National Holidays in Israel: Celebrations and Traditions

  • History and tradition
  • 2024-10-09 10:00:00
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Israel celebrates several national holidays that are deeply rooted in its history, culture and spirituality. Here are some of the most significant national holidays in Israel:

Shabbat

1. Shabbat
שַׁבָּת
(Sabbath)

- When: Weekly, from Friday evening to Saturday evening.

   - Significance: The Jewish day of rest and worship.

Rosh Hashanah

2. Rosh Hashanah

ראש השנה
(Jewish New Year)

- When: Two days in early fall (Tishrei 1-2).

   - Significance: Marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year and the ten days of repentance.

Yom Kippur

3. Yom Kippur

יום הכיפורים
(Day of Atonement)


   - When: 10 days after Rosh Hashanah (Tishrei 10).

   - Significance: The holiest day in Judaism, dedicated to fasting, prayer, and repentance.

Sukkot Hebrew

4. Sukkot

חַג הַסֻּכּוֹת
(Feast of Tabernacles)

When: 7 days, starting five days after Yom Kippur (Tishrei 15-21).

   - Significance: Commemorates the Israelites' 40 years of wandering in the desert.

Simchat Torah Hebrew

5. Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

שמחת תורה
(Feast of Tabernacles)

- When: Immediately following Sukkot (Tishrei 22-23).

   - Significance: Shemini Atzeret is a day of assembly; Simchat Torah celebrates the conclusion and restart of the annual Torah reading cycle.
 

Hanukkah Hebrew

6. Hanukkah

חג החנוכה
(Festival of Lights)

- When: 8 days, starting on the 25th of Kislev.

   - Significance: Commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple and the miracle of the oil.
 

Tu Bishbat Hebrew

7. Tu Bishvat

ט"ו בִּשְׁבָט
(New Year for Trees)

- When: 15th of Shevat.

   - Significance: A Jewish holiday marking the new year for trees, often celebrated with tree planting and eating fruit.

Purim Hebrew

8. Purim

פורים

 When: 14th of Adar.

   - Significance: Celebrates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia, as recounted in the Book of Esther.

Purim Hebrew

9. Passover

פורים
(Pesach) 

- When: 7 or 8 days, starting on the 15th of Nisan.

   - Significance: Commemorates the Israelites' exodus from Egypt.

Purim Hebrew

10. Yom HaShoah

יום השואה
(yom ha-shoʾāh)


    - When: 27th of Nisan.

    - Significance: A day of remembrance for the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.

Yom Hazikaron Hebrew

11. Yom HaZikaron

יום הזיכרון לחללי מערכות ישראל ולנפגעי פעולות האיבה
(Memorial Day)

- When: 4th of Iyar.

    - Significance: Honors Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism.

Yom-Ha'atzmaut-hebrew

12. Yom Ha'atzmaut 

יום העצמאות
(Independence Day)


    - When: 5th of Iyar.

    - Significance: Celebrates the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
 

Lag-Baomer-hebrew

13. Lag BaOmer

ל"ג בעומר

- When: 18th of Iyar.

    - Significance: Commemorates the end of a plague among Rabbi Akiva's students and celebrates Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.

Shavuot-hebrew

14. Shavuot

שבועות
(Feast of Weeks)

- When: 6th of Sivan.

    - Significance: Celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
 

TishaBav-hebrew

15. Tisha B'Av

תשעה באב
(Ninth of Av)

  - When: 9th of Av.

    - Significance: A day of mourning the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem.
 

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These holidays reflect Israel's rich cultural and religious heritage, with the Jewish holidays being the primary public holidays observed nationwide.