Jewish Holidays 2020

Dates of major and minor Jewish holidays for 2020. Each holiday page includes a brief overview of special observances and customs, and any special Torah readings.

All holidays begin at sundown on the evening before the date specified in the tables below. For example, if the dates for Rosh Hashana were listed as Sep 19-20, then the holiday begins at sundown on Sep 18 and ends at nightfall on Sep 20.

Major holidays

Holidays begin at sundown on the evening before the date specified.

Dates in bold are yom tov, so they have similar obligations and restrictions to Shabbat in the sense that normal "work" is forbidden.

Holiday	Dates	Description
Purim	Mar 10 Tu	Purim is one of the most joyous and fun holidays on the Jewish calendar
Pesach	Apr 9-10 Th‑F Apr 11-14 Sa‑Tu Apr 15-16 W‑Th	Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread
Shavuot	May 29-30 F‑Sa	Festival of Weeks, commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai
Tish'a B'Av	Jul 30 Th	The Ninth of Av, fast commemorating the destruction of the two Temples
Rosh Hashana	Sep 19-20 Sa‑Su	The Jewish New Year
Yom Kippur	Sep 28 M	Day of Atonement
Sukkot	Oct 3-4 Sa‑Su Oct 5-9 M‑F	Feast of Tabernacles
Shmini Atzeret	Oct 10 Sa	Eighth Day of Assembly
Simchat Torah	Oct 11 Su	Day of Celebrating the Torah
Chanukah	Dec 11-18 F‑F	The Jewish festival of rededication, also known as the Festival of Lights

Minor holidays

Holiday	Dates	Description
Tu BiShvat	Feb 10 M	New Year for Trees
Shushan Purim	Mar 11 W	Purim celebrated in Jerusalem and walled cities
Pesach Sheni	May 8 F	Second Passover, one month after Passover
Lag BaOmer	May 12 Tu	33rd day of counting the Omer
Tu B'Av	Aug 5 W	Jewish holiday of love, similar to Valentine's Day
Leil Selichot	Sep 12 Sa	Prayers for forgiveness in preparation for the High Holidays

Minor fasts

Holiday	Dates	Description
Asara B'Tevet	Jan 7 Tu Dec 25 F	Fast commemorating the siege of Jerusalem
Ta'anit Esther	Mar 9 M	Fast of Esther
Ta'anit Bechorot	Apr 8 W	Fast of the First Born
Tzom Tammuz	Jul 9 Th	Fast commemorating breaching of the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple
Tzom Gedaliah	Sep 21 M	Fast of the Seventh Month, commemorates the assassination of the Jewish governor of Judah

Modern holidays

Holiday	Dates	Description
Yom HaShoah	Apr 21 Tu	Holocaust Memorial Day
Yom HaZikaron	Apr 28 Tu	Israeli Memorial Day
Yom HaAtzma'ut	Apr 29 W	Israeli Independence Day
Yom Yerushalayim	May 22 F	Jerusalem Day
Yom HaAliyah	Oct 25 Su	Recognizes Aliyah, immigration to the Jewish State of Israel
Sigd	Nov 16 M	Ethiopian Jewish holiday occurring 50 days after Yom Kippur

Special Shabbatot

Holiday	Dates	Description
Shabbat Shekalim	Feb 22 Sa	Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Adar
Shabbat Zachor	Mar 7 Sa	Shabbat before Purim
Shabbat Parah	Mar 14 Sa	Shabbat of the Red Heifer
Shabbat HaChodesh	Mar 21 Sa	Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Nissan
Shabbat HaGadol	Apr 4 Sa	Shabbat before Pesach
Shabbat Chazon	Jul 25 Sa	Shabbat before Tish'a B'Av (Shabbat of Prophecy/Shabbat of Vision)
Shabbat Nachamu	Aug 1 Sa	Shabbat after Tish'a B'Av (Shabbat of Consolation)
Shabbat Shuva	Sep 26 Sa	Shabbat that falls between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Shabbat of Returning)

Rosh Chodesh

Holiday	Dates	Description
Rosh Chodesh Sh'vat	Jan 27 M	Beginning of new Hebrew month of Sh'vat
Rosh Chodesh Adar	Feb 25 Tu	Beginning of new Hebrew month of Adar
Rosh Chodesh Nisan	Mar 26 Th	Beginning of new Hebrew month of Nisan
Rosh Chodesh Iyyar	Apr 24 F	Beginning of new Hebrew month of Iyyar
Rosh Chodesh Sivan	May 24 Su	Beginning of new Hebrew month of Sivan
Rosh Chodesh Tamuz	Jun 22 M	Beginning of new Hebrew month of Tamuz
Rosh Chodesh Av	Jul 22 W	Beginning of new Hebrew month of Av
Rosh Chodesh Elul	Aug 20 Th	Beginning of new Hebrew month of Elul
Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan	Oct 18 Su	Beginning of new Hebrew month of Cheshvan
Rosh Chodesh Kislev	Nov 17 Tu	Beginning of new Hebrew month of Kislev
Rosh Chodesh Tevet	Dec 16 W	Beginning of new Hebrew month of Tevet