notable common feature of Shabbat and the biblical festivals is the requirement to refrain from the 39 Melakhot on these days.This "negative" (refraining) requirement is paired with a positive requirement to honor and enjoy the Sabbath or festival day. For information on the positive requirements, see Shabbat: Rituals and Shabbat: Encouraged activities. ''Melakha'' is most commonly translated as "work"; perhaps a better translation is "creative-constructive work". Strictly speaking, melakha is defined in

halakha ''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also Romanization of Hebrew, transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Judaism, Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Torah, Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is ...

(Jewish law) by 39 categories of labor that were used in constructing the

Tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle (), also known as the Tent of the Congregation (, also Tent of Meeting), was the portable earthly dwelling of God used by the Israelites from the Exodus until the conquest of Canaan. Moses was instru ...

while the Jews wandered in the desert. As understood traditionally and in

Orthodox Judaism Orthodox Judaism is a collective term for the traditionalist branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Torah, Written and Oral Torah, Oral, as literally revelation, revealed by God in Ju ...

: *On Shabbat and Yom Kippur all melakha is prohibited. *On a holiday other than Yom Kippur which falls on a weekday, not Shabbat, most melakha is prohibited. Some ''melacha'' related to the preparation of food is permitted. *On weekdays during

, melakha is not prohibited ''per se.'' However, melakha should be limited to that required either to enhance the enjoyment of the remainder of the festival or to avoid great financial loss, or several other categories. *On other days, there are no restrictions on melakha.There is a practice for women to refrain from some types of labor on Rosh Chodesh; see Rosh Chodesh and women. In principle,

Conservative Judaism Conservative Judaism, also known as Masorti Judaism, is a Jewish religious movements, Jewish religious movement that regards the authority of Jewish law and tradition as emanating primarily from the assent of the people through the generations ...

understands the requirement to refrain from melakha in the same way as Orthodox Judaism. In practice, Conservative rabbis frequently rule on prohibitions around melakha differently from Orthodox authorities. Still, there are some Conservative/Masorti communities around the world where Shabbat and festival observance fairly closely resembles Orthodox observance.This is especially, though not exclusively, true outside the US. For example, Masorti Judaism in Israel and the UK rejects North American Conservatism's position to permit driving to synagogue on Shabbat. However, many, if not most, lay members of Conservative congregations in North America do not consider themselves Shabbat observant, even by Conservative standards. At the same time, adherents of

Reform Judaism Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish religious movements, Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its Jewish ethics, ethical aspects to its ceremo ...

and

Reconstructionist Judaism Reconstructionist Judaism () is a Jewish religious movements, Jewish movement based on the concepts developed by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan (1881–1983)—namely, that Judaism as a Civilization, Judaism is a progressively evolving civilization rather ...

do not accept traditional halakha, and therefore restrictions on melakha, as binding at all.See, for example, Reform Judaism's Position on Jewish Law and Reconstructionist Judaism (Jewish Law and Tradition), and references in those articles. Jews fitting any of these descriptions refrain from melakha in practice only as they see fit. Shabbat and holiday work restrictions are always put aside in cases of

pikuach nefesh ''Pikuach nefesh'' (), which means "saving a soul" or "saving a life," is the principle in ''Halakha'' (Jewish law) that the preservation of human life overrides virtually any other religious rule of Judaism. In the event that a person is in critic ...

, which are actions to save a human life. At the most fundamental level, if there is any possibility whatsoever that action must be taken to save a life, Shabbat restrictions are set aside immediately, and without reservation.The Babylonian Talmud (see at '' Sotah 20–21'') describes one who fails to do so as a ''chasid shoteh,'' a foolishly pious individual. Where the danger to life is present but less immediate, there is some preference to minimize violation of Shabbat work restrictions where possible. The laws in this area are complex.

Second day of biblical festivals

The Torah specifies a single date on the Jewish calendar for observance of holidays. Nevertheless, festivals of biblical origin other than Shabbat and Yom Kippur are observed for two days outside the

land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine. The definition ...

, and Rosh Hashanah is observed for two days even inside the land of Israel. Dates for holidays on the Jewish calendar are expressed in the Torah as "day x of month y". Accordingly, the beginning of ''month y'' needs to be determined before the proper date of the holiday on ''day x'' can be fixed. Months in the Jewish calendar are lunar, and originally were thought to have been proclaimed by the blowing of a ''

shofar A shofar ( ; from , ) is an ancient musical horn, typically a ram's horn, used for Jewish ritual purposes. Like the modern bugle, the shofar lacks pitch-altering devices, with all pitch control done by varying the player's embouchure. The ...

''. Later, the

Sanhedrin The Sanhedrin (Hebrew and Middle Aramaic , a loanword from , 'assembly,' 'sitting together,' hence ' assembly' or 'council') was a Jewish legislative and judicial assembly of either 23 or 70 elders, existing at both a local and central level i ...

received testimony of witnesses saying they saw the new crescent moon.Similar practices are still used in

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

as well as in the Karaite and

Samaritan Samaritans (; ; ; ), are an ethnoreligious group originating from the Hebrews and Israelites of the ancient Near East. They are indigenous to Samaria, a historical region of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah that ...

communities. Then the Sanhedrin would inform Jewish communities away from its meeting place that it had proclaimed a new moon. The practice of observing a second festival day stemmed from delays in disseminating that information. * ''Rosh Hashanah.'' Because of holiday restrictions on travel, messengers could not even leave the seat of the Sanhedrin until the holiday was over. Inherently, there was no possible way for anyone living away from the seat of the Sanhedrin to receive news of the proclamation of the new month until messengers arrived ''after the fact''. Accordingly, the practice emerged that Rosh Hashanah was observed on both possible days, as calculated from the previous month's start, everywhere in the world.This ''reasoning'' did not directly apply in the actual meeting place of the Sanhedrin, but there are other reasons that the ''practice'' was applied there as well. See Rambam, ''Mishnah Torah, Kiddush HaChodesh'' 5:8. * ''Three Pilgrimage Festivals.'' Sukkot and Passover fall on the 15th day of their respective months. This gave messengers two weeks to inform communities about the proclamation of the new month. Normally, they would reach most communities within the land of Israel within that time, but they might fail to reach communities farther away (such as those in Babylonia or overseas). Consequently, the practice developed that these holidays be observed for one day within Israel, but for two days (both possible days as calculated from the previous month's start) outside Israel. This practice is known as ''yom tov sheni shel galuyot'', "second day of festivals in exile communities". :: For Shavuot, calculated as the fiftieth day from Passover, the above issue did not pertain directly, as the "correct" date for Passover would be known by then. Nevertheless, the Talmud applies the same rule to Shavuot, and to the Seventh Day of Passover and Shemini Atzeret, for consistency. Yom Kippur is not observed for two days anywhere because of the difficulty of maintaining a fast over two days.In practice, the Sanhedrin had the discretion to arrange the month proclamations so that Elul would almost never be extended to 30 days. See BT Rosh Hashanah 19b, as well as commentators there. This greatly reduced the practical level of doubt as to which day would be the first day of Tishrei. The doubt still existed, so ''Rosh Hashanah'' and ''Sukkot'' were observed for two days. However, the low level of the doubt–combined with the difficulty of a 49-hour fast–led to the exemption of ''Yom Kippur'' from the requirement for a second day of observance. This complex issue is discussed more full
here
: Shabbat is not observed based on a calendar date, but simply at intervals of seven days. Accordingly, there is never a doubt of the date of Shabbat, and it need never be observed for two days.There are differing opinions as to the location of the International Date Line for purposes of Jewish law. Accordingly, some ''halachic'' authorities do have doubts as to which (secular) day of the week should be considered Shabbat in some Pacific islands. See

International date line in Judaism The international date lineThe convention used is to capitalize "Date Line" (or "International Date Line") when it refers to the ''standard'' International Date Line, but to use small letters to refer to possible construct(s) under Jewish law. in J ...

for details. Adherents of

and

generally do not observe the second day of festivals, although some do observe two days of Rosh Hashanah.

Holidays of biblical and rabbinic (Talmudic) origin

Shabbat—The Sabbath

Jewish law ''(halacha)'' accords ''Shabbat'' () the status of a holiday, a day of rest celebrated on the seventh day of each week. Jewish law defines a day as ending at either sundown or nightfall, when the next day then begins. Thus, * ''Shabbat'' begins just before sundown Friday night. Its start is marked by the lighting of

Shabbat candles Shabbat candles () are candles lit on Friday evening before sunset to usher in the Jewish Sabbath. Lighting Shabbat candles is a rabbinically mandated law. Candle-lighting is traditionally done by the woman of the household, but every Jew is o ...

and the recitation of

Kiddush Kiddush (; ), , is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Additionally, the word refers to a small repast held on Shabbat or festival mornings after the prayer services and before the meal. S ...

over a cup of

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

. * ''Shabbat'' ends at nightfall Saturday night. Its conclusion is marked by the prayer known as

Havdalah Havdalah (, ) is a Judaism, Jewish religious ceremony that marks the symbolic end of Shabbat and ushers in the new week. The ritual involves lighting a special candle with several wicks, blessing a cup of wine, and smelling sweet spices (). Shab ...

. The fundamental rituals and observances of Shabbat include: * Reading of the

Weekly Torah portion The weekly Torah portion refers to a lectionary custom in Judaism in which a portion of the Torah (or Pentateuch) is read during Jewish prayer services on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. The full name, ''Parashat HaShavua'' (), is popularly abbre ...

* Abbreviation of the

Amidah The ''Amidah'' (, ''Tefilat HaAmidah'', 'The Standing Prayer'), also called the ''Shemoneh Esreh'' ( 'eighteen'), is the central prayer of Jewish liturgy. Observant Jews recite the ''Amidah'' during each of the three services prayed on week ...

in the three regular daily services to eliminate requests for everyday needs * Addition of a musaf service to the daily prayer services * Enjoyment of three meals, often elaborate or ritualized, through the course of the day * Restraint from performing ''melacha'' (see

above Above may refer to: *Above (artist) Tavar Zawacki (b. 1981, California) is a Polish, Portuguese - American abstract artist and internationally recognized visual artist based in Berlin, Germany. From 1996 to 2016, he created work under the ...

). In many ways, ''halakha'' (Jewish law) sees ''Shabbat'' as the most important holy day in the Jewish calendar. * It is the first holiday mentioned in the

Tanakh The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. ''

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

was the first one to observe it (

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Religion * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...

