For exact dates in the Gregorian calendar see Jewish and Israeli holidays 2000–2050.
Public holidays in Israel are national holidays officially recognized by the Knesset, Israel's parliament. The State of Israel has adopted most traditional religious Jewish holidays as part of its national calendar, while also having established new modern holiday observances since its founding in 1948. Additionally, Christians,[1] Muslims,[2] and Druze[3] have the right to Holiday leave on the holidays of their own religions. Of the religious and modern holidays below, some are bank holidays / national holidays requiring all schools, government institutions, financial sector, and most retailers in Jewish Israeli society to be closed, while other holidays are marked as days of note or memorial remembrances with no breaks in public or private sector activities.
As is the case with all religious Jewish holidays, most public holidays in Israel generally begin and end at sundown, and follow the Hebrew calendar. Because of this, most holidays in Israel fall on a different Gregorian calendar date each year, which syncs every 19 years with the Hebrew calendar.
Shabbat, the weekly Sabbath day of rest, in Israel begins every Friday evening just before sundown, ending Saturday evening just after sundown. Most of the Israeli workforce, including schools, banks, public transportation, government offices, and retailers within Jewish Israeli society are shut down during these approximately 25 hours, with some non-Jewish retailers and most non-kosher restaurants still open.
Jewish holidays are defined by the Hebrew calendar. Christian holidays are defined by the Gregorian calendar for Catholics and the Julian calendar for Orthodox. Druze holidays are also defined by the Gregorian calendar, with the sole exception of Eid al-Adha which is also celebrated by Muslims (and therefore defined by the Lunar Hijri calendar). Secular observances which are common to all religions are defined by the Hebrew calendar if they are of a uniquely national nature (such as Yom Ha-Atzmaut), and by the Gregorian calendar if they are of a global or international nature (such as Victory in Europe Day).
Because the Hebrew calendar no longer relies on observation but is now governed by precise mathematical rules, it is possible to provide the Gregorian calendar date on which a Hebrew calendar date will fall, and vice-versa.
| Date/Range of dates in the Hebrew calendar | Date/Range of dates in Gregorian calendar | English name | Hebrew name | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Every Friday evening before sundown to Saturday evening after sundown | Sabbath | שבת Shabbat | Official holiday with all schools, government institutions, public transportation and most retailers shut down | |
| Tishrei 1-2 | between Sep 5 & Oct 5 | New Year | Official holiday (2 days) | |
| Tishrei 3 | Fast of Gedaliah | צום גדליה Fast of Gedalia | Business as usual | |
| Tishrei 10 | between Sep 14 & Oct 14 | Day of Atonement | יום כיפור Yom Kippur | Official holiday, businesses close around noon on the holiday's eve. Absolutely all businesses nationwide are closed. Virtually no traffic on the streets with the exception of emergency vehicles. Exceptions in Arab areas. Non-emergency services that normally operate on holidays, e.g. airports, border crossings, broadcasting stations etc. suspend their work for about 28–30 hours. |
| Tishrei 15 | between Sep 19 & Oct 19 | Feast of Tabernacles | סוכות Sukkot | Official holiday |
| Tishrei 16-21 | between Sep 20 & Oct 25 | Feast of Tabernacles | חול המועד סוכות Chol HaMoed | School holiday, collective paid leave in many businesses and government offices |
| Tishrei 22 | between Sep 26 & Oct 26 | Simchat Torah/Shmini Atzeret | שמחת תורה/שמיני עצרת Simchat Torah/Shemini Atzeret | Official holiday |
| Tishrei 24 | October | Iron Sword War Memorial Day | יום הזיכרון לחללי מלחמת חרבות ברזל | Memorial day |
| Heshvan 12 | Rabin Day | יום רבין Rabin Day | National remembrance day, business as usual | |
| Heshvan 29 | Sigd | סיגד Sigd | Festival of the Ethiopian Jews, optional paid leave, business as usual | |
| Kislev 6 | Ben-Gurion Day | יום בן-גוריון Ben-Gurion Day | Day marked by the Knesset | |
| Kislev 25-Tevet 2/3 | between Nov 27 & Dec 27 | Hanukkah | חנוכה Hanukkah | School holiday for the duration of the 8 day festival, business as usual |
| Dec 25-26 (for Catholics) Jan 7-8 (for Orthodox) | Christmas | חג המולד Chag Hamolad | Recognized Christian holiday (2 days) | |
| Tevet 10 | Tenth of Tevet | צום עשרה בטבת Tsom Asarah b-Tevet | Business as usual | |
| Jan 1 | Civic New Year's Day | ראש השנה האזרחית Rosh Hashana HaEzrachit | Optional paid leave | |
| Jan 1 (Catholic) Jan 14 (Orthodox) | Christian New Year's Day | ראש השנה הנוצרית Rosh Hashana HaNotzrit | Recognized Christian holiday | |
