Jewish Holidays 5769 (2008-2009)

Jewish Holidays 2008-2009 (Hebrew year 5769)

Dates of major and minor Jewish holidays, observances and customs, holiday Torah readings.

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Rosh Hashana 🍏🍯

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 sunset - Wed, 1 Oct 2008 nightfall
1-2 Tishrei

The Jewish New Year. Also spelled Rosh Hashanah.

Tzom Gedaliah: Thu, 2 Oct 2008 dawn - nightfall

Jewish person in a tallit prayer shawl against dramatic sky

Yom Kippur ✡️

Wed, 8 Oct 2008 sunset - Thu, 9 Oct 2008 nightfall
10 Tishrei

Day of Atonement. The holiest day of the year in Judaism, traditionally observed with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer.

Lulav (date palm frond), hadass (myrtle), aravah (willow), and etrog (citron) on a red tablecloth

Sukkot 🌿🍋

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 sunset - Mon, 20 Oct 2008 nightfall
15-21 Tishrei

Feast of Booths. Also called the Feast of Tabernacles, the seven-day holiday is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals (Hebrew: שלוש רגלים, shalosh regalim).

Prayer shawl (tallit) with Torah scroll in a synagogue

Shmini Atzeret & Simchat Torah

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 sunset - Wed, 22 Oct 2008 nightfall
Dates listed are for Diaspora (outside of Israel)
22-23 Tishrei

Eighth Day of Assembly. Immediately following Sukkot, it is observed as a separate holiday in the Diaspora and is combined with Simchat Torah in Israel.

Shmini Atzeret: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 sunset - Tue, 21 Oct 2008 nightfall
Simchat Torah: Tue, 21 Oct 2008 sunset - Wed, 22 Oct 2008 nightfall

Menorah, doughnuts, chocolate coins and wooden dreidels

Chanukah 🕎

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 sunset - Mon, 29 Dec 2008 nightfall
25 Kislev - 2 Tevet

Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of rededication. Also known as the Festival of Lights, the eight-day festival is observed by lighting the candles of a hanukkiah (menorah).

Asara B’Tevet

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 dawn - nightfall
10 Tevet

Fast commemorating the siege of Jerusalem.

Tree planting growing on soil in child’s hand

Tu BiShvat 🌳

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 sunset - Mon, 9 Feb 2009 nightfall
15 Sh’vat

New Year for Trees. Tu BiShvat is one of four “New Years” mentioned in the Mishnah.

Purim 🎭️📜

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 sunset - Tue, 10 Mar 2009 nightfall
14 Adar

Celebration of Jewish deliverance as told by Megilat Esther. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination.

Ta'anit Esther: Mon, 9 Mar 2009 dawn - nightfall
Shushan Purim: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 sunset - Wed, 11 Mar 2009 nightfall

Traditional symbols on a seder plate for the Jewish festival of Passover

Pesach 🫓🍷

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 sunset - Thu, 16 Apr 2009 nightfall
Dates listed are for Diaspora (outside of Israel)
15-22 Nisan

Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Also called Chag HaMatzot (the Festival of Matzah), it commemorates the Exodus and freedom of the Israelites from ancient Egypt.

Pesach Sheni: Thu, 7 May 2009 sunset - Fri, 8 May 2009 nightfall

Crackling bonfire on a dark background, CC0, photo by Matheus Bertelli

Lag BaOmer 🔥

Mon, 11 May 2009 sunset - Tue, 12 May 2009 nightfall
18 Iyyar

33rd day of counting the Omer. The holiday is a temporary break from the semi-mourning period the counting of the Omer. Practices include lighting bonfires, getting haircuts, and Jewish weddings.

Days of the Omer: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 sunset - Sun, 8 Jun 2008 nightfall

Milk, bread, fruits and dairy products on wooden table

Shavuot ⛰️🌸

Thu, 28 May 2009 sunset - Sat, 30 May 2009 nightfall
Dates listed are for Diaspora (outside of Israel)
6-7 Sivan

Festival of Weeks. Commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.

Tish’a B’Av ✡️

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 sunset - Thu, 30 Jul 2009 nightfall
9 Av

The Ninth of Av. Fast commemorating the destruction of the two Temples.

Tzom Tammuz: Thu, 9 Jul 2009 dawn - nightfall

Tu B’Av ❤️

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 sunset - Wed, 5 Aug 2009 nightfall
15 Av

Minor Jewish holiday of love. Observed on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Av.

Modern holidays 🇮🇱

Modern Israeli holidays are national holidays officially recognized by the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Holiday	Starts	Ends	Hebrew Date
Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day	SundaySun, November 9Nov 9	MondayMon, November 10Nov 10	12 Cheshvan
Sigd	WednesdayWed, November 26Nov 26	ThursdayThu, November 27Nov 27	29 Cheshvan
Ben-Gurion Day	TuesdayTue, December 2Dec 2	WednesdayWed, December 3Dec 3	6 Kislev
Family Day	MondayMon, February 23Feb 23	TuesdayTue, February 24Feb 24	30 Sh’vat
Yom HaShoah	MondayMon, April 20Apr 20	TuesdayTue, April 21Apr 21	27 Nisan
Yom HaZikaron	MondayMon, April 27Apr 27	TuesdayTue, April 28Apr 28	4 Iyyar
Yom HaAtzma'ut	TuesdayTue, April 28Apr 28	WednesdayWed, April 29Apr 29	5 Iyyar
Herzl Day	SundaySun, May 3May 3	MondayMon, May 4May 4	10 Iyyar
Yom Yerushalayim	ThursdayThu, May 21May 21	FridayFri, May 22May 22	28 Iyyar
Jabotinsky Day	MondayMon, July 20Jul 20	TuesdayTue, July 21Jul 21	29 Tamuz

Rosh Chodesh 🌒

רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ, transliterated Rosh Chodesh or Rosh Hodesh, is a minor holiday that occurs at the beginning of every month in the Hebrew calendar. It is marked by the birth of a new moon.

Note: the first day of Tishrei is not considered Rosh Chodesh. The holiday that occurs on the 1st day of Tishrei is called Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. For the month of Tishrei, the major holiday of Rosh Hashana takes precedence over what would be a minor holiday.

Rosh Chodesh	Starts	Ends
Cheshvan	TuesdayTue, October 28Oct 28	ThursdayThu, October 30Oct 30
Kislev	ThursdayThu, November 27Nov 27	FridayFri, November 28Nov 28
Tevet	FridayFri, December 26Dec 26	SundaySun, December 28Dec 28
Sh'vat	SundaySun, January 25Jan 25	MondayMon, January 26Jan 26
Adar	MondayMon, February 23Feb 23	WednesdayWed, February 25Feb 25
Nisan	WednesdayWed, March 25Mar 25	ThursdayThu, March 26Mar 26
Iyyar	ThursdayThu, April 23Apr 23	SaturdaySat, April 25Apr 25
Sivan	SaturdaySat, May 23May 23	SundaySun, May 24May 24
Tamuz	SundaySun, June 21Jun 21	TuesdayTue, June 23Jun 23
Av	TuesdayTue, July 21Jul 21	WednesdayWed, July 22Jul 22
Elul	WednesdayWed, August 19Aug 19	FridayFri, August 21Aug 21

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