). * The

Torah The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...

reading on ''Shabbat'' has more sections of ''parshiot'' (Torah readings) than on ''Yom Kippur'' or any other Jewish holiday. * The prescribed penalty in the Torah for a transgression of ''Shabbat'' prohibitions is death by stoning ( Exodus 31), while for other holidays the penalty is (relatively) less severe. * Public observance of ''Shabbat'' is the benchmark used in ''halacha'' to determine whether an individual is a religiously observant, religiously reliable member of the community. ''Arbah Parshiyot'' There are four Sabbaths, all during or in proximity to, the month of Adar, which have special significance because of additions which are made during the Torah reading on those days. These include: * ''Parshat Shekalim'': the ''Shabbat'' either preceding or coinciding with ''Rosh Chodesh Adar'' (''Adar II'' on a leap year). The portion that is read describes the half-shekel that was brought during ''Adar''. * ''Parshat Zachor'': the ''Shabbat'' immediately preceding ''Purim''. The passage that is read describes the commandment to remember the actions of Amalek. (Listening to this portion being read fulfills that commandment and so special care should be taken to attend Shul this week even if one doesn't always normally attend.) * ''Parshat Parah'': the ''Shabbat'' immediately following ''Purim''. The additional Torah portion describes the ritual of the red heifer. * ''Parshat Hachodesh'': the Shabbat preceding ''Rosh Chodesh Nissan''. The portion read describes the commandment to recognize ''Nissan'' as the first of the Hebrew months. Other Special Sabbaths Other Sabbaths throughout the year are considered specially significant because of the time of year or the Torah portion and/or Haftorah being read. ''Shabbat Shuva'' is the ''Shabbat'' preceding ''Yom Kippur'' and ''Shabbat Hagadol'' is the ''Shabbat'' preceding ''Pesach''. On both of these it is customary for the Rabbi of the synagogue to give an extended speech on topics relating to the upcoming holiday. ''Shabbat Shira'' is the Shabbos on which the Shirat Hayam is read as part of Parshat Beshalach; it is customary to leave out breadcrumbs before this Shabbos for wild birds to eat. ''Shabbat Chazon'' is the Shabbos preceding ''Tisha b'Av'', during which the ominous haftorah of Chazon Yishayahu is read (this completes a cycle of three ominous haftoras leading up to ''Tisha b'Av''). ''Shabbat Nachamu'' is the Shabbos following ''Tisha b'Av'' during which the consolatory haftorah of Nachamu Ami is read (this begins a cycle of seven consolatory haftorahs following Tisha b'Av, known as the ''Shiva d'Nechemta''). The ''Shabbat'' preceding every ''Rosh Chodesh'' (except ''Rosh Hashana'') is known as ''Shabbat Mevorochim''; a prayer is added to the liturgy in anticipation of the coming month.

Rosh Chodesh—The New Month

''Rosh Chodesh'' () is a minor holiday or observance occurring on the first day of each month of the Jewish calendar, as well as the last day of the preceding month if it has thirty days. * ''Rosh Chodesh'' observance during at least a portion of the period of the

Nevi'im The (; ) is the second major division of the Hebrew Bible (the ''Tanakh''), lying between the () and (). The Nevi'im are divided into two groups. The Former Prophets ( ) consists of the narrative books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings ...

could be fairly elaborate. See, for example, 1 Samuel 20 *Over time there have been varying levels of observance of a custom that women are excused from certain types of work, as in Megilla 22b:4: "the days of the New Moon, when it is customary for women to refrain from work". * Fasting is normally prohibited on ''Rosh Chodesh''. Beyond the preceding, current observance is limited to changes in liturgy. :In the month of

Tishrei Tishrei () or Tishri (; ''tīšrē'' or ''tīšrī''; from Akkadian ''tašrītu'' "beginning", from ''šurrû'' "to begin") is the first month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei) and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year (wh ...

, this observance is superseded by the observance of

, a major holiday. ''Related observances:'' * The date of the forthcoming ''Rosh Chodesh'' is announced in synagogue on the preceding Sabbath. * There are special prayers, the kiddush levana, said upon observing the waxing moon for the first time each month.

Rosh Hashanah—The Jewish New Year

Selichot

The month of ''

'' that precedes ''Rosh Hashanah'' is considered to be a propitious time for

repentance Repentance is reviewing one's actions and feeling contrition or regret for past or present wrongdoings, which is accompanied by commitment to and actual actions that show and prove a change for the better. In modern times, it is generally seen ...

. For this reason, additional penitential prayers called Selichot are added to the daily prayers, except on ''Shabbat''.

Sephardi Jews Sephardic Jews, also known as Sephardi Jews or Sephardim, and rarely as Iberian Peninsular Jews, are a Jewish diaspora population associated with the historic Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and their descendant ...

add these prayers each weekday during ''Elul''.

Ashkenazi Jews Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium CE. They traditionally speak Yiddish, a language ...

recite them from the last Sunday (or Saturday night) preceding ''Rosh Hashanah'' that allows at least four days of recitations.

Rosh Hashanah

* ''Erev Rosh Hashanah'' (eve of the first day): 29 Elul * Rosh Hashanah: 1–2

According to

oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication in which knowledge, art, ideas and culture are received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.Jan Vansina, Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (19 ...

, ''Rosh Hashanah'' () (lit., "Head of the Year") is the Day of Memorial or Remembrance (, ''Yom HaZikaron''), and the day of judgment (, ''Yom HaDin''). God appears in the role of King, remembering and judging each person individually according to his/her deeds, and making a decree for each person for the following year. The holiday is characterized by one specific

mitzvah In its primary meaning, the Hebrew language, Hebrew word (; , ''mīṣvā'' , plural ''mīṣvōt'' ; "commandment") refers to a commandment Divine law, from God to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of disc ...

: blowing the ''

''. According to the Torah, this is the first day of the seventh month of the calendar year, and marks the beginning of a ten-day period leading up to ''Yom Kippur''. According to one of two Talmudic opinions, the creation of the world was completed on ''Rosh Hashanah''. Morning prayer services are lengthy on ''Rosh Hashanah'', and focus on the themes described above: majesty and judgment, remembrance, the birth of the world, and the blowing of the ''shofar''. Most communities recite the brief

Tashlikh ''Tashlikh'' or Tashlich ( "cast off") is a minhag, customary Atonement in Judaism, Jewish atonement ritual performed during the High Holy Days on Rosh Hashanah. In some Judaeo-Spanish-speaking communities the practice is referred to as ''sakudirs ...

prayer, a symbolic casting off of the previous year's sins, during the afternoon of ''Rosh Hashanah''. Though the Bible specifies ''Rosh Hashanah'' as a one-day holiday, a second day of rabbinic origin is also celebrated. Uniquely among biblical holidays, this additional rabbinic day is observed even within the

. (See '' Second day of biblical festivals,'' above.)

Four New Years

The Torah itself does not use any term like "New Year" in reference to ''Rosh Hashanah''. The

Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; , from the verb ''šānā'', "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first written collection of the Jewish oral traditions that are known as the Oral Torah. Having been collected in the 3rd century CE, it is ...

specifies four different "New Year's Days" for different purposes: * 1 ''Tishrei'' (conventional "''Rosh Hashanah''"): "new year" for calculating calendar years, sabbatical-year ''(shmita)'' and jubilee cycles, and the age of trees for purposes of Jewish law; and for separating grain

tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in money, cash, cheques or v ...

s. * 15

( ''Tu Bishvat''): "new year" for trees–''i.e.,'' their current agricultural cycle and related tithes. * 1

Nisan Nisan (or Nissan; from ) in the Babylonian and Hebrew calendars is the month of the barley ripening and first month of spring. The name of the month is an Akkadian language borrowing, although it ultimately originates in Sumerian ''nisag' ...

: "New Year" for counting months and major festivals and for calculating the years of the reign of a Jewish king ** In biblical times, the day following 29 ''Adar'', Year 1 of the reign of ___, would be followed by 1 ''Nisan'', Year 2 of the reign of ___. ** In modern times, although the Jewish calendar year number changes on ''Rosh Hashanah'', in certain contexts the months are still numbered from ''Nisan''. ** The three pilgrimage festivals are always reckoned as coming in the order ''Passover''-''Shavuot''-''Sukkot''. This can have religious law consequences even in modern times. * 1 ''Elul'' ( ''Rosh Hashanah LeMa'sar Behemah''): "new year" for animal tithes. However, the Halacha does not follow this opinion, but rather that the animal tithe goes by 1 ''Tishrei''.

''Aseret Yemei Teshuva''—Ten Days of Repentance

The first ten days of ''Tishrei'' (from the beginning of ''Rosh Hashana'' until the end of ''Yom Kippur'') are known as the Ten Days of Repentance (עשרת ימי תשובה, ''Aseret Yemei Teshuva''). During this time, in anticipation of ''Yom Kippur'', it is "exceedingly appropriate" for Jews to practice

, an examination of one's deeds and repentance for sins one has committed against other people and God. This repentance can take the form of additional supplications, confessing one's deeds before God, fasting, self-reflection, and an increase of involvement with, or donations to,

tzedakah ''Tzedakah'' ( ''ṣədāqā'', ) is a Hebrew word meaning "righteousness", but commonly used to signify ''charity''. This concept of "charity" differs from the modern Western understanding of "charity". The latter is typically understood as ...

"charity".

''Tzom Gedalia''—Fast of Gedalia

* ''Tzom Gedalia'': 3 Tishrei The Fast of Gedalia () is a minor Jewish fast day. It commemorates the assassination of the governor of Yehud province, Gedaliah, which ended any level of Jewish rule following the destruction of

Solomon's Temple Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple (), was a biblical Temple in Jerusalem believed to have existed between the 10th and 6th centuries Common Era, BCE. Its description is largely based on narratives in the Hebrew Bible, in which it ...

. According to the simple reading of the Bible, the assassination occurred on Rosh Hashanah (1 Tishrei), and if so, the fast is postponed to 3 Tishrei in respect for the holiday and it is further postponed to 4 Tishrei if 3 Tishrei is Shabbat. However, the Talmud states explicitly that it took place on 3 Tishrei. As on all minor fast days, fasting from dawn to dusk is required, but other laws of mourning are not normally observed. A Torah reading is included in both the Shaharit and Minha prayers, and a

haftarah The ''haftara'' or (in Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazic pronunciation) ''haftorah'' (alt. ''haftarah, haphtara'', ) "parting," "taking leave" (plural form: ''haftarot'' or ''haftoros''), is a series of selections from the books of ''Nevi'im'' ("Pr ...

is also included at ''Mincha''. There are also some additions to the liturgy of both services.See Amidah (Fast Days), Avinu Malkenu, and Selichot of Fast Days.

''Yom Kippur''—Day of Atonement

* ''Erev Yom Kippur'': 9 Tishrei * ''Yom Kippur'': 10 Tishrei (begins at sunset) ''Yom Kippur'' () is the holiest day of the year for Jews.That is, conventional (Rabbinic) Jews.

Karaite Jews Karaite Judaism or Karaism is a non-Rabbinical Jewish sect characterized by the recognition of the written Tanakh alone as its supreme authority in ''halakha'' (religious law) and theology. Karaites believe that all of the divine commandme ...

and

Samaritans Samaritans (; ; ; ), are an ethnoreligious group originating from the Hebrews and Israelites of the ancient Near East. They are indigenous to Samaria, a historical region of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah that ...

regard

as the holiest day of the year. Its central theme is

atonement Atonement, atoning, or making amends is the concept of a person taking action to correct previous wrongdoing on their part, either through direct action to undo the consequences of that act, equivalent action to do good for others, or some othe ...

and

reconciliation Reconciliation or reconcile may refer to: Accounting * Reconciliation (accounting) Arts, entertainment, and media Books * Reconciliation (Under the North Star), ''Reconciliation'' (''Under the North Star''), the third volume of the ''Under the ...

