Jewish Holidays and Festivals Calendar 2026

Related reading: Jewish Holidays and Festivals Calendar 2027 and Cheshvan Monthly Calendar.

This 2026 Jewish holidays calendar brings together the main Jewish festivals, fast days, Israeli commemorations, Hebrew dates and Gregorian dates for the year. It is designed for families, teachers, students, communities and Bible Quiz leaders who need one clear place to check when Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah and other Jewish dates fall in 2026.

The dates below are oriented toward the Israeli calendar. Jewish holidays begin at sunset on the evening before the listed Gregorian date, so candle-lighting times, fast times and holiday-end times should always be checked by city and local custom.

2026 Jewish Holiday Calendar at a Glance

How to Use This 2026 Holiday Calendar

The simplest way to use the calendar is to mark the major holidays first, then add practical layers around them: preparation days, school activities, printable pages, the weekly Torah portion and a holiday quiz question.

For a family or classroom calendar, it helps to divide the year into four seasons:

• Winter and Adar: Tu BiShvat, Purim and the lead-up to Passover.
• Spring and Sivan: Passover, the Omer, Lag BaOmer, Jerusalem Day and Shavuot.
• Summer: the Three Weeks, Tisha B'Av and Tu B'Av.
• Tishrei and Hanukkah: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Sigd and Hanukkah.

For users searching for a printable 2026 Jewish holiday calendar or a PDF version, the page should ideally offer two formats: a one-page annual overview and an expanded version with notes, holiday links and quiz prompts.

Holidays by Season

Winter and Adar: From Tu BiShvat to Purim

Tu BiShvat opens the 2026 civil year with a language of growth: trees, fruit, the Land of Israel and the Seven Species. It is a natural fit for family or classroom activities around blessings, gratitude and the connection between nature and Jewish tradition.

In Adar, the calendar turns toward the Fast of Esther, Purim and Shushan Purim. A useful holiday calendar should make the distinction clear between Purim in most places and Shushan Purim in Jerusalem. It also gives the site a strong quiz angle: Megillat Esther, the characters of the story, the mitzvot of the day, courage, identity and mutual responsibility.

Spring: Passover, the Omer and Lag BaOmer

Passover 2026 begins with the Seder on the evening of April 1. In Israel, the festival dates are April 2-8. A useful calendar should clearly show the Seder, festival days, Chol HaMoed and the seventh day of Passover, with links to the Haggadah, the Four Questions, the Ten Plagues, Dayenu and the central symbols of the Seder.

The Counting of the Omer begins immediately after the first day of Passover. It turns the calendar into a path: each day can have a number, a Hebrew date, a reminder and a short quiz question. Pesach Sheni and Lag BaOmer then add themes of second chances, tradition, joy and responsibility.

Sivan: Jerusalem Day and Shavuot

Jerusalem Day, on 28 Iyar, connects the calendar to the story of Jerusalem and the Western Wall. On a Bible Quiz site, it can naturally link the calendar to pages about the Kotel, the Western Wall Tunnels and biblical passages connected with Jerusalem.

Shavuot falls on Friday, May 22, 2026. It is short on the calendar but rich in content: the giving of the Torah, the Book of Ruth, Tikkun Leil Shavuot, the Ten Commandments and family learning. It should receive a clear calendar marker, content links and a quiz angle that connects Torah, Ruth, kindness and responsibility.

Summer: The Three Weeks, Tisha B'Av and Tu B'Av

The Seventeenth of Tammuz and Tisha B'Av require a quieter and more careful tone. The calendar should present them as fast days and days of national memory, with links to Eikhah, kinot, the story of the destruction of the Temple and age-appropriate content for children.

Tu B'Av arrives a few days after Tisha B'Av and adds a note of hope. It is a good time to invite discussion about love, reconciliation, rebuilding and finding goodness after a season of mourning.

Tishrei: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah

The Tishrei holidays of 5787 begin in September 2026. Rosh Hashanah falls on September 12-13, Yom Kippur on September 21, Sukkot from September 26 to October 2, and Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah on October 3 in Israel.

This is the densest season in the Jewish calendar: shofar, symbolic foods, prayers, Selichot, fasting, sukkah, the Four Species, Hoshana Rabbah and Simchat Torah. The page should give users especially quick navigation here, because they are often looking for dates, explanations, blessings and printable activities at the same time.

