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Jewish holidays

Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or Yamim Tovim (Hebrew: ימים טובים, romanizedyāmim ṭoḇim, lit.'Good Days', or singular Hebrew: יום טוב Yom Tov, in transliterated Hebrew [English: /ˈjɔːm ˈtɔːv, jm ˈtv/]),[1] are holidays observed by Jews throughout the Hebrew calendar.[Note 1] They include religious, cultural and national elements, derived from three sources: mitzvot ("biblical commandments"), rabbinic mandates, the history of Judaism, and the State of Israel.

For the Gregorian dates of Jewish holidays, see Jewish and Israeli holidays 2000–2050.

Jewish holidays occur on the same dates every year in the Hebrew calendar, but the dates vary in the Gregorian. This is because the Hebrew calendar is a lunisolar calendar (based on the cycles of both the sun and moon), whereas the Gregorian is a solar calendar. Each holiday can only occur on certain days of the week, four for most, but five for holidays in Tevet and Shevat and six for Hanukkah (see Days of week on Hebrew calendar).

General concepts[edit]

Groupings[edit]

Certain terms are used very commonly for groups of holidays.

Shabbat begins just before sundown Friday night. Its start is marked by the lighting of and the recitation of Kiddush over a cup of wine.

Shabbat candles

Shabbat ends at nightfall Saturday night. Its conclusion is marked by the prayer known as .

Havdalah

Yom HaShoah: Holocaust Remembrance Day

Yom Hazikaron: Memorial Day

Yom Ha'atzmaut: Israel Independence Day

Yom Yerushalayim: Jerusalem Day

Chabad holidays

Jewish greetings

Jewish and Israeli holidays 2000–2050

List of observances set by the Hebrew calendar

List of Gregorian Jewish-related and Israeli holidays

Religious festival

Yom Tov Torah readings

Brofsky, David. Hilkhot Moadim: Understanding the Laws of the Festivals. Jerusalem: Koren Publishers, 2013.

Greenberg, Irving. The Jewish Way: Living the Holidays. New York: Touchstone, 1988.

Renberg, Dalia H. The Complete Family Guide to Jewish Holidays. New York: Adama, 1985.

Strassfeld, Michael. The Jewish Holidays: A Guide and Commentary. New York: Harper & Row, 1985.

List of all Jewish holidays for the current year (or any given year)

Jewish Holidays Online

. Hebcal home page. Interactive Jewish calendar with candle lighting times and Torah readings.

Jewish holiday calendars & Hebrew date converter

Hebcal. Major and Minor holidays and fasts for 6 Jewish year

Jewish Holidays

. JewishColumbus

Four-year calendar of major Jewish holidays; Summary Explanation of the Jewish Holidays

links to others; at Orthodox Union.

Jewish Holidays. Upcoming Holidays

JewishGen Jewish Festival Dates calculator of the dates of Jewish holidays

Patheos

Jewish Holidays: A Primer