. This is accomplished through prayer and complete fasting—including abstinence from all food and drink (including water)—by all healthy adults.Fasting begins at religious majority–age 13 for boys and age 12 for girls. Fasting is prohibited for a variety of medical reasons (''e.g.,'' for nursing mothers, diabetics, people with anorexia nervosa, etc.). Bathing, wearing of perfume or cologne, wearing of leather shoes, and sexual relations are some of the other prohibitions on ''Yom Kippur''—all them designed to ensure one's attention is completely and absolutely focused on the quest for atonement with God. ''Yom Kippur'' is also unique among holidays as having work-related restrictions identical to those of ''Shabbat''. The fast and other prohibitions commence on 10 ''Tishrei'' at sunset—sunset being the ''beginning'' of the day in Jewish tradition. A traditional prayer in

Aramaic Aramaic (; ) is a Northwest Semitic language that originated in the ancient region of Syria and quickly spread to Mesopotamia, the southern Levant, Sinai, southeastern Anatolia, and Eastern Arabia, where it has been continually written a ...

called ''

Kol Nidre Kol Nidre (also known as Kol Nidrei or Kol Nidrey; Aramaic: ''kāl niḏrē'') is an Aramaic declaration which begins Yom Kippur services in the synagogue. Strictly speaking, it is not a prayer, even though it is commonly spoken of as if it we ...

'' ("All Vows") is traditionally recited just before sunset. Although often regarded as the start of the ''Yom Kippur'' evening service—to such a degree that ''Erev Yom Kippur'' ("Yom Kippur Evening") is often called "Kol Nidrei Night"—it is technically a separate tradition. This is especially so because, being recited before sunset, it is actually recited on 9 ''Tishrei'', which is the day ''before'' Yom Kippur; it is not recited on ''Yom Kippur'' itself (on 10 ''Tishrei'', which begins ''after'' the sun sets). : The words of Kol Nidre differ slightly between Ashkenazic and Sephardic traditions. In both, the supplicant prays to be released from all personal vows made to God during the year, so that any unfulfilled promises made to God will be annulled and, thus, forgiven. In Ashkenazi tradition, the reference is to the coming year; in Sephardic tradition, the reference is to the year just ended. Only vows between the supplicant and God are relevant. Vows made between the supplicant and other people remain perfectly valid, since they are unaffected by the prayer. A ''

Tallit A tallit, taleth, or tallis is a fringed garment worn as a prayer shawl by religious Jews. The tallit has special twined and knotted fringe (trim), fringes known as ''tzitzit'' attached to its four corners. The cloth part is known as the ''beged ...

'' (four-cornered

prayer File:Prayers-collage.png, 300px, alt=Collage of various religionists praying – Clickable Image, Collage of various religionists praying ''(Clickable image – use cursor to identify.)'' rect 0 0 1000 1000 Shinto festivalgoer praying in front ...

shawl) is donned for evening and afternoon prayers–the only day of the year in which this is done. In traditional Ashkenazi communities, men wear the ''

kittel 220px, A kittel A ''kittel'' ( ) is a white linen or cotton robe worn by some religious Ashkenazi Jews on holidays, in the synagogue or at home when leading the Passover seder. Grooms sometimes wear kittels. It is also customary for Jews to be ...

'' throughout the day's prayers. The prayers on ''Yom Kippur'' evening are lengthier than on any other night of the year. Once services reconvene in the morning, the services (in all traditions) are the longest of the year. In some traditional synagogues prayers run continuously from morning until nightfall, or nearly so. Two highlights of the morning prayers in traditional synagogues are the recitation of '' Yizkor,'' the prayer of remembrance, and of liturgical poems ''( piyyutim)'' describing the temple service of ''Yom Kippur''. Two other highlights happen late in the day. During the ''

Minchah Mincha (, ; sometimes spelled Minchah, Minhah, Mincho or Minchuh) is the afternoon prayer service in Judaism. Etymology The name ''Mincha'', meaning "gift" or "offering", is derived from the meal offering that accompanied each sacrifice offered ...

'' prayer, the ''

'' reading features the entire

Book of Jonah The Book of Jonah is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Nevi'im ("Prophets") in the Hebrew Bible, and an individual book in the Christian Old Testament where it has four chapters. The book tells of a Hebrew prophet named Jonah, son of Amitt ...

. Finally, the day concludes with '' Ne'ilah,'' a special service recited only on the day of ''Yom Kippur''. Ne'ilah deals with the closing of the holiday, and contains a fervent final plea to God for forgiveness just before the conclusion of the fast. ''Yom Kippur'' comes to an end with the blowing of the ''

'', which marks the conclusion of the fast. It is always observed as a one-day holiday, both inside and outside the boundaries of the

. ''Yom Kippur'' is considered, along with 15th of Av, as the happiest days of the year (Talmud Bavli—Tractate Ta'anit). ''Erev Yom Kippur'' ''Erev Yom Kippur'' is considered a holiday in its own right. It is a mitzva to eat on ''Erev Yom Kippur'', with the sages saying that one who eats throughout ''Erev Yom Kippur'' and then fasts on ''Yom Kippur'' proper receives merit as though he had fasted twice. Slight liturgical changes are made to Shacharit, while more significant liturgical changes are made to Mincha. Men traditionally immerse in the mikvah on ''Erev Yom Kippur''.

''Sukkot''—Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles)

* ''Erev Sukkot'': 14 Tishrei * ''Sukkot'': 15–21 Tishrei (22 outside Israel) * The first day of Sukkot is (outside Israel, first two days are) full'' yom tov, ''while the remainder of Sukkot has the status of

Chol Hamoed ''Chol HaMoed'' (), a Hebrew phrase meaning "mundane of the festival", refers to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot. As the name implies, these days mix features of ''chol'' (mundane) and ''moed'' (festival). On Passover, ''Chol HaMoe ...

, "intermediate days". ''Sukkot'' ( or , ''sukkōt'') or ''Succoth'' is a seven-day

festival A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

, also known as the Feast of Booths, the Feast of Tabernacles, or just Tabernacles. It is one of the

(''shalosh regalim'') mentioned in the Bible. Sukkot commemorates the years that the Jews spent in the desert on their way to the Promised Land, and celebrates the way in which God protected them under difficult desert conditions. The word ''sukkot'' is the plural of the

word ''sukkah'', meaning booth. Jews are commanded to "dwell" in booths during the holiday. This generally means taking meals, but some sleep in the ''sukkah'' as well, particularly in Israel. There are specific

rules Rule or ruling may refer to: Human activity * The exercise of political or personal control by someone with authority or power * Business rule, a rule pertaining to the structure or behavior internal to a business * School rule, a rule tha ...

for constructing a ''sukkah''. Along with dwelling in a ''sukkah,'' the principal ritual unique to this holiday is use of the Four Species: ''lulav'' (palm), ''hadass'' (myrtle), ''aravah'' (willow) and ''etrog'' (citron). On each day of the holiday other than Shabbat, these are waved in association with the recitation of

Hallel Hallel (, 'Praise') is a Jewish prayer, a verbatim recitation from Psalms which is recited by observant Jews on Jewish holidays as an act of praise and thanksgiving. Types Full Hallel Full Hallel () consists of all six Psalms of the Hallel, in ...

in the synagogue, then walked in a procession around the synagogue called the ''Hoshanot''. The seventh day of the Sukkot is called Hoshanah Rabbah, the "Great ''Hoshanah"'' (singular of ''Hoshanot'' and the source of the English word hosanna). The climax of the day's prayers includes seven processions of ''Hoshanot'' around the synagogue. This tradition mimics practices from the

Temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. Accord ...

. Many aspects of the day's customs also resemble those of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Hoshanah Rabbah is traditionally taken to be the day of the "delivery" of the final judgment of Yom Kippur, and offers a last opportunity for pleas of repentance before the holiday season closes.

Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

* Shemini Atzeret: 22 Tishrei (combined with Simchat Torah in Israel) * Simchat Torah outside Israel: 23 Tishrei The holiday of Shemini Atzeret () immediately follows the conclusion of the holiday of Sukkot. The Hebrew word ''shemini'' means "eighth", and refers to its position on "the eighth day" of Sukkot, actually a seven-day holiday. This name reflects the fact that while in many respects Shemini Atzeret is a separate holiday in its own right, in certain respects its celebration is linked to that of Sukkot. Outside Israel, meals are still taken in the Sukkah on this day. The main notable custom of this holiday is the celebration of ''Simchat Torah'' (), meaning "rejoicing with the Torah". This name originally referred to a special "ceremony": the last

weekly Torah portion The weekly Torah portion refers to a lectionary custom in Judaism in which a portion of the Torah (or Pentateuch) is read during Jewish prayer services on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. The full name, ''Parashat HaShavua'' (), is popularly abbre ...

is read from

Deuteronomy Deuteronomy (; ) is the fifth book of the Torah (in Judaism), where it is called () which makes it the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. Chapters 1–30 of the book consist of three sermons or speeches delivered to ...

, completing the annual cycle, and is followed immediately by the reading of the first chapter of

, beginning the new annual cycle. Services are especially joyous, and all attendees, young and old, are involved. This ceremony so dominates the holiday that in Israel, where the holiday is one day long, the whole holiday is often referred to as ''Simchat Torah''. Outside Israel, the holiday is two days long; the name ''Shemini Atzeret'' is used for the first day, while the second is normally called ''Simchat Torah''.

Hanukkah—Festival of Lights

* Erev Hanukkah: 24

Kislev Kislev or Chislev (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard ''Kīslev'' Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ''Kīslēw''), is the third month of the civil year and the ninth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew c ...

* Hanukkah: 25 Kislev – 2 or 3

The story of Hanukkah () is preserved in the books of the First and

Second Maccabees 2 Maccabees, also known as the Second Book of Maccabees, Second Maccabees, and abbreviated as 2 Macc., is a deuterocanonical book which recounts the persecution of Jews under King Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the Maccabean Revolt against him. It c ...

. These books are not part of the

Tanakh The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. ''

apocryphal Apocrypha () are biblical or related writings not forming part of the accepted canon of scripture, some of which might be of doubtful authorship or authenticity. In Christianity, the word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to ...

books instead. The miracle of the one-day supply of

olive oil Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing whole olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea'', a traditional Tree fruit, tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin) and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking for frying foods, as a cond ...

miraculously lasting eight days is first described in the

Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

(Shabbat 21b), written about 600 years after the events described in the books of Maccabees. Hanukkah marks the defeat of

Seleucid Empire The Seleucid Empire ( ) was a Greek state in West Asia during the Hellenistic period. It was founded in 312 BC by the Macedonian general Seleucus I Nicator, following the division of the Macedonian Empire founded by Alexander the Great ...

forces that had tried to prevent the people of

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

from practicing Judaism. Judah Maccabee and his brothers destroyed overwhelming forces, and rededicated the

. The eight-day festival is marked by the kindling of lights—one on the first night, two on the second, and so on—using a special candle holder called a '' Hanukkiah'', or a ''Hanukkah menorah.'' Religiously, Hanukkah is a minor holiday. Except on Shabbat, restrictions on work do not apply.Some customs around cessation of work do exist–particularly work by women during the period the candles are burning. See, for example
Eliyahu Kitov, "Working on Chanukah"
retrieved November 8, 2012. Aside from the kindling of lights, formal religious observance is restricted to changes in liturgy. Hanukkah celebration tends to be informal and based on custom rather than law. Three widely practiced customs include: * Consumption of foods prepared in oil, such as potato pancakes or ''

sufganiyot ( or , ; : , Hebrew: , , or in Yiddish ) is a round jelly doughnut eaten around the world during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. The doughnut is deep-fried, injected with jam or custard, and then topped with powdered sugar. The doughnut rec ...

