Public holidays in Israel


Note: for exact dates in the Gregorian calendar see Jewish holidays 2000-2050.
Public holidays in Israel refers to national holidays officially recognized by the Knesset, Israel's parliament. The State of Israel has adopted most traditional religious Jewish holidays as part of its national calendar, while also having established new modern holiday observances since its founding in 1948. Of the religious and modern holidays below, some are bank holidays / federal holidays requiring all schools, government institutions, financial sector, and most retailers in Jewish Israeli society to be closed, while other holidays are marked as days of note or memorial remembrances with no breaks in public or private sector activities.
As is the case with all religious Jewish holidays, most public holidays in Israel generally begin and end at sundown, and follow the Hebrew calendar. Because of this, most holidays in Israel fall on a different Gregorian calendar date each year, which syncs every 19 years with the Hebrew calendar.
Shabbat, the weekly Sabbath day of rest, in Israel begins every Friday evening just before sundown, ending Saturday evening just after sundown. Most of the Israeli workforce, including schools, banks, public transportation, government offices, and retailers within Jewish Israeli society are shut down during these approximately 25 hours, with some non-Jewish retailers and most non-kosher restaurants still open.

Date in Hebrew calendarEnglish nameHebrew nameRange of dates in Gregorian calendarStatus
Every Friday evening before sundown to Saturday evening after sundownSabbathשבת
Shabbat
Every weekOfficial holiday with all schools, government institutions, public transportation and most retailers shut down.
Tishrei 1-2New Yearראש השנה
Rosh Hashanah
between Sept 5 & Oct 5Official holiday
Tishrei 3Fast of Gedaliahצום גדליה
Fast of Gedalia
Business as usual
Tishrei 10Day of Atonementיום כיפור
Yom Kippur
between Sept 14 & Oct 14Official holiday, businesses close around noon on the holiday's eve. Absolutely all businesses nationwide are closed. Virtually no traffic on the streets with the exception of emergency vehicles. Non-emergency services that normally operate on holidays, e.g. airports, border crossings, broadcasting stations etc. suspend their work for about 28–30 hours.
Tishrei 15Feast of Tabernaclesסוכות
Sukkot
between Sept 19 & Oct 19Official holiday
Tishrei 16-21Feast of Tabernaclesחול המועד סוכות
Chol HaMoed
between Sept 19 & Oct 19School holiday, collective paid leave in many businesses and government offices
Tishrei 22Simchat Torah/Shmini Atzeretשמחת תורה/שמיני עצרת
Simchat Torah/Shemini Atzeret
between Sept 26 & Oct 26Official holiday
Heshvan 12Rabin Dayיום רבין
Rabin Day
National remembrance day, business as usual
Heshvan 29Sigdסיגד
Sigd
Festival of the Ethiopian Jews, optional paid leave, business as usual
Kislev 6Ben-Gurion Dayיום בן-גוריון
Ben-Gurion Day
Day marked by the Knesset
Kislev 25-Tevet 2/3Hanukkahחנוכה
Hanukkah
between Nov 27 & Dec 27School holiday for the duration of the 8 day festival, business as usual
Tevet 10Tenth of Tevetצום עשרה בטבת
Tsom Asarah b-Tevet
Business as usual
Shvat 15Tu Bishvat ט"ו בשבט
Tu Bishvat
Business as usual
Adar 13Fast of Estherתענית אסתר
Ta`anit Ester
School holiday, Business as usual
Adar 14 & Purimפורים
Purim
between February 24 & March 26School holiday, optional paid leave
Nisan 10Aliyah Dayיום העלייה
Yom HaAliyah
between March & AprilOfficial holiday, Business as usual
Nisan 15Passoverפסח
Pesach
between March 26 & April 25Official holiday
Nisan 16-20Passover חול המועד פסח
Chol HaMoed Pesach
between March 26 & April 25School holiday, collective paid leave in many businesses and government offices
Nisan 21Seventh day of Passoverשביעי של פסח
Shvi'i shel Pesach
between April 1 & May 1Official holiday
Nisan 22Mimounaמימונה
Mimouna
between April 1 & May 1Unpaid leave upon request
Nisan 27Holocaust Remembrance Dayיום הזיכרון לשואה ולגבורה
Yom HaZikaron LaShoah VeLaGevurah
between April 7 & May 7National remembrance day, business as usual except places of public entertainment
Varies Victory in Europe Dayיום הניצחון על גרמניה הנאצית Victory in Europe DayMay 9National remembrance day, business as usual
Iyar 4Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Dayיום הזיכרון לחללי מערכות ישראל ונפגעי פעולות האיבה
Yom Hazikaron
between April 14 & May 14National remembrance day, business as usual except places of public entertainment
Iyar 5Independence Dayיום העצמאות
Yom Ha-Atzmaut
between April 15 & May 15.Official Holiday
Iyar 10Herzl Dayיום הרצל
Herzl Day
Day marked by the Knesset
Iyar 18Lag BaOmerל"ג בעומר
Lag Ba'omer
School holiday
June 11Jerusalem Dayיום ירושלים
Yom Yerushalayim
Optional paid leave
Sivan 6Shavuotשבועות
Shavuot
between May 15 & June 14Official holiday
Tammuz 17Seventeenth of Tammuz, fastשבעה עשר בתמוז
Tsom Shiva` Asar b-Tammuz
Business as usual
Tammuz 29Jabotinsky Dayיום ז'בוטינסקי
Jabotinsky Day
Day marked by the Knesset
Av 9Tisha B'Av, fastתשעה באב
Tisha B'Av
Optional paid leave, business as usual except places of public entertainment
Av 15Tu B'Av ט"ו באב
Tu B'Av
Business as usual