Jewish Holidays 2021
Dates of major and minor Jewish holidays for 2021. 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 -, then the holiday begins at sundown on Sep 6 and ends at nightfall on Sep 8.
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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 | F | Celebration of Jewish deliverance as told by Megilat Esther |
| Pesach | ‑ Su‑M ‑ Tu‑F ‑ Sa‑Su |
Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread |
| Shavuot | ‑ M‑Tu | Festival of Weeks |
| Rosh Hashana | ‑ Tu‑W | The Jewish New Year |
| Yom Kippur | Th | Day of Atonement |
| Sukkot | ‑ Tu‑W ‑ Th‑M |
Feast of Booths |
| Shmini Atzeret | Tu | Eighth Day of Assembly |
| Simchat Torah | W | Day of Celebrating the Torah |
| Chanukah | ‑ M‑M | Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of rededication |
Minor holidays
| Holiday | Dates | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tu BiShvat | Th | New Year for Trees |
| Shushan Purim | Su | Purim celebrated in Jerusalem and walled cities |
| Pesach Sheni | M | Second Passover, one month after Passover |
| Lag BaOmer | F | 33rd day of counting the Omer |
| Tu B'Av | Sa | Minor Jewish holiday of love |
| Leil Selichot | Aug 28 Sa | Prayers for forgiveness in preparation for the High Holidays |
Minor fasts
| Holiday | Dates | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ta'anit Esther | Feb 25 Th | Fast of Esther |
| Ta'anit Bechorot | Mar 25 Th | Fast of the First Born |
| Tzom Tammuz | Jun 27 Su | Fast commemorating breaching of the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple |
| Tish'a B'Av | Su | The Ninth of Av |
| Tzom Gedaliah | Sep 9 Th | Fast of the Seventh Month |
| Asara B'Tevet | Dec 14 Tu | Fast commemorating the siege of Jerusalem |
Modern holidays
| Holiday | Dates | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Yom HaShoah | Th | Holocaust Memorial Day |
| Yom HaZikaron | W | Israeli Memorial Day |
| Yom HaAtzma'ut | Th | Israeli Independence Day |
| Yom Yerushalayim | M | Jerusalem Day |
| Yom HaAliyah | W | Recognizes Aliyah, immigration to the Jewish State of Israel |
| Sigd | Th | Ethiopian Jewish holiday occurring 50 days after Yom Kippur |
Special Shabbatot
| Holiday | Dates | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Shabbat Shirah | Sa | Shabbat of Song |
| Shabbat Shekalim | Sa | Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Adar |
| Shabbat Zachor | Sa | Shabbat before Purim |
| Shabbat Parah | Sa | Shabbat of the Red Heifer |
| Shabbat HaChodesh | Sa | Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Nissan |
| Shabbat HaGadol | Sa | Shabbat before Pesach |
| Shabbat Chazon | Sa | Shabbat before Tish'a B'Av (Shabbat of Prophecy/Shabbat of Vision) |
| Shabbat Nachamu | Sa | Shabbat after Tish'a B'Av (Shabbat of Consolation) |
| Shabbat Shuva | Sa | Shabbat that falls between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Shabbat of Returning) |
Rosh Chodesh
| Holiday | Dates | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rosh Chodesh Sh'vat | Th | Start of month of Sh'vat on the Hebrew calendar |
| Rosh Chodesh Adar | F | Start of month of Adar on the Hebrew calendar |
| Rosh Chodesh Nisan | Su | Start of month of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar |
| Rosh Chodesh Iyyar | M | Start of month of Iyyar on the Hebrew calendar |
| Rosh Chodesh Sivan | W | Start of month of Sivan on the Hebrew calendar |
| Rosh Chodesh Tamuz | Th | Start of month of Tamuz on the Hebrew calendar |
| Rosh Chodesh Av | Sa | Start of month of Av on the Hebrew calendar |
| Rosh Chodesh Elul | Su | Start of month of Elul on the Hebrew calendar |
| Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan | W | Start of month of Cheshvan on the Hebrew calendar |
| Rosh Chodesh Kislev | F | Start of month of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar |
| Rosh Chodesh Tevet | Sa | Start of month of Tevet on the Hebrew calendar |