,'' commemorating the miracle of oil * Playing the game of

dreidel A dreidel, also dreidle or dreidl, ( ; , plural: ''dreydlech''; ) is a four-sided spinning top, played with during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. The dreidel is a Jewish variant on the teetotum, a gambling toy found in Europe and Latin America ...

(called a ''sevivon'' in Hebrew), symbolizing Jews' disguising of illegal Torah study sessions as gambling meetings during the period leading to the Maccabees' revoltThe game of dreidel itself, though, is likely of much later origin. See, for example
David Golinkin, "The Origin of the Dreidel" at myjewishlearning.com
, accessed November 8, 2012. * Giving children money, especially coins, called

Hanukkah gelt Hanukkah gelt ( '; ' 'Hanukkah money'), also known as gelt (), is money given as presents during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. It is typically given to children and sometimes teachers, often in conjunction with the game of Dreidel. In the 20t ...

. However, the custom of giving presents is of far more recent, North American, origin, and is connected to the

gift economy A gift economy or gift culture is a system of exchange where valuables are not sold, but rather given without an explicit agreement for immediate or future rewards. Social norms and customs govern giving a gift in a gift culture; although there ...

prevalent around North American

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

celebrations.Hanukkah and Christmas fall out during the same period of the year, but are not related religiously.

Tenth of Tevet

* Asarah B'Tevet: 10 Tevet The Tenth of Tevet (, ''Asarah B'Tevet'') is a minor fast day, marking the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem as outlined in 2 Kings 25:1 :And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about. This fast's commemoration also includes other events occurring on 8, 9 and 10 Tevet. This fast is observed like other minor fasts (see Tzom Gedalia, above). This is the only minor fast that can fall on a Friday under the current fixed

Jewish calendar The Hebrew calendar (), also called the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today for Jewish religious observance and as an official calendar of Israel. It determines the dates of Jewish holidays and other rituals, such as ''yahrzeits ...

Tu Bishvat—New Year of the Trees

* Tu Bishvat: 15

Tu Bishvat () (lit., "fifteenth of Shevat", as is the number "15" in Hebrew letters), is the new year for trees. It is also known as (''Ḥag ha-Ilanot,'' Festival of Trees), or (''Rosh ha-Shanah la-Ilanot,'' New Year for Trees). According to the

, it marks the day from which fruit

s are counted each year. Starting on this date, the biblical prohibition on eating the first three years of fruit ('' orlah'') and the requirement to bring the fourth year fruit ''(neta revai)'' to the

were counted. During the 17th century, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of

Safed Safed (), also known as Tzfat (), is a city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of up to , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and in Israel. Safed has been identified with (), a fortif ...

and his disciples created a short seder, called ''Hemdat ha‑Yamim,'' reminiscent of the seder that Jews observe on

, that explores the holiday's

Kabbalistic Kabbalah or Qabalah ( ; , ; ) is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. It forms the foundation of mystical religious interpretations within Judaism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal (). Jewi ...

themes. This Tu Bishvat seder has witnessed a revival in recent years. More generally, Tu Bishvat is celebrated in modern times by eating various fruits and nuts associated with the

. Traditionally, trees are planted on this day. Many children collect funds leading up to this day to plant trees in Israel. Trees are usually planted locally as well.

Purim—Festival of Lots

* Fast of Esther: normally 13

Adar Adar (Hebrew: , ; from Akkadian ''adaru'') is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the religious year on the Hebrew calendar, roughly corresponding to the month of March in the Gregorian calendar. It is a month of 29 days. ...

* Purim: 14 Adar * Shushan Purim: 15 Adar * In leap years on the Hebrew calendar, the above dates are observed in the Second Adar ''(Adar Sheni)''. The 14th and 15th of First Adar ''(Adar Rishon)'' are known as ''Purim Katan''

Purim Katan

''Purim Katan'' () (lit., "small Purim") is observed on the 14th and 15th of First Adar in leap years. These days are marked by a small increase in festivity, including a prohibition on fasting, and slight changes in the liturgy.

Ta'anit Esther–Fast of Esther

''Ta'anit Esther'' (), or "Fast of Esther", is named in honor of the fast of

Esther Esther (; ), originally Hadassah (; ), is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. According to the biblical narrative, which is set in the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus falls in love with Esther and ma ...

and her court as Esther prepared to approach the king unbidden to invite him and

Haman Haman ( ; also known as Haman the Agagite) is the main antagonist in the Book of Esther, who according to the Hebrew Bible was an official in the court of the Achaemenid Empire, Persian empire under King Ahasuerus#Book of Esther, Ahasuerus, comm ...

to a banquet. It commemorates that fast, as well as one alluded to later in the

Book of Esther The Book of Esther (; ; ), also known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as "the Scroll" ("the wikt:מגילה, Megillah"), is a book in the third section (, "Writings") of the Hebrew Bible. It is one of the Five Megillot, Five Scrolls () in the Hebr ...

, undertaken as the Jews prepared to battle their enemies. This fast is observed like other minor fasts (see Tzom Gedalia, above). While normally observed on 13 Adar, the eve of Purim, this fast is advanced to Thursday, 11 Adar, when 13 Adar falls on Shabbat.

Purim and Shushan Purim

Purim () commemorates the events that took place in the

. The principal celebrations or commemorations include:See . * The reading of the '' ''Megillah''''. Traditionally, this is read from a scroll twice during Purim–once in the evening and again in the morning. Ashkenazim have a custom of making disparaging noises at every mention of

's name during the reading. * The giving of ''Mishloakh Manot'', gifts of food and drink to friends and neighbors. * The giving of ''Matanot La'evyonim'', gifts to the poor and the needy. * The Purim meal (''Se'udat Purim'' or ''Purim Se'udah''). This meal is traditionally accompanied by consumption of alcohol, often heavy, although Jewish sages have warned about the need to adhere to all religious laws even in a drunken state.The requirement to drink at the Purim Se'udah does not create license for dangerous or immoral behavior. See ''Se'udat Purim'', as well as and Several customs have evolved from these principal commemorations. One widespread custom to act out the story of Purim. The Purim spiel, or Purim play, has its origins in this, although the ''Purim spiel'' is not limited to that subject. Wearing of costumes and masks is also very common. These may be an outgrowth of Purim plays, but there are several theories as to the origin of the custom, most related in some way to the "hidden" nature of the miracles of Purim.One common suggestion is that the custom comes from Esther's hiding her family background when first brought to the palace.). See See , for another theory. Purim carnivals of various types have also become customary. In Israel there are festive parades, known as ''Ad-D'lo-Yada'', in the town's main street. The largest and most renowned is in

Holon Holon (, ) is a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel, located south of Tel Aviv. Holon is part of the Gush Dan, Gush Dan metropolitan area. In , it had a population of , making it the List of cities in Israel, tenth most populous city in Isra ...

. Most Jews celebrate Purim on 14 Adar, the day of celebration after the Jews defeated their enemies. Because Jews in the capital city of Shushan fought with their enemies an extra day, Purim is celebrated a day later there, on the day known as , Shushan Purim. This observance was expanded to "walled cities", which are defined as cities "walled since the time of

Joshua Joshua ( ), also known as Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' Literal translation, lit. 'Yahweh is salvation'), Jehoshua, or Josue, functioned as Moses' assistant in the books of Book of Exodus, Exodus and ...

". In practice, there are no Jews living in Shushan (

Shush, Iran Shush () is a city in the Central District (Shush County), Central District of Shush County, Khuzestan province, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Shush is beside ancient Susa. Demographics ...

), and Shushan Purim is observed fully only in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

. Cities like

and

Tiberias Tiberias ( ; , ; ) is a city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel. A major Jewish center during Late Antiquity, it has been considered since the 16th century one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities, along with Jerusalem, Heb ...

also partially observe Shushan Purim. Elsewhere, Shushan Purim is marked only by a small increase in festivity, including a prohibition on fasting, and slight changes in the liturgy. Purim Meshulash If 15 Adar falls out on Shabbos, Jews in Jerusalem celebrate a unique 3-day Purim known as Purim Meshulash. The reading of the Megillah and the giving of ''Matanot L'evyonim'' occur on Friday; the Torah Reading for Purim is read on Shabbos and ''Al-Hanisim'' (the liturgical addition for Purim) is said; and the Purim Meal and the giving of ''Mishloach Manot'' occur on Sunday.

Pesach—Passover

* Erev Pesach and Fast of the Firstborn, ("Ta'anit Bechorot"): 14

* PesachThe text of the Torah itself uses the term ''Pesach'' to refer to the ''

Korban Pesach The Passover sacrifice (), also known as the Paschal lamb or the Passover lamb, is the sacrifice that the Torah mandates the Israelites to ritually slaughter on the evening of Nisan 14, before Passover of Nisan 15, and eat lamb on the first night ...

'', the offering of the paschal lamb, as well as the day that the sacrifice is offered—14 Nisan. See . The long pilgrimage festival of 15–21 Nisan is always called ''Ḥag haMatzot,'' or "Festival of Unleavened Bread"; see . This distinction is still made in Karaite Judaism and in Samaritanism. In conventional Rabbinic Judaism the term ''Pesach'' now commonly refers to the pilgrimage festival itself, although the text of the liturgy continues to use the name ''Ḥag haMatzot''. (

): 15–21 Nisan (outside Israel 15–22 Nisan) * The first day and last day of Passover (outside Israel, first two and last two days) are full '' yom tov'', while the remainder of Passover has the status of ''

'', "intermediate days". * Pesach Sheni (second Passover): 14

Iyar Iyar (Hebrew language, Hebrew: or , Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard ''ʾĪyyar'' Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ''ʾĪyyār''; from "Rosette (design), rosette; blossom") is the eighth month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei ...

Month of Nisan

As a rule, the month of Nisan is considered to be one of extra joy. Traditionally, throughout the entire month, Tahanun is omitted from the prayer service, many public mourning practices (such as delivering a

eulogy A eulogy (from , ''eulogia'', Classical Greek, ''eu'' for "well" or "true", ''logia'' for "words" or "text", together for "praise") is a speech or writing in praise of a person, especially one who recently died or retired, or as a term o ...

at a funeral) are eliminated, and voluntary

fasting Fasting is the act of refraining from eating, and sometimes drinking. However, from a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (before "breakfast"), or to the metabolic sta ...

is prohibited. However, practices sometimes vary.

Eve of Passover and Fast of the Firstborn

The day before Passover (''Erev Pesach,'' lit., "Passover eve") is significant for three reasons: * It is the day that all of the involved preparations for Passover, especially elimination of leavened food, or ''chametz'', must be completed. In particular, a formal search for remaining ''

chametz ''Chametz'' (also ''chometz'', ', ''ḥameṣ'', ''ḥameç'' and other spellings Transliteration, transliterated from ; ) are foods with leavening agents that are forbidden to Jews on the holiday of Passover. ''Chametz'' is a product that is b ...

