The Jewish Calendar

Israel has two calendars - the Western (Gregorian) calendar, and the Jewish religious (Lunar) calendar. Because Jewish holidays follow the Lunar calendar, the Western dates vary each year. A Jewish day begins at sundown, therefore celebrations commence in the evening, and not in the morning.

Even though the year is solar, the Jewish calendar follows lunar months, each with 29 or 30 days. Some scholars believe that lunar months derive from ancient nomadic calendars and solar years are the invention of agricultural societies; the Jewish calendar combines the two.

All the Biblical Feasts (Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot) begin on the full moon, in the middle of the month. Since 12 lunar months do not add up to one complete solar year, additional "leap months" are intercalated into the calendar in seven years out of a 19-year cycle.

The 30-day month is called maleh (full) and the 29-day month is called chaser (defective).

Religious Jewish year: 

starts on the 1st of the 1st month (Nisan) - Pesach

Civil Jewish year: 

starts on the 1st of the 7th month with Jewish New Year (Tishri) - Rosh Hashana

 

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From the book Remember Observe Rejoice © Petra van der Zande