Holiday guide
Passover
Passover marks the Exodus from Egypt. It opens with the seder, a structured meal built around the Haggadah, four cups of wine and the retelling of the story, and continues with a week free of chametz, anything leavened.
Begins at sundown
April 21, 2027
first full day April 22, 2027
Ends at nightfall
April 29, 2027
Passover 2027
Length
8 days
work restricted on the first two and last two days
Dates on file
7 years
2024 to 2030
…
Israel or the diaspora?
Passover is seven days in Israel with one seder, and eight days in the diaspora with two seders on the first two nights. It is the most practically significant difference in the Jewish calendar.
On the ground
What happens in Israel
The whole country changes over: supermarket shelves are covered, bakeries switch to matzah, and the first and last days are full public holidays with everything closed. The middle days are a national travel week.
Work is restricted on the first and last day in Israel and the first two and last two days in the diaspora. The days in between are chol hamoed, when most work is permitted.
Practice
How it is observed
- The seder on the first night (first two nights in the diaspora): the Haggadah, four cups of wine, and the afikoman
- Eating matzah and removing all chametz (leavened food) from the home
- Bedikat chametz: the candlelight search for leaven the night before
- Counting the Omer begins on the second night
"Chag Pesach sameach" or "Chag kasher v'sameach" (a kosher and happy holiday)
Matzah, charoset, maror (bitter herbs), matzah ball soup, and a week of chametz-free cooking.
Year by year
Passover dates, year by year
Every date from 2024 to 2030, computed from the Hebrew calendar. Each year has its own page with candle lighting times.
The rest of the calendar
Other Jewish holidays
8 of the 14 other holidays on the Hebrew calendar, nearest date first. Every card opens a guide with dates from 2024 to 2030.
December 5, 2026
Hanukkah
The festival of lights: eight nights of candle lighting marking the rededication of the Temple. Latkes, sufganiyot and dreidels.
January 23, 2027
Tu BiShvat
The new year of the trees. Tree planting in Israel and eating the fruits of the land.
March 23, 2027
Purim
Celebrates the rescue of the Jews of Persia as told in the Book of Esther. Megillah readings, costumes, mishloach manot and festive meals.
May 4, 2027
Yom HaShoah
Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Israel a two-minute siren brings the country to a standstill.
May 11, 2027
Yom HaZikaron
Israel's Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, the day before Independence Day.
May 25, 2027
Lag BaOmer
The 33rd day of the Omer count. Bonfires, weddings and celebrations at Mount Meron.
June 11, 2027
Shavuot
The festival of receiving the Torah at Sinai. All-night learning and dairy foods. Two days in the diaspora, one in Israel.
Frequently asked questions
When is Passover?+
The next Passover begins at sundown on April 21, 2027 and ends at nightfall on April 29, 2027. Because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, the Gregorian date shifts each year while the season stays fixed.
What is Passover?+
Passover marks the Exodus from Egypt. It opens with the seder, a structured meal built around the Haggadah, four cups of wine and the retelling of the story, and continues with a week free of chametz, anything leavened.
Does Israel observe Passover differently?+
Passover is seven days in Israel with one seder, and eight days in the diaspora with two seders on the first two nights. It is the most practically significant difference in the Jewish calendar.
What is Passover like in Israel?+
The whole country changes over: supermarket shelves are covered, bakeries switch to matzah, and the first and last days are full public holidays with everything closed. The middle days are a national travel week.