'' is done during the evening of Erev Pesach, and all remaining ''chametz'' is finally destroyed, disposed of or nullified during the morning of Erev Pesach.See the Talmud tractate Pesaḥim in both the Mishnah and Gemara, among many sources. * It is the day observed as the Fast of the Firstborn (תענית בכורות). Jews who are firstbornExactly what this means is disputed. See Fast of the Firstborn (Qualifications for fasting). fast, in remembrance of the tenth plague, when God killed the Egyptian firstborn, while sparing the Jewish firstborn. This fast is overridden by a ''

seudat mitzvah A ''seudat mitzvah'' (, "commanded meal"), in Judaism, is an obligatory festive meal, usually referring to the celebratory meal following the fulfillment of a ''mitzvah'' (commandment), such as a ''bar mitzvah'', '' bat mitzvah'', a wedding, a ' ...

'', a meal celebrating the fulfillment of a commandment; accordingly, it is almost universal for firstborn Jews to attend such a meal on this dayThe Halachic authorities say that a meal associated with a

Brit milah The ''brit milah'' (, , ; "Covenant (religion), covenant of circumcision") or ''bris'' (, ) is Religion and circumcision, the ceremony of circumcision in Judaism and Samaritanism, during which the foreskin is surgically removed. According to t ...

is for sure a seudat mitzvah for these purposes, and they are debate whether a ''siyum'' is enough. Nevertheless, the common practice is to allow for a siyyum, a meal celebrating the conclusion of substantial study of Talmud, and this is what is usually done since there is great flexibility around scheduling such an event. so as to obviate their need to fast. * During the era of the Temple in Jerusalem, the ''

'', or sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb, was carried out the afternoon of 14 Nisan in anticipation of its consumption on Passover night. This is reflected in post-temple time through slight changes to the liturgy. When Passover starts on Sunday, and the eve of Passover is therefore Shabbat, the above schedule is altered. See Eve of Passover on Shabbat for details.

Passover

Passover (פּסח) ''(Pesach''), also known liturgically as חג המצות ''("Ḥag haMatzot"'', the "Festival of Unleavened Bread"), is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals (''shalosh regalim'') mentioned in the Torah. Passover commemorates

the Exodus The Exodus (Hebrew language, Hebrew: יציאת מצרים, ''Yəṣīʾat Mīṣrayīm'': ) is the Origin myth#Founding myth, founding myth of the Israelites whose narrative is spread over four of the five books of the Torah, Pentateuch (specif ...

, the liberation of the Israelite slaves from Egypt. No ''

'' ( leavened food) is eaten, or even owned, during the week of Passover, in commemoration of the biblical narrative in which the Israelites left Egypt so quickly that their bread did not have enough time to rise. Observant Jews go to great lengths to remove all ''chametz'' from their homes and offices in the run-up to Passover. Along with the avoidance of ''chametz'', the principal ritual unique to this holiday is the

seder The Passover Seder is a ritual feast at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted throughout the world on the eve of the 15th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar (i.e., at the start of the 15th; a Hebrew day begins at su ...

. The ''seder'', meaning "order", is an ordered ritual meal eaten on the first night of Passover, and outside Israel also on the second night. This meal is known for its distinctive ritual foods—

matzo Matzo is a spelling variant for matzah Matzah, matzo, or maẓẓah ('','' : matzot or Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashk. matzos) is an Unleavened bread, unleavened flatbread that is part of Jewish cuisine and forms an integral element of the Passover ...

(unleavened bread),

maror ''Maror'' ( ''mārōr'') are the bitter herbs eaten at the Passover Seder in keeping with the biblical commandment "with bitter herbs they shall eat it." ( Exodus 12:8). The Maror is one of the symbolic foods placed on the Passover Seder pla ...

(bitter herbs), and four cups of

—as well as its prayer text/handbook/study guide, the

Haggadah The Haggadah (, "telling"; plural: Haggadot) is a foundational Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder. According to Jewish practice, reading the Haggadah at the Seder table fulfills the mitzvah incumbent on every Jew to reco ...

. Participation in a Passover seder is one of the most widely observed Jewish rituals, even among less affiliated or less observant Jews. Passover lasts seven days in Israel, and eight days outside Israel. The holiday of the last day of Passover (outside Israel, last two days) commemorates the Splitting of the Red Sea; according to tradition this occurred on the seventh day of Passover.

Pesach Sheni

''Pesach Sheni'' (פסח שני) ("Second Passover") is a day prescribed in the Torah to allow those who did not bring the Paschal Lamb offering ''(Korban Pesach)'' a second chance to do so. Eligibility was limited to those who were distant from Jerusalem on Passover, or those who were ritually impure and ineligible to participate in a sacrificial offering. Today, some have the custom to eat matzo on Pesach Sheni, and some make a small change to the liturgy.

Sefirah—Counting of the Omer

* ''Sefirat HaOmer'' (Counting of the Omer): 16 Nisan – 5

Sivan ''Sivan'' (, from Akkadian ''simānu'', meaning "season; time") is the ninth month of the civil year and the third month of the religious year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a month of 30 days. ''Sivan'' usually falls in May–June on the Grego ...

Based on the source text at , normative Jewish practice identifies the start of the Omer period as the second day of Passover, or 16 Nisan. (See ) Based on the same source text, Karaite practice identifies this as the first Sunday on or after 16 Nisan, and therefore places Shavuot on the eighth Sunday on or after 16 Nisan—both as reckoned on the Karaite calendar. (See Karaite Judaism: Sephirath Ha‘Omer and Shavu‘oth.) ''Sefirah'' (lit. "Counting"; more fully, ''Sefirat HaOmer,'' "Counting of the Omer") (ספירת העומר), is the 49-day period between the biblical pilgrimage festivals of Passover and Shavuot. The Torah states that this period is to be counted, both in days and in weeks. The first day of this period is the day of the first grain offering of the new year's crop, an

omer Omer may refer to: __NOTOC__ * Omer (unit), an ancient unit of measure used in the era of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem * The Counting of the Omer (''sefirat ha'omer''), a 49 day period in the Jewish calendar People * A variant spelling of the g ...

barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...

. The day following the 49th day of the period is the festival of Shavuot; the Torah specifies a grain offering of

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

on that day. and Symbolically, this period has come to represent the spiritual development of the Israelites from slaves in the

polytheistic Polytheism is the belief in or worship of more than one Deity, god. According to Oxford Reference, it is not easy to count gods, and so not always obvious whether an apparently polytheistic religion, such as Chinese folk religions, is really so, ...

society of

Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...

to free,

monotheistic Monotheism is the belief that one God is the only, or at least the dominant deity.F. L. Cross, Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. A ...

people worthy of the

revelation Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...

of the Torah, traditionally said to have occurred on

. Spiritual development remains a key rabbinic teaching of this period. Sefirah has long been observed as a period of semi-mourning. The customary explanation cites a plague that killed 24,000 students of

Rabbi Akiva Akiva ben Joseph (Mishnaic Hebrew: ; – 28 September 135 CE), also known as Rabbi Akiva (), was a leading Jewish scholar and sage, a '' tanna'' of the latter part of the first century and the beginning of the second. Rabbi Akiva was a leadin ...

(BT ''

Yevamot Yevamot (, "Brother's Widow", also pronounced Yevamos, or Yavmus) is a tractate of the Talmud that deals with, among other concepts, the laws of Yibbum (, loosely translated in English as levirate marriage), and, briefly, with conversion to Jud ...

'' 62b).Neither the Torah nor the Talmud specifies Sefirah as a mourning period. However, there is evidence that this custom was in place by the era of the

Geonim ''Geonim'' (; ; also Romanization of Hebrew, transliterated Gaonim, singular Gaon) were the presidents of the two great Talmudic Academies in Babylonia, Babylonian Talmudic Academies of Sura Academy , Sura and Pumbedita Academy , Pumbedita, in t ...

, which ended around 1040 CE. See In broad terms, the mourning practices observed include limiting actual celebrations (such as weddings), not listening to music, not wearing new clothing, and not shaving or taking a haircut. There is a wide variety of practice as to the specifics of this observance. See Counting of the Omer (Semi-mourning). Lag BaOmer bonfire

Lag Ba'Omer

* Lag Ba'Omer: 18

''Lag Ba'Omer'' () is the 33rd day in the Omer count ( is the number 33 in Hebrew). By Ashkenazi practice, the semi-mourning observed during the period of Sefirah (see above) is lifted ''on'' Lag Ba'Omer, while Sefardi practice is to lift it ''at the end of'' Lag Ba'Omer. Minor liturgical changes are made on Lag Ba'omer; because mourning practices are suspended, weddings are often conducted on this day. Lag Ba'Omer is identified as the '' Yom Hillula (

yahrzeit Yahrzeit (, plural , ) is the anniversary of a death in Judaism. It is traditionally commemorated by reciting the Kaddish in synagogue and by lighting a long-burning candle. Name The word ''Yahrzeit'' is a borrowing from the Yiddish (), ul ...

)'' of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, one of the leading ''

Tannaim ''Tannaim'' ( Amoraic Hebrew: תנאים "repeaters", "teachers", singular ''tanna'' , borrowed from Aramaic) were the rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishnah, from approximately 10–220 CE. The period of the Tannaim, also refe ...

'' (teachers quoted in the Mishna) and ascribed author of the core text of

Kabbalah Kabbalah or Qabalah ( ; , ; ) is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. It forms the foundation of Mysticism, mystical religious interpretations within Judaism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ...

, the

Zohar The ''Zohar'' (, ''Zōhar'', lit. "Splendor" or "Radiance") is a foundational work of Kabbalistic literature. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah and scriptural interpretations as well as material o ...

. Customary celebrations include bonfires,

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors (Al fresco dining, ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event su ...

s, and bow and arrow play by children. Boys sometimes receive their first haircuts on Lag Ba'Omer, while Hasidic rebbes hold '' tishes'' in honor of the day. In Israel, Lag Ba'Omer is associated with the

Bar Kokhba revolt The Bar Kokhba revolt (132–136 AD) was a major uprising by the Jews of Judaea (Roman province), Judaea against the Roman Empire, marking the final and most devastating of the Jewish–Roman wars. Led by Simon bar Kokhba, the rebels succeeded ...

against the Roman Empire. In Zionist thought, the plague that decimated Rabbi Akiva's 24,000 disciples is explained as a veiled reference to the revolt; the 33rd day representing the end of the plague is explained as the day of Bar Kokhba's victory. The traditional bonfires and bow-and-arrow play were thus reinterpreted as celebrations of military victory. In this vein, the order originally creating the

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...

was issued on Lag Ba'Omer 1948, 13 days after Israel declared independence.

Shavuot—Feast of Weeks—Yom HaBikurim

* Erev Shavuot: 5

: 6 (and outside Israel: 7) Sivan ''

'' (), the Feast of Weeks, is one of the three pilgrimage festivals (''Shalosh regalim'') ordained in the Torah. Different from other biblical holidays, the date for Shavuot is not explicitly fixed in the Torah. Instead, it is observed on the day following the 49th and final day in the

counting of the Omer Counting of the Omer (, Sefirat HaOmer, sometimes abbreviated as Sefira) is a ritual in Judaism. It consists of a verbal counting of each of the 49 days between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot. The period of 49 days is known as the "omer p ...

