Different astronomical events have been used since Biblical times to establish the Jewish definitions for the hours, days, months, and years. While the Gregorian calendar changes every year (May 25th is on a Monday one year, and a Tuesday the next), Jewish dates are always on the same day.
The Jewish Year is counted from the time of creation, so it is 5783, for the calendar beginning on Rosh Hashanah, which fell on September 26 and 27, 2022, and runs until September 15, 2023. Jewish holidays begin at sunset of the day before the first date shown below.
Another day to mention is the Shabbat, which is the weekly day of rest, lasting 25 hours—from Friday evening, just before sundown, to approximately an hour after sundown on Saturday night—each week.
| Holiday Information | 2024-2025 5785 | 2025-2026 5786 | 2026-2027 5786 | 2027-2028 5788 | 2028-2029 5789 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosh Hashanah The beginning of the Jewish Year; the first of the High Holy days; there are restrictions on work and travel | October 3-4 | September 23-24 | September 12-13 | October 2-3 | September 21-22 |
| Yom Kippur Day of Atonement, the most solemn day of the year; there are restrictions on work and travel | October 12 | October 2 | September 21 | October 11 | September 30 |
| Sukkot The Festival of Booths, commemorating the 40 years of wandering by the Jews on their way to the Promised Land; there are restrictions on work and travel for the first two days | October 17-18 | October 7-8 | September 26-27 | October 16-17 | October 5-6 |
| Shemini Atzeret An additional day at the end of the Sukkot; there are restrictions on work and travel | October 24 | October 14 | October 3 | October 23 | October 12 |
| Simchat Torah The Rejoicing of the Torah, celebrating the end of the public reading of the Torah, and introduces the start of another yearlong cycle; there are restrictions on work and travel | October 25 | October 15 | October 4 | October 24 | October 13 |
| Hanukkah The Festival of Lights; an 8-day festival celebrating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem | December 26 - January 2 | December 15-22 | December 5-12 | December 25-January 1 | December 13-20 |
| Passover Remembering Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage; there are restrictions on work and travel for the first two and last two days | April 23-30 | April 12-19 | April 2-9 | April 11-18 | March 31-April 7 |
| Shavuot Festival of Weeks, commemorating receiving of the Torah by Moses at Mt. Sinai and the revelation of the Ten Commandments; there are restrictions on work and travel | June 12-13 | June 2-3 | May 22-23 | May 31-June 1 | May 20-21 |
Sources: adl.org ; chabad.org ; cdn.fedweb.org