Judaism
The Sabbath, or
Shabbat, is Friday evening to Saturday evening every week.
Certain fast days must be moved to Sunday if they fall on a Saturday.
Hebrew Calendar
The Hebrew calendar is luni-solar.
There are twelve lunar months in an ordinary year, and an intecalary month, Veadar,
inserted in embolismic years.
Each month contains 29 or 30 days.
Sometimes a day is added to Heshvan or deleted from Kislev.
A year with an extra day is called perfect, one with a day deleted is imperfect,
otherwise it is a common year.
Hebrew
Month | Number of days |
|---|
| Tishri
|
30 days
|
|
| Heshvan
|
29 (30 in a perfect year)
|
|
| Kislev
|
30 (29 in an imperfect year)
|
|
| Tebet
|
29 days
|
|
| Shebat
|
30 days
|
|
| Adar
|
29 days
|
|
| (Veadar)
|
30 in embolismic years only
|
|
| Nisan
|
30 days
|
|
| Iyar
|
29 days
|
|
| Sivan
|
30 days
|
|
| Tammuz
|
29 days
|
|
| Ab
|
30 days
|
|
| Elul
|
29 days
|
|
|
|
The number of the Hebrew year is the Gregorian year plus 3761.
The approximate date of the first of Tishri can be found by subtracting the epact from
September 24 after an ordinary year, or from October 24 after an embolismic year.
Days in the Hebrew calendar begin at sunset, not at midnight.
Some holy days must not occur on certain
days of the week, but this is referring to the next day that usually is considered
to begin at midnight.
The new year begins on or after the new moon after September 5.
When the new moon is on a Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday, the new year is moved to the
following day.
If the new moon occurs after 18:00, it is postponed one day (or two, if necessary to
avoid Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday).
If it occurs on Tuesday after 09:11 and 20 seconds in an ordinary year, it is moved to
the following Thursday.
If it occurs on Monday after 15:30 and 52 seconds in a year immediately following an
embolismic year, it is moved to Tuesday.
Once the beginning date is determined for the new year and the year following, the
length of the year, as determined by the difference, will show the lengths of the variable
length months.
| Length |
Begins on... |
The year is... |
|---|
| 353
|
Mon, Sat
|
ordinary, imperfect
|
|
| 354
|
Thu
|
ordinary, common
|
|
| 355
|
Mon, Thu, Sat
|
ordinary, perfect
|
|
| 383
|
Mon, Thu, Sat
|
embolismic, imperfect
|
|
| 384
|
Tue, Thu
|
embolismic, common
|
|
| 385
|
Mon, Thu, Sat
|
embolismic, perfect
|
|
|
|
Rosh Hashanah
The first ten days of Tishri are called the
High Holy Days or
Ten Days of Penitence.
 Rosh Hashanah, Tishri 1 (Sep 16, 2004). Must not fall on a Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday.
Jewish New Year.
The name means "head of the year".
On this day God opens three books.
The good are written in the Book of Life, the bad are inscribed for death, and for the
middle group judgement is suspended until Yom Kippur, leaving ten days to atone for wrongs.
Also known as
Feast of Trumpets.
Yom Kippur
Erev Yom Kippur, Tishri 9 (Sep 24, 2004). The eve of Yom Kippur. Michael Strassfeld states in
The Jewish Holidays: A Guide & Commentary that "apparently the rabbis sought to make this day partially festive,
reflecting their confidence that we shall be forgiven on Yom Kippur."
He goes on to describe the custom of kapparot.
An old custom is kapparot (atonements), a form of scapegoat ceremony
that involved taking a rooster or hen and twirling it around your head while
reciting a prayer asking that this chicken be killed in your stead. The chicken
was then slaughtered and given to the poor (who presumably could make use
of your sins, if not the food). This ceremony evoked much rabbinic opposition,
especially to its magical overtones (e.g., a white rooster was recommended
as particularly efficacious for kapparot). It still survives, though most
of those who observe it today have substituted money in a handkerchief for
a chicken.
Yom Kippur, Tishri 10 (Sep 25, 2004). Must not fall on a Friday or Sunday.
This is the most sacred Jewish festival, and is the only fast day prescribed by the Torah.
It is also known as the
Day of Atonement or
Fast of Expiation.
Sukkoth
Sukkoth, Tishri 15-23. It is a Jewish festival celebrating the harvest and commemorates the period after the
exodus from Egypt during which the Jews wandered in the wilderness.
It is celebrated for nine days by Orthodox and Conservative Jews outside of Israel, and
for eight days by Reform Jews and by Jews in Israel.
Sukkoth sometimes refers to only the first two days of Tabernacles and commemorates
the dwelling of the Israelites in booths in the wilderness.
Also known as
Feast of Booths, Feast of Ingathering, or
Feast of Tabernacles.
Hol Hamoed Sukkot, Tishri 17-20.
Hoshana Rabbah, Tishri 21 (Oct 6, 2004). It is the seventh day of the festival of Sukkoth.
Shemini Atzeret, Tishri 22 (Oct 7, 2004). It is the eighth day of the festival of Sukkoth, and is celebrated with a memorial service
for the dead, and prayers for rain in Israel.
