Jewish Months and Their Holidays

Although the Jewish New Year begins at Rosh HaShanah, this is actually the seventh month of Tishri in the Jewish year. The first month of the Jewish calendar is Nisan, which is in the spring. The Jewish calendar actually has several different “new years” depending on its specific purpose.

The names of the months are of Babylonian origin and were named during the time of the Israelite exile in Babylon. Biblical Hebrew refers to months by number and not by name.

The Jewish months and their holidays are as follows:

1. Nisan
a. Pesach / Passover: 15 Nisan. This is an 8-day holiday
b. Yom HaShoah: 27 Nisan

2. Iyar
a. Yom HaZikaron: 5 Iyar
b. Yom Ha’Atzama’ut: 6 Iyar
c. Lag B’Omer: 18 Iyar
d. Yom Yerushalayim

3. Sivan
a. Shavout: 6 Sivan

4. Tammuz

5. Av
a. Tisha B’Av: 9 Av

6. Elul

7. Tishri
a. Rosh HaShanah: 1 Tishri. This is a 2-day holiday
b. Fast of Gedaliah: 3 Tishri
c. Kol Nidre: 9 Tishri
d. Yom Kippur: 10 Tishri
e. Sukkot: 15 Tishri. This is an 8-day holiday
f. Shemini Atzeret: 22 Tishri
g. Simchat Torah: 23 Tishri

8. Cheshvan

9. Kislev
a. Chanukkah: 25 Kislev. This is an 8-day holiday

10. Tevet

11. Shevat
a. Tu B’Shevat: 15 Shevat

12. Adar I / Adar II
a. Fast of Esther: 11 Adar
b. Purim: 14 Adar