. In the current era of the fixed

, this puts the date of Shavuot as 6 Sivan. In Israel and in Reform Judaism, it is a one-day holiday; elsewhere, it is a two-day holiday extending through 7 Sivan. According to Rabbinic tradition, codified in the Talmud at Shabbat 87b, the

Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (), or the Decalogue (from Latin , from Ancient Greek , ), are religious and ethical directives, structured as a covenant document, that, according to the Hebrew Bible, were given by YHWH to Moses. The text of the Ten ...

were given on this day. In the era of the Temple, there were certain specific offerings mandated for Shavuot, and Shavuot was the first day for bringing of Bikkurim to the Temple. Other than those, there are no explicit ''mitzvot'' unique to Shavuot given in the Torah (parallel to matzo on Passover or Sukkah on Sukkot). Nevertheless, there are a number of widespread customs observed on Shavuot. During this holiday the

portion containing the Ten Commandments is read in the synagogue, and the biblical

Book of Ruth The Book of Ruth (, ''Megillath Ruth'', "the Scroll of Ruth", one of the Five Megillot) is included in the third division, or the Writings ( Ketuvim), of the Hebrew Bible. In most Christian canons it is treated as one of the historical books ...

is read as well. It is traditional to eat dairy meals during Shavuot. In observant circles, all night Torah study is common on the first night of Shavuot, while in Reform Judaism, Shavuot is the customary date for Confirmation ceremonies.

Mourning for Jerusalem: Seventeenth of Tammuz and Tisha B'Av

The three-week period starting on 17 Tammuz and concluding after Tisha B'Av has traditionally been observed as a period of mourning for the destruction of

and the Holy Temple there.

Fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz

* Shiva Asar B'Tammuz: 17 Tammuz The Seventeenth of Tamuz (שבעה עשר בתמוז, ''Shiva Asar B'Tamuz'') traditionally marks the first breach in the walls of the Jerusalem during the Roman conquest in 70 CE, at the end of the

Second Temple The Second Temple () was the Temple in Jerusalem that replaced Solomon's Temple, which was destroyed during the Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC), Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 587 BCE. It was constructed around 516 BCE and later enhanced by Herod ...

period.The

Jerusalem Talmud The Jerusalem Talmud (, often for short) or Palestinian Talmud, also known as the Talmud of the Land of Israel, is a collection of rabbinic notes on the second-century Jewish oral tradition known as the Mishnah. Naming this version of the Talm ...

at ''

Ta'anit A ta'anit or taynis (Biblical Hebrew ''taʿaniṯ'' or צוֹם ''ṣom'') is a fast in Judaism in which one abstains from all food and drink, including water. Purposes A Jewish fast may have one or more purposes, including: * Atonement for si ...

'' 4:5 states that the walls were breached on this date during the

First Temple Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple (), was a biblical Temple in Jerusalem believed to have existed between the 10th and 6th centuries BCE. Its description is largely based on narratives in the Hebrew Bible, in which it was commis ...

period as well, notwithstanding the text of . According to tradition, this day has had negative connotations since Moses broke the first set of tablets on this day. The Mishnah cites five negative events that happened on 17 Tammuz.Mishna
''Ta'anit'' 4:6
(reference in Hebrew) This fast is observed like other minor fasts (see Tzom Gedalia, above). When this fast falls out on Shabbat, its observance is postponed until Sunday.

The Three Weeks and the Nine Days

* The Three Weeks: 17 Tammuz – 9 Av * The Nine Days: 1–9 Av * The Week of Tisha B'Av (beginning at the conclusion of Shabbat preceding Tisha B'Av) The period between the fasts of 17 Tammuz and 9 Av, known as the "Three Weeks" (Hebrew: בין המצרים, "between the straits"), features a steadily increasing level of mourning practices as Tisha B'Av approaches. Ashkenazi Jews refrain from conducting weddings and other joyful events throughout the period unless the date is established by Jewish law (as for a

bris The ''brit milah'' (, , ; "Covenant (religion), covenant of circumcision") or ''bris'' (, ) is Religion and circumcision, the ceremony of circumcision in Judaism and Samaritanism, during which the foreskin is surgically removed. According to t ...

or ''

pidyon haben The ''pidyon haben'' () or redemption of the first-born son is a mitzvah in Judaism whereby a Jewish firstborn son is "redeemed" with money. The redemption is attained by paying five silver coins to a kohen (a patrilineal descendant of the pr ...

)''. They do not cut their hair during this period. Starting on the first of Av and throughout the nine days between the 1st and 9th days of Av, Ashkenazim traditionally refrain from eating

meat Meat is animal Tissue (biology), tissue, often muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistory. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of vertebrates, including chickens, sheep, ...

and drinking

, except on Shabbat or at a ''Seudat Mitzvah'' (a

Mitzvah In its primary meaning, the Hebrew language, Hebrew word (; , ''mīṣvā'' , plural ''mīṣvōt'' ; "commandment") refers to a commandment Divine law, from God to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of disc ...

meal, such as for a bris or '' siyum''). They also refrain from bathing for pleasure. Sefardic practice varies some from this; the less severe restrictions usually begin on 1 Av, while the more severe restrictions apply during the week of Tisha B'Av itself. Subject to the variations described above,

continues to maintain the traditional prohibitions. In

, the

Rabbinical Assembly The Rabbinical Assembly (RA) is the international association of Conservative rabbis. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, an ...

's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards has issued several responsa (legal rulings) which hold that the prohibitions against weddings in this timeframe are deeply held traditions, but should not be construed as binding law. Thus, Conservative Jewish practice would allow weddings during this time, except on the 17th of Tammuz and 9th of Av themselves. Rabbis within

and

hold that halakha (Jewish law) is no longer binding and follow their individual consciences on such matters. Nevertheless, the rabbinical manual of the Reform movement encourages Reform rabbis not to conduct weddings on Tisha B'Av itself "out of historical consciousness and respect" for the Jewish community.

Tisha B'Av—Ninth of Av

* Tisha B'Av : 9 Av ''Tisha B'Av'' () is a major fast day and day of mourning. A Midrashic tradition states that the spies' negative report concerning the Land of Israel was delivered on Tisha B'Av. Consequently, the day became auspicious for negative events in Jewish history. Most notably, both the

, originally built by King

Solomon Solomon (), also called Jedidiah, was the fourth monarch of the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), Kingdom of Israel and Judah, according to the Hebrew Bible. The successor of his father David, he is described as having been the penultimate ...

, and the

of Roman times were destroyed on Tisha B'Av. Other calamities throughout Jewish history are said to have taken place on Tisha B'Av, including King

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...

's edict compelling the Jews to leave England (1290) and the Jewish expulsion from Spain in 1492. Tisha B'Av is a major fast. It is a 25-hour fast, running from sundown to nightfall. As on Yom Kippur, not only are eating and drinking prohibited, but also bathing, anointing, marital relations and the wearing of leather shoes. Work is not prohibited, as on biblical holidays, but is discouraged. In the evening, the

Book of Lamentations The Book of Lamentations (, , from its incipit meaning "how") is a collection of poetic laments for the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. In the Hebrew Bible, it appears in the Ketuvim ("Writings") as one of the Five Megillot ("Five Scroll ...

is read in the synagogue, while in the morning lengthy '' kinot,'' poems of elegy, are recited. From evening until noon mourning rituals resembling those of

shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

are observed, including sitting on low stools or the floor; after noon those restrictions are somewhat lightened, in keeping with the tradition that Messiah will be born on Tisha B'Av.Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 124 (Hebrew Wikisource)
While the fast ends at nightfall of 9–10 Av, the restrictions of the Three Weeks and Nine Days continue through noon on 10 Av because the Second Temple continued to burn through most of that day. When 9 Av falls on Shabbat, when fasting is prohibited, the fast is postponed until 10 Av. In that case, the restrictions of the Three Weeks and Nine Days end with the fast, except for the prohibition against eating meat and drinking wine, which extend until the morning of 10 Av.

Tu B'Av

* Tu B'Av: 15 Av ''Tu B'av'' (ט״ו באב), lit. "15th of Av", is a day mentioned in the Talmud alongside Yom Kippur as "happiest of the year". It was a day celebrating the bringing of wood used for the Temple Service, as well as a day when marriages were arranged. Today, it is marked by a small change in liturgy. In modern Israel, the day has become somewhat of an analog to

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...

Other fasts

Several other fast days of ancient or medieval origin continue to be observed to some degree in modern times. Such continued observance is usually by Orthodox Jews only, and is not universal today even among Orthodox Jews.Private fasts are beyond the scope of this article. * Fasts for droughts and other public troubles. Much of the Talmudic tractate ''Ta'anit'' is devoted to the proclamation and execution of public fasts. The most detailed description refers to fasts in times of

drought A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...

in the Land of Israel. Apparently these fasts included a '' Ne'ilah'' (closing) prayer, a prayer now reserved for recitation on Yom Kippur only. :While the specific fasts described in the Mishnah fell into disuse once Jews were exiled from the land of Israel, various Jewish communities have declared fasts over the years, using these as a model. Two examples include a fast among Polish Jews commemorating the massacre of Jews during the

Khmelnytsky Uprising The Khmelnytsky Uprising, also known as the Cossack–Polish War, Khmelnytsky insurrection, or the National Liberation War, was a Cossack uprisings, Cossack rebellion that took place between 1648 and 1657 in the eastern territories of the Poli ...

and one among Russian Jews during anti-Jewish pogroms of the 1880s. :Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the

Chief Rabbinate of Israel The Chief Rabbinate of Israel (, ''Ha-Rabbanut Ha-Rashit Li-Yisra'el'') is recognized by law as the supreme rabbinic authority for Judaism in Israel. It was established in 1921 under the British Mandate, and today operates on the basis of the ...

has urged fasting in times of drought. * ''

Fast of Behav The Fast of Behav (תענית בה"ב) refers to a tradition of Ashkenazic Jews to fast on the Monday, Thursday, and then following Monday after the holidays of Sukkot and Pesach. While today very few people fast, many Ashkenazic communities r ...

'' (בה"ב). The fasts of ''bet-hey-bet''—Monday-Thursday-Monday—were established as a vehicle for atonement from possible excesses during the extended holiday periods of Passover and Sukkot. They are proclaimed on the first Shabbat of the month of Iyar following Passover, and at some point in Marcheshvan following Sukkot. Based on the model of Mishnah ''Ta'anit'', they are then observed on the Monday, Thursday and Monday following the Shabbat on which they are announced. * '' Yom Kippur Katan'' ("little Yom Kippur"). These fasts originated in the sixteenth-century

community of

. They are conceptually linked to the sin-offerings that were brought to the Temple in Jerusalem on each

. These fasts are observed on the day before Rosh Chodesh in most months, and usually observed on the previous Thursday if Rosh Chodesh is on Shabbat or Sunday. * The Three Days of Darkness. While all Jews observe the fast on the 10th of Tevet, the Halacha also records optional fast days on the 8th and 9th days of Tevet, forming a collective "three days of darkness." The fast of the 8th of Tevet bemoans the translation of the Torah into Greek, while the reason for the fast on the 9th of Tevet was "unrevealed" (much debate exists among Rabbinic and academic scholars as to what event this fast commemorates).

