Dates
Yom HaZikaron 2026
Begins at sundown on April 20, 2026 and ends at nightfall on April 21, 2026.
Starts
April 20, 2026
at sundown
Ends
April 21, 2026
at nightfall
Length
1 day
work permitted
Years on file
7 years
2024 to 2030
Yom HaZikaron 2026 ended on April 21, 2026. The dates, times and customs below are kept as a record.
Next: Yom HaZikaron 2027, sundown May 10, 2027 →Israel or the diaspora?
Primarily an Israeli state day, marked in many diaspora communities with ceremonies.
Yom HaZikaron is Israel's memorial day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, deliberately placed the day before Independence Day so that grief and celebration touch.
On the ground
What happens in Israel
Two sirens, one in the evening and one the following morning. Ceremonies at every military cemetery, and the transition at sundown into Independence Day is abrupt and deliberate.
Every year on file
Yom HaZikaron in other years
The Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, so the Gregorian date moves by up to a month from year to year but stays in the same season.
The rest of 2026
Other Jewish holidays in 2026
8 of the 14 other dates on the 2026 calendar, in the order they fall. Each has its own page for 2026.
February 2, 2026
Tu BiShvat 2026
The new year of the trees. Tree planting in Israel and eating the fruits of the land.
March 3, 2026
Purim 2026
Celebrates the rescue of the Jews of Persia as told in the Book of Esther. Megillah readings, costumes, mishloach manot and festive meals.
April 2, 2026
Passover (Pesach) 2026
The festival of freedom, marking the Exodus from Egypt. Seder nights, matzah, and no chametz for eight days (seven in Israel).
April 14, 2026
Yom HaShoah 2026
Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Israel a two-minute siren brings the country to a standstill.
April 22, 2026
Yom HaAtzmaut 2026
Israel's Independence Day, marking the declaration of the state in 1948.
May 5, 2026
Lag BaOmer 2026
The 33rd day of the Omer count. Bonfires, weddings and celebrations at Mount Meron.
May 22, 2026
Shavuot 2026
The festival of receiving the Torah at Sinai. All-night learning and dairy foods. Two days in the diaspora, one in Israel.
July 23, 2026
Tisha B'Av 2026
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 Yom HaZikaron 2026?+
Yom HaZikaron 2026 begins at sundown on April 20, 2026 and ends at nightfall on April 21, 2026. Jewish days start in the evening, so the first full day is April 21, 2026.
How long is Yom HaZikaron?+
1 day. Primarily an Israeli state day, marked in many diaspora communities with ceremonies.
Is Yom HaZikaron different in Israel?+
Primarily an Israeli state day, marked in many diaspora communities with ceremonies.
What happens in Israel on Yom HaZikaron?+
Two sirens, one in the evening and one the following morning. Ceremonies at every military cemetery, and the transition at sundown into Independence Day is abrupt and deliberate.