by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.
[Yellow highlighting indicates the "High Holy Days" or "Days of Awe"; green highlighting indicates the three traditional "Pilgrimage Festivals."]
Hebrew Name of Feast Translation / Alternate Names |
(Gregorian Equiv.) |
Biblical Basis (esp. Lev 23 & Deut 16) |
Description / Historical Event Commemorated / How Celebrated |
Shabbat "Sabbath" |
(Fri eve - Sat eve) |
Gen 2:1-3; Exod 20:8-11; Lev 23:3; Deut 5:12-15 |
Day God "rested" or "ceased work" after finishing the creation of the world. |
Rosh Hashanah / Jewish New Year "Head of the Year"; Trumpets |
(Sept/Oct) |
Lev 23:23-25 | Anniversary of the completion of creation. Blowing of the Shofar (Ram's horn). |
Yom Kippur "Day of Atonement" |
(Sept/Oct) |
Lev 16:1-34; 23:26-32 | Tenth day after Rosh Hashanah; day of fasting and praying; holiest day in the Jewish year. |
Sukkot / Succoth / Booths "Season of Rejoicing"; Tabernacles |
(Sept/Oct) |
Lev 23:33-36; Deut 16:13-17 | Eight-day fruit-harvest festival; commemorates the Israelites' 40 years wandering in the Sinai desert. Book of Qoheleth read. |
Shemini Atzeret "Assembly of the Eighth (Day)" |
(Oct) |
Lev 23:36 | The "last great day"; an eight day of celebration at the end of Sukkoth. |
Simchat Torah "Rejoicing (in) the Torah" |
(Oct) |
[Ps 119] | Ends the annual cycle of Torah readings in the synagogue, and immediately begins again. |
Chanukkah / Hanukkah "Feast of Dedication"; Feast of Lights |
(Dec) |
[1Macc 4; 2 Macc 10] | Eight-day festival; recalls the rededication of the Temple (164 BCE) after the Maccabean revolt. Numbers 7 and Zech 2:14--4:7 are read. |
Tu B'Shevat / Tu Bishvat "15th (day of the month) of Shevat" |
(Jan/Feb) |
Lev 19:23-25 | "New Year for Trees" |
Purim "Feast of Lots" |
(Feb/March) |
Esther | Commemorates Queen Esther's defeat of a plan to slaughter all Persian Jews, ca. 400 BCE. Book of Esther read. Major party time, with noisemakers, costumes, etc.! |
Pesach "Passover" & "Unleavened Bread" |
(March/April) |
Exod 12:1-51; 23:14-19; Lev 23:4-14; Num 9:2-5; Deut 16:1-8 |
Eight-day barley-harvest festival; recalls Israelites' Exodus out of Egypt, ca. 1300 BCE. Song of Songs read. Seder meal held at home |
Sefirat Ha'omer "Counting of the Omer/Sheaves" |
(March/April) |
Lev 23:15-16 | Counting the 49 days between Pesach and Shavu'ot. |
Lag Ba'Omer "33rd (day) of (Counting) the Omer" |
(April/May) |
none | "Lag" is not really a word, but comes from the Hebrew letters L=30 and G=3. |
Shavu'ot "Festival of Weeks"; Pentecost |
(May/June) |
Lev 23:16-21; Deut 16:9-12 | Wheat-harvest festival; commemorates God's revelation of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Book of Ruth read. |
Tisha B'Av "9th (day of the month) of Av" |
(July/Aug) |
2 Kings 25:8-9; Jer 52:12 | Major fast day; commemorates the two destructions of the Jerusalem Temple (586 BCE & 70 CE). Book of Lamentations read. |
Tu B'Av "15th (day of the month) of Av" |
(July/Aug) |
none | Mildly festive day, esp. for unmarried girls; no clear historical background. |
Name | Hebrew Date | Biblical Basis | Historical Event Commemorated / How Observed |
Fast of Gedalia | Tishri 3 | 2 Kings 25:25-26 | Killing of Gedaliah, Jewish governor of Judah. |
Fast of Tevet | Tevet 10 | 2 Kings 25:4 | Beginning of the siege of Jerusalem (68 CE) |
Fast of Esther | Adar 13 | Esther 9:31 | Queen Esther's three-day fast before approaching King Ahasuerus. |
Fast of the Firstborn | Nisan 14 | Exod 12:29 | Last plague in Egypt; observed only by first-born males. |
Fast of Tammuz | Tammuz 17 | Zech 8:19 | Two captures of Jerusalem; followed by 3 weeks of mourning. |
Name | Hebrew Date | Historical Event Commemorated |
Yom HaShoah / "Day of the Shoah" | Nisan 27 | Six million Jews killed during the Holocaust and the heros of the resistance. |
Yom HaZikaron / "Memorial Day" | Iyar 4 or 3 | Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism (the day before Yom HaAtzmaut). |
Yom HaAtzmaut / "Independence Day" | Iyar 5 or 4 | Israel's Declaration of Independence in 1948 (moved up if Ayar 5 is a shabbat). |
Yom Yerushalayim / "Jerusalem Day" | Iyar 28 | Israel's capture/unification of all of Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of 1967. |
Covenants, Pillars, and Theologies of Ancient Judaism - another page on my website
Jewish Feasts/Holidays PPT - a PowerPoint presentation from one of my previous courses
The Jewish Calendar - from the Judaism 101 website
Image of Jewish Calendar - the one above is borrowed from http://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/temple/details/calendar.htm
Click here for a PDF version of this webpage
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April 15, 2022
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