Israeli/Jewish national holidays and days of remembrance

As a general rule, the biblical Jewish holidays (Sabbath, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot and Purim) are observed as public holidays in Israel. Chanukah is a school holiday, but businesses remain open. On Tisha B'Av, restaurants and places of entertainment are closed. Other Jewish holidays listed above are observed in varying ways and to varying degrees. Between the creation of the

in 1948 and the aftermath of the

Six-Day War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...

, the

Knesset The Knesset ( , ) is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Israel. The Knesset passes all laws, elects the President of Israel, president and Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister, approves the Cabinet of Israel, cabinet, and supe ...

, generally in consultation with the

, established four national holidays or days of remembrance: * ''Yom HaShoah:'' Holocaust Remembrance Day * ''Yom Hazikaron:'' Memorial Day * ''Yom Ha'atzmaut:'' Israel Independence Day * ''Yom Yerushalayim:'' Jerusalem Day The status of these days as ''religious'' events is not uniform within the Jewish world. Non-Orthodox,

Religious Zionist Religious Zionism () is a religious denomination that views Zionism as a fundamental component of Orthodox Judaism. Its adherents are also referred to as ''Dati Leumi'' (), and in Israel, they are most commonly known by the plural form of the fi ...

and Modern Orthodox

Jewish religious movements Jewish religious movements, sometimes called " denominations", include diverse groups within Judaism which have developed among Jews from ancient times. Samaritans are also considered ethnic Jews by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, although they a ...

accept these days as ''religious'' as well as ''national'' in nature. As a rule, these four days are not accepted as religious observances by most

Haredi Jews Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...

, including Hasidim. Some ''ḥaredim'' are opposed to the existence of the State of Israel altogether on religious grounds; others simply feel that there are not sufficient grounds under Jewish law to justify the establishment of new religious holidays. For details, see Haredim and Zionism. Observance of these days in Jewish communities outside Israel is typically more muted than their observance in Israel. Events held in government and public venues within Israel are often held in Jewish communal settings (synagogues and community centers) abroad. More recently, the Knesset established two additional holidays: * ''Yom HaAliyah'': Aliyah Day * A day to commemorate the expulsion of Jews from Arab lands and Iran Finally, the Israeli government also recognizes several ethnic Jewish observances with holiday status.

Yom HaShoah—Holocaust Remembrance Day

Yom HaShoah Yom HaZikaron laShoah ve-laG'vurah (), known colloquially in Israel and abroad as Yom HaShoah (, ) and in English as Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Holocaust Day, is observed as Israel's day of commemoration for the approximately six million Je ...

: (nominally) 27

''Yom HaShoah'' (lit. "Holocaust Day") is a day of remembrance for victims of the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

. Its full name is ''Yom Hazikaron LaShoah v'LiGevurah'' (lit. "Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day") (), and reflects a desire to recognize martyrs who died in active resistance to the

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

alongside those who died as passive victims. Its date, 27 Nisan, was chosen because it commemorates the

Warsaw Ghetto uprising The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was the 1943 act of Jewish resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto in German-occupied Poland during World War II to oppose Nazi Germany's final effort to transport the remaining ghetto population to the gas chambers of the ...

, the best known of the armed Jewish uprisings.The uprising began on 14 Nisan, Passover eve. There was sufficient opposition to the selection of that date for the memorial that its observance was moved to 27 Nisan, approximately halfway between the end of Passover and Yom Ha'Atzmaut, and still within the period of the uprising. See In contrast,

International Holocaust Remembrance Day The International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or the International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, is an list of minor secular observances#January, international memorial day on 27 January that memorialization, commemorates Holoca ...

is observed on January 27, the day the

Auschwitz-Birkenau Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...

camp was liberated in 1945. Places of public entertainment are closed throughout Israel in recognition of the day. Public

commemoration Commemoration may refer to: *Commemoration (Anglicanism), a religious observance in Churches of the Anglican Communion *Commemoration (liturgy), insertion in one liturgy of portions of another *Memorialization *"Commemoration", a song by the 3rd a ...

of Yom HaShoah usually includes religious elements such as the recitation of

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament. The book is an anthology of B ...

, memorial prayers, and

kaddish The Kaddish (, 'holy' or 'sanctification'), also transliterated as Qaddish, is a hymn praising God that is recited during Jewish prayer services. The central theme of the Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification of God's name. In the lit ...

, and the lighting of memorial candles. In Israel, the most notable observances are the State memorial ceremony at

Yad Vashem Yad Vashem (; ) is Israel's official memorial institution to the victims of Holocaust, the Holocaust known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (). It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; echoing the stories of the ...

and the sirens marking off a two-minute silence at 10:00 am. Religious Zionist and Modern Orthodox Jews generally participate in such public observances along with secular Jews and Jews who adhere to more liberal religious movements. Outside Israel, Jewish communities observe Yom HaShoah in addition to or instead of their countries' Holocaust Memorial Days. Probably the most notable commemoration is the

March of the Living The March of the Living (, ; ) is an annual educational program which brings students from around the world to Poland, where they explore the remnants of the Holocaust. On Holocaust Memorial Day observed in the Jewish calendar (), thousands of p ...

, held at the site of

, attended by Jews from all parts of the world. Outside Orthodoxy, a liturgy for Yom HaShoah is beginning to develop. The Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist prayer books all include liturgical elements for Yom HaShoah, to be added to the regular weekday prayers. Conservative Judaism has written a scroll, called ''Megillat HaShoah,'' intended to become a definitive liturgical reading for Yom HaShoah. The Orthodox world–even the segment that participates publicly in Yom HaShoah–has been reluctant to write a liturgy for the day, preferring to compose ''

Kinnot Kinnot (; also kinnos, kinoth, qinot, qinoth; singular kinah, qinah or kinnah) are Hebrew dirges (sad poems) or elegies. The term is used to refer both to dirges in the Hebrew Bible, and also to later poems which are traditionally recited by Jews ...

'' (prayers of lamentation) for recitation on

Tisha B'Av Tisha B'Av ( ; , ) is an annual fast day in Judaism. A commemoration of a number of disasters in Jewish history, primarily the destruction of both Solomon's Temple by the Neo-Babylonian Empire and the Second Temple by the Roman Empire in Jerusal ...

.Along with the ''ḥaredi'' resistance to new days of commemoration, there is a reluctance to introduce unnecessary mourning during the month of Nisan ( see above). In order to ensure that public Yom HaShoah ceremonies in Israel do not violate Shabbat prohibitions, the date for Yom HaShoah variesThese changes are not uniformly observed by communities outside Israel, where the ceremonies are not official in nature. And, in fact, sometimes observances outside of Israel are moved to nearby non-working days (like Sundays) to encourage participation. as follows: *If 27 Nisan occurs on a Friday, the observance of Yom HaShoah is advanced to the previous day (Thursday, 26 Nisan). *If 27 Nisan occurs on a Sunday, the observance of Yom HaShoah is delayed to the following day (Monday, 28 Nisan).

Yom Hazikaron—Memorial Day

Yom Hazikaron Yom HaZikaron (), in full, ''Yom HaZikaron LeHalelei Ma'arkhot Yisrael ul'Nifge'ei Pe'ulot HaEivah'' (), is Israel's official day of remembrance for fallen Israeli soldiers and terrorism victims, enacted into Israeli law in 1963. While Yom H ...

: (nominally) 4

''Yom Hazikaron'' (lit. "Memorial Day") is a day of remembrance of the fallen of Israel's wars. During the first years of Israel's independence, this remembrance was observed on Yom Ha'atzmaut (Independence Day) itself. However, by 1951, the memorial observance was separated from the festive celebration of Independence Day and moved to its current date, the day before Yom Ha'atzmaut.Memorial Day for Israel's Fallen Soldiers
Knesset official website. Retrieved April 25, 2012.As early as 1940, 4 Iyar had been established as a memorial day for victims of Arab attacks. See Since 2000, the scope of the memorial has expanded to include civilians slain by acts of hostile

terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...

. Its full name is now ("Day of Remembrance for the Fallen of the Battles of Israel and the Victims of Terror"). Places of public entertainment are closed throughout Israel in recognition of the day. Many schools, businesses and other institutions conduct memorial services on this day, and it is customary to visit the graves of fallen soldiers and to recite memorial prayers there. The principal public observances are the evening opening ceremony at the

Western Wall The Western Wall (; ; Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: ''HaKosel HaMa'arovi'') is an ancient retaining wall of the built-up hill known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount of Jerusalem. Its most famous section, known by the same name ...

and the morning services of remembrance at military cemeteries throughout the country, each opened by the sounding of sirens. The public observances conclude with the service at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl that serves as the transition to Yom Ha'atzmaut. Outside Israel, Yom HaZikaron observances are often folded into Yom Ha'atzmaut celebrations. Within Israel, Yom Hazikaron is always the day before Yom Ha'atzmaut, but that date moves to prevent violation of Sabbath prohibitions during the ceremonies of either day. See following section for details.

Yom Ha'atzmaut—Israel Independence Day

* Yom Ha'atzmaut: (nominally) 5 Iyar ''Yom Ha'atzmaut'' () is Israel's

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...

. Observance of this day by Jews inside and outside Israel is widespread, and varies in tone from secular (military parades and barbecues) to religious (recitation of Hallel and new liturgies). Although Israel's independence was declared on a Friday, the Chief Rabbinate has long been mindful of the possibility of Yom Ha'atzmaut (and Yom Hazikaron) observances leading to violation of Sabbath prohibitions. To prevent such violations, the dates of Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha'atzmaut vary as follows: *If 4–5 Iyar occur on a Sunday-Monday, the observances are delayed to Monday-Tuesday, 5–6 Iyar. *If 4–5 Iyar occur on a Tuesday-Wednesday, the observances are not moved. *If 4–5 Iyar occur on a Thursday-Friday, the observances are advanced to Wednesday-Thursday, 3–4 Iyar. *If 4–5 Iyar occur on a Friday-Shabbat, the observances are advanced to Wednesday-Thursday, 2–3 Iyar. Nearly all non-''ḥaredi'' Jewish religious communities have incorporated changes or enhancements to the liturgy in honor of Yom Ha'atzmaut and suspend the mourning practices of the period of Sefirat Ha'Omer. (See Yom Ha'atzmaut—Religious Customs for details.) Within the Religious Zionist and Modern Orthodox communities, these changes are not without controversy, and customs continue to evolve. ''Ḥaredi'' religious observance of Yom Ha'atzmaut varies widely. A few ''ḥaredim'' (especially Sefardic Ḥaredim) celebrate the day in a reasonably similar way to the way non-''ḥaredim'' do. Most ''ḥaredim'' simply treat the day indifferently; ''i.e.,'' as a regular day. And finally others (notably Satmar Ḥasidim and

Neturei Karta Neturei Karta () is a List of Jewish anti-Zionist organizations, Jewish anti-Zionist organization that advocates Palestinian nationalism. Founded by and for Haredim and Zionism, Haredi Jews opposed to Zionism, it is primarily active in parts o ...

) mourn on the day because of their opposition to the enterprise of the State of Israel.

