Public holidays in Israel
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Note: for exact dates in the Gregorian calendar see Jewish holidays 2000-2050.
Israeli law appoints nine official holidays during the year. Of these, Independence Day is meant to be observed by all citizens, while others are Jewish religious holidays that non-Jewish communities can disregard. The school year has several optional formats approved by the Ministry of Education, one of which is chosen by the school principal in consideration of the local community's religion and tradition.
The following table shows school holidays observed by the majority of schools. Many businesses and government offices allow workers to choose an additional one or two days of leave from the list of non-official holidays. Collective leave is also a common habit in many businesses and government offices during Chol HaMoed. All holidays start at sunset, and workplaces typically close down on the afternoon of the holiday's eve. Some services resume their work the following evening, while most workers continue the holiday until the next morning.
Weekends in Israel are Friday to Saturday. The law designates 36 hours of weekly holiday from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning, but most businesses and offices are closed all day on Fridays. Non-Jewish people may choose Friday, Saturday, or Sunday as their main weekly holiday, while Jewish people may not work on Saturday, unless their workplace is open on Saturdays with a special permit.
| Date | English Name (note: the "local name" is more commonly used in English than the name listed under "English Name") | Local Name | Range of possible dates in Gregorian calendar for the present age | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tishrei 1-2 | New Year | ראש השנה Rosh Hashanah |
between Sept 5 & Oct 5 | Official holiday (2 days) |
| Tishrei 3 | Fast Day of Gedaliah | צום גדליה Fast of Gedalia |
Business as usual | |
| Tishrei 10 | Day of Atonement (Most Holy Day of the Year) | יום כיפור Yom Kippur |
between Sept 14 & Oct 14 | 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. 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 | Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) | סוכות Sukkot |
between Sept 19 & Oct 19 | Official holiday |
| Tishrei 16-21 | Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) | חול המועד סוכות Chol HaMoed |
between Sept 19 & Oct 19 | School holiday, collective paid leave in many businesses and government offices |
| Tishrei 22 | Assembly of the Eighth Day | שמחת תורה/שמיני עצרת Simchat Torah/Shemini Atzeret |
between Sept 26 & Oct 26 | Official holiday |
| Heshvan 12 | Yitzhak Rabin's Remembrance Day | יום הזיכרון ליצחק רבין Yom Hazikaron le Yitzhak Rabin |
National remembrance day with business as usual | |
| Heshvan 29 | Sigd | סיגד Sigd |
Festival unique to the Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jewish community), optional paid leave, business as usual | |
| Kislev 25-Tevet 2/3 | Feast of Rededication (First Day) | חנוכה Hanukkah |
between Nov 27 & Dec 27 | School holiday for the duration of the 8 day festival, business as usual |
| Tevet 10 | Tenth of Tevet Fast | צום עשרה בטבת Tsom Asarah b-Tevet |
Business as usual | |
| Shvat 15 | Fifteenth of Shvat (New Year for Trees) | ט"ו בשבט Tu Bishvat |
Business as usual | |
| Adar 13 | Fast of Esther | תענית אסתר Ta`anit Ester |
School holiday, Business as usual | |
| Adar 14 (Adar 15 in some places) | Memorial Feast for the Triumph of Esther | פורים Purim |
between February 24 & March 26 | School holiday, optional paid leave |
| Nisan 15 | Passover | פסח Pesach |
between March 26 & April 25 | Official holiday |
| Nisan 16-20 | Passover | חול המועד פסח Chol HaMoed Pesach |
between March 26 & April 25 | School holiday, collective paid leave in many businesses and government offices |
| Nisan 21 | Seventh day of Passover | שביעי של פסח Shvi'i shel Pesach |
between April 1 & May 1 | Official holiday |
| Nisan 22 | Mimouna | מימונה Mimouna |
between April 1 & May 1 | Employers must agree to grant an employee unpaid leave if asked[1] |
| Nisan 27 | Holocaust Remembrance Day | יום הזיכרון לשואה ולגבורה Yom HaZikaron LaShoah VeLaGevurah |
between April 7 & May 7 | National remembrance day, business as usual except places of public entertainment |
| May 9 | Victory Day on Nazi Germany | יום הניצחון על גרמניה הנאצית Victory Day (May 9) | National remembrance day, business as usual | |
| Iyar 4 | Fallen Soldiers Remembrance Day | יום הזיכרון לחללי מערכות ישראל ונפגעי פעולות האיבה Yom Hazikaron |
between April 14 & May 14 | National remembrance day, business as usual except places of public entertainment |
| Iyar 5 | Independence Day | יום העצמאות Yom Ha-Atzmaut |
between April 15 & May 15 | Official holiday |
| Iyar 18 | 33rd day of the `Omer | ל"ג בעומר Lag Ba'omer |
School holiday | |
| Iyar 28 | Jerusalem Day | יום ירושלים Yom Herut Yerushalayim |
Optional paid leave | |
| Sivan 6 | Feast of Weeks | שבועות Shavuot |
between May 15 & June 14 | Official holiday |
| Tammuz 17 | Seventeenth of Tammuz fast | שבעה עשר בתמוז Tsom Shiva` Asar b-Tammuz |
Business as usual | |
| Av 9 | Ninth of Av fast (Destruction of the 1st and 2nd Temples) | תשעה באב Tisha B'Av |
Optional paid leave, business as usual except places of public entertainment | |
| Av 15 | Fifteenth of Av (Festival of Love) | ט"ו באב Tu B'Av |
Business as usual |
See also
External links
References
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