The name is Hebrew for "eighth meeting".
Also known as
Feast of the Eighth Day.
Simhath Torah, Tishri 23 (Oct 8, 2004). It is the ninth day of Sukkoth, marking the annual completion of the reading of the
Torah in the synagogue, and the beginning of the annual repetition.
The name is Hebrew for "Celebration of the Torah".
Hanukkah
Hanukkah, Kislev 25 to Tebet 2. A Jewish festival of eight days commemorating the rededication of the Temple by the
Maccabees after their victory over the Syrians.
It is celebrated by lighting the menorah on each night of the festival.
The name is Hebrew for "a dedicating".
Also known as
Feast of Dedication, or
Feast of Lights.
Purim
In Shushan, the capital of Persia, King Ahasuerus married the beautiful Esther, and
made him his queen.
He was not aware that she was Jewish.
When Esther's cousin, Mordecai, annoyed the king's prime minister, Haman, the prime minister
became enraged and finally convinced the king that the Jews should all be put to death.
After a three day fast, Esther revealed to the king her identity as a Jew, and pleaded with
him so save her people.
The king spared the Jews, hung Haman, and made Mordecai his new prime minister.
Fast of Esther, Adar 14 (Mar 8, 2004). If Adar 13 is a Saturday, then the Fast of Esther will be observed on the preceding Thursday.
It will occur in Veadar in embolismic years.
It celebrates Queen Esther's fast to save the Jews of Persia in 6th century BC after
Ahasuerus made demands for the annihilation of her people.
Purim, Adar 14 (Mar 8, 2004). A Jewish festival for the patron saint of pastry cooks and confectioners commemorating the
deliverance of the Jews in Persia from destruction by Haman.
It is celebrated by reading the Book of Esther in the synagogue, and eating hamantaschen.
It will be observed in Veadar in embolismic years.
Also known as
Feast of Lots.
Shushan Purim, Adar 15 (Mar 9, 2004).
Omer
Fast of the Firstborn, Nisan 14 (Apr 6, 2004).
Passover, Nisan 15-22. Must precede the New Year by 163 days.
Commmemorates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, and is celebrated by the Seder ritual
and the eating of matzoth.
It is celebrated for eight days by Orthodox and Conservative Jews outside of Israel, and
for seven days by Reform Jews and Jews in Israel.
Moses and Aaron brought ten plagues upon Egypt.
In the last plague, the first born son of every house in Egypt was put to death by god,
with the exception of the Israelites, who the Lord would "pass over".
To commemorate this event which marks the start of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, a
ceremonial meal is eaten every year.
The holiday is named for the "Lord's passover", or
Pesach in Hebrew, but this word is only similar to the Hebrew for passover, and the
real meaning of pesach is unknown.
Probably the original Passover was an ancient pagan agricultural festival, but was adopted
into Judaism by associating it with the Exodus.
Omer, Nisan 16 to Sivan 5. The 49 days from the second day of Passover to the first day of Shabuoth.
Lag ba'Omer, Iyar 18 (May 10, 2004). Also known as
the Feast of Scholars.
Yom Yerushalim, Iyar 28 (May 20, 2004).
Pentecost (Shabuoth or Shavuoth), Sivan 6 (May 27, 2004). Must precede the New Year by 113 days.
A Jewish festival immediately following the seven weeks of the Omer.
It commemorates the giving of the Ten Commandments by God to Moses on Mount Sinai.
It is celebrated on both the sixth and seventh days of this month by Orthodox and
Conservative Jews outside Israel.
The name is Hebrew for "weeks".
Also known as
Feast of Weeks, and
Pentecost.[there is also a christian pentecost]
Other Days
Tzom Guedaliah, Tishri 3 (Sep 18, 2004). Fast of Guedaliah.
If it falls on a Saturday, it will be moved to the following Sunday.
Asar B'Tebet, Tebet 10 (Jan 5, 2004). A fast day commemorating the Siege of Jerusalem.
Tu B'Shevat, Shebat 15 (Feb 8, 2004). The New Year of the Trees.
Also known as
Hamishah Assar Be-Shebat or
Rosh Hashanah le-Ilanot.
Yom ha-Shoah, Nisan 27 (Apr 19, 2004). Holocaust Day.
Yom ha-Atsmaut, Iyar 5 (Apr 27, 2004). Israeli Independence Day.
Shiveah Asar B'Tammuz, Tammuz 17 (Jul 7, 2004). A fast commemorating the taking of Jerusalem.
If it falls on a Saturday, it is moved to the following Sunday.
Tishah B'Ab, Ab 9 (Jul 28, 2004). A fast commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples.
If it falls on a Saturday, it is moved to the following Sunday.
Selichot, Elul 26 (Sep 13, 2004).
Shabbat Shuvah, Tishri 8 (Sep 23, 2004).
Shabbat Shekalim.
Shabbat Zachor.
Shabbat Parah.
Shabbat HaGadol.
Shabbat Hazon.
Shabbat Nahamu.
Rosh Hodesh. The day of the new moon.
The eve of this day is called
Yom Kippur Qatan.
For more in-depth information, get
The Jewish Holidays: A Guide & Commentary by Michael Strassfeld.
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Jordan