Yom Yerushalayim—Jerusalem Day

* Yom Yerushalayim: 28 Iyar Jerusalem Day () marks the 1967 reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli control during the

. This marked the first time in 19 years that the

Temple Mount The Temple Mount (), also known as the Noble Sanctuary (Arabic: الحرم الشريف, 'Haram al-Sharif'), and sometimes as Jerusalem's holy esplanade, is a hill in the Old City of Jerusalem, Old City of Jerusalem that has been venerated as a ...

was accessible to Jews, and the first time since the destruction of the

1897 years earlier that the Temple Mount was under Jewish political control. As with Yom Ha'atzmaut, celebrations of Yom Yerushalayim range from completely secular (including hikes to Jerusalem and a large parade through downtown Jerusalem) to religious (recitation of Hallel and new liturgies). Although Haredim do not participate in the liturgical changes, they are somewhat more likely to celebrate Yom Yerushalayim than the other modern Israeli holidays because of the importance of the liberation of the

and the

Old City of Jerusalem The Old City of Jerusalem (; ) is a walled area in Jerusalem. In a tradition that may have begun with an 1840s British map of the city, the Old City is divided into four uneven quarters: the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Arm ...

. Outside Israel, observance of Yom Yerushalayim is widespread, especially in Orthodox circles. It has not gained as widespread acceptance as Yom Ha'atzmaut, especially among more politically liberal Jews, because of the continuing conflicts over the future of the city. Yom Yerushalayim has not traditionally moved to avoid Shabbat desecration, although in 2012 the Chief Rabbinate began some efforts in that direction.

Yom HaAliyah—Aliyah Day

Yom HaAliyah Yom HaAliyah, or Aliyah Day (), is an Israeli national holiday celebrated annually on the tenth of the Jewish calendar, Hebrew month of Nisan to commemorate the Jews, Jewish people entering the Land of Israel which the Hebrew Bible says happene ...

: 10 Nisan Benjamin West - Joshua passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant - Google Art Project

Aliyah Day () is an Israeli national holiday celebrated annually on the tenth of Nisan. The day was established to acknowledge

Aliyah ''Aliyah'' (, ; ''ʿălīyyā'', ) is the immigration of Jews from Jewish diaspora, the diaspora to, historically, the geographical Land of Israel or the Palestine (region), Palestine region, which is today chiefly represented by the Israel ...

, immigration to the Jewish state, as a core value of the State of Israel, and honor the ongoing contributions of Olim (immigrants) to Israeli society. Immigration to Israel is a recognized religious value of Judaism, sometimes referred to as the

Gathering of Israel The Gathering of Israel (, ), or the Ingathering of the Jewish diaspora, is the biblical promise of , made by Moses to the Israelites prior to their entry into the Land of Israel. During the days of the Babylonian captivity, writings by the Israe ...

. The date chosen for Yom HaAliyah, 10 Nisan, has religious significance: it is the day on which Joshua and the Israelites crossed the Jordan River at

Gilgal Gilgal ( ''Gilgāl''), also known as Galgala or Galgalatokai of the 12 Stones ( or , ''Dōdekalithōn''), is the name of one or more places in the Hebrew Bible. Gilgal is mentioned 39 times, in particular in the Book of Joshua, as the place wher ...

into the Promised Land. It was thus the first documented "mass Aliyah". The alternative date observed in the school system, 7 Heshvan, falls during the week of the Torah portion in which God instructs

Abraham Abraham (originally Abram) is the common Hebrews, Hebrew Patriarchs (Bible), patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father who began the Covenant (biblical), covenanta ...

to leave his home and his family and go up to the Land of Israel. At the present time, observance of this day appears to be secular in nature.

Day to commemorate the expulsion of Jews from Arab lands and Iran

* Day to Mark the Departure and Expulsion of Jews from the Arab Countries and Iran: 30 November (on the Gregorian calendar) The Knesset established this observance in 2014. The purpose of this observance is to recognize the collective trauma of

Mizrahi Jews Mizrahi Jews (), also known as ''Mizrahim'' () in plural and ''Mizrahi'' () in singular, and alternatively referred to as Oriental Jews or ''Edot HaMizrach'' (, ), are terms used in Israeli discourse to refer to a grouping of Jews, Jewish c ...

during the period around the establishment of the State of Israel. Many Mizrachi Jews felt that their own suffering was being ignored, both in comparison to the suffering of European Jewry during the

and in comparison to the Palestinian

Nakba The Nakba () is the ethnic cleansing; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; of Palestinian Arabs through their violent displacement and dispossession of land, property, and belongings, along with the destruction of their s ...

. The Gregorian-calendar date chosen is the day after the

United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine was a proposal by the United Nations to partition Mandatory Palestine at the end of the British Mandate. Drafted by the U.N. Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) on 3 September 1947, the Pl ...

was adopted, as that date marked the beginning of concentrated pressure and hostility against the community. At the present time, observance of this day appears to be secular in nature.

National Remembrance Day for October 7 attack and Gaza war

* 24 Tishrei (25 Tishrei if 24 Tishrei coincides with Shabbat). The Israeli government established this national remembrance day in March 2024. It is designed to be a national remembrance day for those who died in the

October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel On October 7, 2023, Hamas and several other Palestinian militant groups launched coordinated armed incursions from the Gaza Strip into the Gaza envelope of southern Israel, the first invasion of Israeli territory since the 1948 Arab–Israeli ...

and the

Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...

as a whole.

Ethnic holidays

The Israeli government officially recognizes three traditional holidays of ethnic Jewish communities in Israel. These days are also observed by their respective communities outside Israel. * ''Mimouna'' began as a holiday among

Moroccan Jews Moroccan Jews (; ; ) are Jews who live in or are from Morocco. Moroccan Jews constitute an ancient community dating to Roman Empire, Roman times. Jews began immigrating to the region as early as 70 CE. They were much later met by a second wave o ...

, while similar celebrations also exist among

Turkish Jews The history of the Jews in Turkey ( or ; ; () covers the 2400 years that Jews have lived in what is now Turkey. There have been Romaniotes, Jewish communities in Anatolia since at least the beginning of the common era. Anatolia's Jewish popu ...

and

Persian Jews Iranian Jews, (; ) also Persian Jews ( ) or Parsim, constitute one of the oldest communities of the Jewish diaspora. Dating back to the History of ancient Israel and Judah, biblical era, they originate from the Jews who relocated to Iran (his ...

. These festivals are observed on the day after Passover, when the eating of ordinary food ("chametz") resumes. In Israel, the observance of Mimouna has spread widely in recent years; it has been estimated that up to two million Jews who live in Israel now participate in Mimouna celebrations. : On the evening concluding Passover,When this is Friday night in Israel, the celebration is deferred until after Shabbat. the celebration centers on visiting the homes of friends and neighbors, Jewish and non-Jewish. A variety of traditional foods are served, and symbols which represent good luck and prosperity are prominently displayed. The next day, barbecues and picnics are among the most widespread activities of the celebration. * The ''Seharane'' was celebrated by

Kurdish Jews Kurdistani Jews are the Mizrahi Jewish communities from the geographic region of Kurdistan, roughly covering parts of northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, northeastern Syria and southeastern Turkey. Kurdish Jews lived as closed ethnic communities ...

as a multi-day nature festival starting the day after Passover. Communities would leave their villages and camp out for several days, celebrating with eating and drinking, nature walks, singing and dancing. : Its observance was interrupted after the relocation of this community to Israel in the 1950s. In recent years it has been revived. But because of the already-widespread celebration of Mimouna in Israel, the celebration of the Seharane was moved to ''

. * The ''Sigd'' began among the

Beta Israel Beta Israel, or Ethiopian Jews, is a Jewish group originating from the territory of the Amhara Region, Amhara and Tigray Region, Tigray regions in northern Ethiopia, where they are spread out across more than 500 small villages over a wide ter ...

(

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

n) community as a variation of the observance of Yom Kippur. Currently that community now observes it in addition to Yom Kippur; its date is 29 Heshvan, 49 days after Yom Kippur. It shares some features of Yom Kippur, Shavuot, and other holidays. : The Sigd is modeled on a ceremony of fasting, study and prayer described in Nehemiah 8, when the Jews rededicated themselves to religious observance on return to Israel after the

Babylonian exile The Babylonian captivity or Babylonian exile was the period in Jewish history during which a large number of Judeans from the ancient Kingdom of Judah were forcibly relocated to Babylonia by the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The deportations occurre ...

. In Ethiopia, the community would gather on a mountaintop and pray for a return to Jerusalem. The modern Sigd is centered on a promenade overlooking the

. The day's observance ends with a celebratory break fast.

Notes

References

External links

Jewish Holidays Online
List of all Jewish holidays for the current year (or any given year)
Jewish holiday calendars & Hebrew date converter
Hebcal home page. Interactive Jewish calendar with candle lighting times and Torah readings.
Jewish Holidays
Hebcal. Major and Minor holidays and fasts for 6 Jewish year
Four-year calendar of major Jewish holidays; Summary Explanation of the Jewish Holidays
JewishColumbus
Jewish Holidays. Upcoming Holidays
links to others; at

Orthodox Union The Orthodox Union (abbreviated OU) is one of the largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. Founded in 1898, the OU supports a network of synagogues, youth programs, Jewish and Religious Zionist advocacy programs, programs f ...

.
JewishGen Jewish Festival Dates calculator of the dates of Jewish holidays

Patheos {{DEFAULTSORT:Jewish Holiday

Holiday A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...

Public holidays in Israel Religious holidays

General concepts

Groupings

Terminology used to describe holidays

"Work" on Sabbath and biblical holidays

Second day of biblical festivals

Holidays of biblical and rabbinic (Talmudic) origin

Shabbat—The Sabbath

Rosh Chodesh—The New Month

Rosh Hashanah—The Jewish New Year

Selichot

Rosh Hashanah

Four New Years

''Aseret Yemei Teshuva''—Ten Days of Repentance

''Tzom Gedalia''—Fast of Gedalia

''Yom Kippur''—Day of Atonement

''Sukkot''—Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles)

Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

Hanukkah—Festival of Lights

Tenth of Tevet

Tu Bishvat—New Year of the Trees

Purim—Festival of Lots

Purim Katan

Ta'anit Esther–Fast of Esther

Purim and Shushan Purim

Pesach—Passover

Month of Nisan

Eve of Passover and Fast of the Firstborn

Passover

Pesach Sheni

Sefirah—Counting of the Omer

Lag Ba'Omer

Shavuot—Feast of Weeks—Yom HaBikurim

Mourning for Jerusalem: Seventeenth of Tammuz and Tisha B'Av

Fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz

The Three Weeks and the Nine Days

Tisha B'Av—Ninth of Av

Tu B'Av

Other fasts

Israeli/Jewish national holidays and days of remembrance

Yom HaShoah—Holocaust Remembrance Day

Yom Hazikaron—Memorial Day

Yom Ha'atzmaut—Israel Independence Day

Yom Yerushalayim—Jerusalem Day

Yom HaAliyah—Aliyah Day

Day to commemorate the expulsion of Jews from Arab lands and Iran

National Remembrance Day for October 7 attack and Gaza war

Ethnic holidays

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links