| Jan 6 (Catholic) Jan 19 (Orthodox) | Epiphany | חג ההתגלות Chag HaHitgalut | Recognized Christian holiday | |
| Jan 25 | Ziyarat al-Nabi Al-Khadir | חג הנביא אל-ח'דר Chag HaNavi Al-Khadir | Recognized Druze Holiday | |
| Shvat 15 | Tu Bishvat (Arborial New Year) | ט"ו בשבט Tu Bishvat | Business as usual | |
| Adar 13 (in Adar II on leap years) | Fast of Esther | תענית אסתר Ta`anit Ester | School holiday, business as usual | |
| Adar 14 (in Adar II on leap years) | between Feb 24 & Mar 25 | Purim | פורים Purim | School holiday, optional paid leave; not observed in localities where Shusan Purim is observed |
| Adar 15 (in Adar II on leap years) | between Feb 25 & Mar 26 | Purim | שושן פורים Shushan Purim | School holiday, optional paid leave; observed only in certain cities that were walled in ancient times, such as Jerusalem, Tzfat, Tiberias, Hebron, & Shiloh |
| Nisan 10 | between Mar & Apr | Aliyah Day[4] | יום העלייה Yom HaAliyah | Official holiday, business as usual |
| Mar 8 | International Women's Day | יום האישה הבין־לאומי Yom HaIsha HaBeinleumi | Optional paid leave | |
| Between Mar 20 & Apr 23 (Catholic) Between Apr 2 & May 6 (Orthodox) | Friday before Easter (Good Friday) | יום ששי לפני פסחא Yom Shishi Lifnei Pascha | Recognized Christian holiday | |
| Between Mar 23 & Apr 26 (Catholic) Between Apr 5 & May 9 (Orthodox) | Easter Monday | יום שני לפסחא Yom Sheni LaPascha | Recognized Christian holiday | |
| Nisan 15 | between Mar 26 & Apr 25 | Passover | פסח Pesach | Official holiday |
| Nisan 16-20 | between Mar 27 & Apr 30 | Passover (intermediate days) | חול המועד פסח Chol HaMoed Pesach | School holiday, collective paid leave in many businesses and government offices |
| Nisan 21 | between Apr 1 & May 1 | Seventh day of Passover | שביעי של פסח Shvi'i shel Pesach | Official holiday |
| Nisan 22 | between Apr 2 & May 2 | Mimouna | מימונה Mimouna | Unpaid leave upon request[5] |
| Nisan 27 | between Apr 7 & May 7 | Holocaust Remembrance Day | יום הזיכרון לשואה ולגבורה Yom HaZikaron LaShoah VeLaGevurah | National remembrance day, business as usual except places of public entertainment |
| Iyar 4 | between Apr 14 & May 14 | Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day | יום הזיכרון לחללי מערכות ישראל ונפגעי פעולות האיבה Yom HaZikaron LeChalalei Ma'arachot Israel VeNifga'ei Peulot HaEyva | National remembrance day, business as usual except places of public entertainment |
| Iyar 5 | between Apr 15 & May 15 | Independence Day | יום העצמאות Yom Ha-Atzmaut | Official Holiday |
| Iyar 10 | Herzl Day | יום הרצל Yom Herzl | Day marked by the Knesset | |
| Apr 25-28 | Ziyara | חג הנביא שועייב Chag HaNavi Shu'ayb | Recognized Druze Holiday (3 days) | |
| May 1 | May 1 | אחד במאי Echad BeMay | Optional paid leave | |
| Iyar 18 | Lag BaOmer | ל"ג בעומר Lag Ba'omer | School holiday | |
| Iyar 28 | Jerusalem Day | יום ירושלים Yom Yerushalayim | Optional paid leave | |
| Between Apr 30 & Jun 3 (Catholic) Between May 13 & Jun 16 (Orthodox) | Ascension of Jesus | עליית ישו השמיימה Aliyat Yeshu Hashamaima | Recognized Christian holiday | |
| May 9 | Victory Day over Nazi Germany (Victory in Europe Day) | יום הניצחון על גרמניה הנאצית Yom HaNitzachon al Germania HaNatzit | National remembrance day, business as usual | |
| Between May 11 & Jun 14 (Catholic) Between May 24 & Jun 27 (Orthodox) | Pentecost Monday | יום שני לשבועות Yom Sheni LeShavuot | Recognized Christian holiday | |
| Sivan 6 | between May 15 & Jun 14 | Shavuot | שבועות Shavuot | Official holiday |
| Tammuz 17 | Seventeenth of Tammuz, fast | שבעה עשר בתמוז Tsom Shiva` Asar b-Tammuz | Business as usual | |
| Tammuz 20 | Herzl's Death Day | יום פטירת הרצל Yom Ptirat Herzl | Optional paid leave | |
| Tammuz 29 | Jabotinsky Day | יום ז'בוטינסקי Yom Jabotinsky | Day marked by the Knesset | |
| Av 9 | Tisha B'Av, fast | תשעה באב Tisha B'Av | Optional paid leave, business as usual except places of public entertainment | |
| Av 15 | Tu B'Av (Fifteenth of Av) | ט"ו באב Tu B'Av | Business as usual | |
| Date/Range of dates in Lunar Hijri calendar | English name | Hebrew name | Arabic name | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muharram 1 | Islamic New Year | ראש השנה המוסלמית Rosh HaShanah HaMuslemit | رأس السنة الهجرية | Recognized Islamic holiday |
| Rabi' al-awwal 12 | Mawlid | חג הולדת הנביא מוחמד Chag Huledet HaNavi Muhammad | مولد النبي | Recognized Islamic holiday |
| Shawwal 1-3 | Eid al-Fitr | עיד אל פיטר (חג סיום צום הרמדאן) Eid al-Fitr (Chag Siyum Tzom HaRamadan) | عيد الفطر | Recognized Islamic holiday (3 days) |
| Dhu al-Hijjah 10-13 | Eid al-Adha | עיד אל אדחא (חג הקורבן) Eid al-Adha (Chag HaKorban) | عيد الأضحى | Recognized Islamic and Druze holiday (4 days) |