The Yahrzeit + Anniversary Calendar helps you remember the anniversary of a loved one’s death on the Hebrew calendar each year. Here are answers to the questions we hear most often.
When do I light the yahrzeit candle?
On the Hebrew calendar, each day begins at sunset. So the yahrzeit begins on the evening before the date shown in your calendar. Most people light the yahrzeit candle that evening, around sundown, and let it burn for the full 24 hours.
Hebcal places the yahrzeit on the daytime (Gregorian) date. If you’d like a nudge to light the candle the night before, check the Calendar reminder day before option when you create your calendar. Hebcal can also send you an email reminder each year.
A yahrzeit that falls on Shabbat or a holiday is usually observed with the candle lit before Shabbat or the holiday begins. Please ask your rabbi about your community’s custom.
What does “After sunset” mean?
Check the After sunset box if your loved one passed away after sunset but before midnight. Because the Hebrew day begins at sunset, that time belongs to the next Hebrew date. If you’re not sure, it’s usually best to leave it unchecked, and confirm with family or a funeral home if you can.
I only know the Hebrew date
Use the Hebrew Date Converter to find the Gregorian date of death first, then enter that date on the Yahrzeit calendar. If you only have the date as Hebrew letters, for example from a gravestone, our guide to the numerical values of Hebrew letters can help you read it.
I don’t know the year
Hebcal needs a year to calculate the yahrzeit. For most months, using your best estimate of the year will give you the right date in future years.
The exceptions are deaths in Adar, Cheshvan or Kislev. Whether a year has two months of Adar, or whether Cheshvan and Kislev have 29 or 30 days, changes from year to year, and that can affect the yahrzeit. If the death was in one of these months, try to find the exact year. (Family records, an obituary or a gravestone often have it.)
Hebcal’s date is different from another website or my synagogue
That usually comes down to one of two things:
- The After sunset setting was different in one of the two places.
- The death was in Adar, Cheshvan or Kislev, where different communities follow different customs. Hebcal’s approach is explained in Adar, Cheshvan and Kislev anniversaries.
Some communities also observe the first yahrzeit differently. For all matters of halacha, consult your local rabbi.
How do I change or add names?
See how to make changes to a yahrzeit or anniversary calendar. If you have a long list of names, you can import them from a CSV file.
Can Hebcal calculate the end of shloshim or 11 months of Kaddish?
Not yet. Customs for counting these periods vary, so we recommend asking your rabbi.