Late Year: Sigd, Hanukkah and the Tenth of Tevet

Sigd, on 29 Cheshvan, recalls the longing for Jerusalem and the renewal of the covenant in the tradition of the Beta Israel community. It is an opportunity for educational content that broadens the picture of Jewish holidays and Jewish communities.

Hanukkah 2026 begins on the evening of December 4, with the calendar dates December 5-12. It should link naturally to candle-lighting order, Hanukkah blessings, HaNerot Halalu, Al HaNissim, the Hanukkah story and Hanukkah quiz content. The Tenth of Tevet, on December 20, closes the civil year as a fast connected with the siege of Jerusalem.

A Quiz for Every Holiday

The game connection is part of the page's value: the user does not only learn when the holiday falls, but also receives a question that opens the holiday's story.

Sample quiz questions:

1. Which holiday is also called the Festival of Matzah?
2. In which Hebrew month is Purim celebrated?
3. What do we count between Passover and Shavuot?
4. Which holiday is connected with the Book of Ruth?
5. What is the difference between Purim and Shushan Purim?
6. What do the Four Species represent in Sukkot?
7. How many candles are lit on the fifth night of Hanukkah?
8. Which fast commemorates the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem?

Each holiday can offer three quiz paths: children, families and advanced learners. That turns the calendar from a date tool into a living content engine throughout the year.

Printable and PDF Structure

A strong printable version of the 2026 holiday calendar could include:

• Page 1: all holidays in a concise annual table.
• Page 2: holidays organized by season.
• Page 3: quiz questions for every holiday.
• Page 4: space for family or classroom notes.

Use clear color categories for festivals, fast days, Israeli commemorations and activity days. If the site's visual language is used, a clean navy-and-gold style with subtle holiday markers would fit well.

FAQ

When is Passover 2026?

Passover 2026 begins on the evening of April 1. In Israel, the festival dates are April 2-8, corresponding to 15-21 Nisan 5786. Outside Israel, an additional festival day is observed in many communities.

When is Rosh Hashanah 2026?

Rosh Hashanah 5787 begins on Friday evening, September 11, 2026, and continues on September 12-13, 1-2 Tishrei 5787.

When is Shavuot 2026?

Shavuot 2026 falls on Friday, May 22, 6 Sivan 5786. Outside Israel, many communities observe a second festival day.

Do Jewish holidays begin in the evening or in the morning?

Jewish holidays and Shabbat begin at sunset on the evening before the listed Gregorian date. For example, Rosh Hashanah 2026 begins on the evening of September 11, even though the festival dates are September 12-13.

Is this calendar suitable for printing?

Yes. The content can be used as the basis for a yearly PDF, a family planning sheet, a classroom activity page or a short fridge calendar. Before final publication, dates, entry and end times and local customs should be checked for the intended audience.

Are the dates the same in Israel and the Diaspora?

Not always. Some holidays are observed for an additional day outside Israel, and Torah readings can sometimes differ. This calendar is primarily oriented toward Israeli use; a Diaspora version should be adapted separately.

How can the calendar connect to a Bible Quiz?

Add a short quiz question next to every holiday: a figure, mitzvah, verse, place or custom connected with that date. That turns each calendar entry into a short learning moment.

Recommended Schema Markup

• `Article` for the content layer.
• `BreadcrumbList` for site navigation.
• ` FAQ Page` for the FAQ section.
• `HowTo` for print/PDF instructions.
• `WebApplication` if the page is developed into a full interactive holiday tool.

Image and Illustration Ideas

• An open navy-and-gold calendar marked for Passover, Shavuot, Tishrei and Hanukkah.
• Small holiday cards with an icon, Hebrew date and Gregorian date.
• A "quiz for every holiday" visual with question cards around the Jewish year.
• A clean printable calendar sheet for a classroom or family fridge.
• An infographic showing four seasons of the Jewish year: Adar, spring, summer and Tishrei.

This page was written as original content after reviewing the Western Wall holiday page, the Western Wall calendar page and Hebcal's 2026 Jewish holiday calendar. The sources were used for structure, user intent and date verification; no protected wording, design, images or tables were copied. Before final publication, dates, holiday times, candle-lighting and holiday-end times, Torah portions and PDF outputs should be connected to a licensed and reliable data source. Any liturgical text, photograph, illustration or third-party data table should receive a separate rights review.