15 to 22 Nisan 5786
Passover 2026
Passover began at sundown on Wednesday 1 April, and ended at nightfall on Wednesday 8 April in Israel and Thursday 9 April elsewhere. The first seder was on Wednesday night, and outside Israel a second on Thursday night.
Passover falls 11 days earlier than in 2025, as the Hebrew calendar does in most years: twelve lunar months come to about 354 days.
Next: Passover 2027, from sundown on Wednesday 21 April 2027
Candle-lighting on Wednesday 1 April, for Passover
Of the nine days below, work stops on three in Israel and five outside it.
Times for Jerusalem and New York.
- Work stops
- Days of Passover when work goes on
- Begins at sundown
| Day | In Israel | Outside Israel |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 1 Apr14 Nisan | Israel:Erev Pesach. Candles 18:18 | Outside Israel:Erev Pesach. Candles 19:02 |
| Thu 2 Apr15 Nisan | Israel:First day. Ends 19:36 | Outside Israel:First day. Second day's candles after 20:03 |
| Fri 3 Apr16 Nisan | Israel:Chol hamoed. Most work is permitted. Candles 18:19 | Outside Israel:Second day. Shabbat candles 19:04 |
| Sat 4 Apr17 Nisan | Israel:Chol hamoed, on Shabbat. Ends 19:37 | Outside Israel:Chol hamoed, on Shabbat. Ends 20:05 |
| Sun 5 Apr to Mon 6 Apr18 to 19 Nisan | Chol hamoed, everywhere | |
| Tue 7 Apr20 Nisan | Israel:Chol hamoed. Candles 18:22 | Outside Israel:Chol hamoed. Candles 19:09 |
| Wed 8 Apr21 Nisan | Israel:Seventh day. Ends 19:40 | Outside Israel:Seventh day. Eighth day's candles after 20:10 |
| Thu 9 Apr22 Nisan | Israel:A working day | Outside Israel:Eighth day. Ends 20:11 |
Candles 40 minutes before sunset in Jerusalem and 18 in New York. Shabbat and yom tov end when the sun is 8.5° below the horizon. The same times as our Shabbat pages.
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.
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.
How it is kept
- 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
What people say
"Chag Pesach sameach" or "Chag kasher v'sameach" (a kosher and happy holiday)
On the table
Matzah, charoset, maror (bitter herbs), matzah ball soup, and a week of chametz-free cooking.
These Hanukkah gifts are drawn from the same calendars as this site.
A city's Shabbat times for 2027, the moon on the night someone was born, a bar or bat mitzvah portion, the Kinneret on a day that matters. Each one is drawn for the person you choose, then printed and shipped free.
Order by November 18 for delivery in the US before the first candle, or by November 11 for Israel.
Shabbat in your city, 2027
From $36
The moon they were born under
From $36
Their Torah portion
From $36
The Kinneret mug
From $29
Passover moves by up to a month from one year to the next, but never leaves its season.
The Hebrew calendar follows the moon and adds a month seven years in nineteen. Here is Passover in every year this site has computed.
| Year | Begins at sundown | Ends in Israel | Ends elsewhere |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Mon 22 AprMonday 22 April | Mon 29 AprMonday 29 April | Tue 30 AprTuesday 30 April |
| 2025 | Sat 12 AprSaturday 12 April | Sat 19 AprSaturday 19 April | Sun 20 AprSunday 20 April |
| 2026 | Wed 1 AprWednesday 1 April | Wed 8 AprWednesday 8 April | Thu 9 AprThursday 9 April |
| 2027 | Wed 21 AprWednesday 21 April | Wed 28 AprWednesday 28 April | Thu 29 AprThursday 29 April |
| 2028 | Mon 10 AprMonday 10 April | Mon 17 AprMonday 17 April | Tue 18 AprTuesday 18 April |
| 2029 | Fri 30 MarFriday 30 March | Fri 6 AprFriday 6 April | Sat 7 AprSaturday 7 April |
| 2030 | Wed 17 AprWednesday 17 April | Wed 24 AprWednesday 24 April | Thu 25 AprThursday 25 April |
14 other Jewish holidays fall in 2026.
The next 8 in the order they fall. Each has its own page for 2026.
Monday 2 February
Tu BiShvat
The new year of the trees. Tree planting in Israel and eating the fruits of the land.
Tuesday 3 March
Purim
Celebrates the rescue of the Jews of Persia as told in the Book of Esther. Megillah readings, costumes, mishloach manot and festive meals.
Tuesday 14 April
Yom HaShoah
Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Israel a two-minute siren brings the country to a standstill.
Tuesday 21 April
Yom HaZikaron
Israel's Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, the day before Independence Day.
Wednesday 22 April
Yom HaAtzmaut
Israel's Independence Day, marking the declaration of the state in 1948.
Tuesday 5 May
Lag BaOmer
The 33rd day of the Omer count. Bonfires, weddings and celebrations at Mount Meron.
Friday 22 May
Shavuot
The festival of receiving the Torah at Sinai. All-night learning and dairy foods. Two days in the diaspora, one in Israel.
Thursday 23 July
Tisha B'Av
Fast day mourning the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem. If the 9th of Av falls on Shabbat, the fast is observed on Sunday.
Frequently asked questions
When is Passover 2026?+
Passover 2026 begins at sundown on Wednesday 1 April and ends at nightfall on Thursday 9 April (Wednesday 8 April in Israel). Jewish days start in the evening, so the first full day is Thursday 2 April.
How long is Passover?+
8 days. 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.
Is Passover different in Israel?+
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 happens in Israel on Passover?+
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.
What do you say on Passover?+
The standard greeting is "Chag Pesach sameach" or "Chag kasher v'sameach" (a kosher and happy holiday).
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