Public holidays
Israel: 9 public holiday dates in 2026 (9 days off) and 9 in 2027 (9 days off), with 256 working days in 2026 and 255 in 2027. National holidays only: regional ones are not included.
| Date | ISO week | Holiday | Day off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 2 April 2026 | 2026-W14 | Pesach | Yes |
| Wednesday 8 April 2026 | 2026-W15 | Seventh day of Pesach | Yes |
| Wednesday 22 April 2026 | 2026-W17 | Independence Day | Yes |
| Friday 22 May 2026 | 2026-W21 | Shavuot | Yes |
| Saturday 12 September 2026 | 2026-W37 | Rosh Hashanah | Yes |
| Sunday 13 September 2026 | 2026-W37 | Rosh Hashanah | Yes |
| Monday 21 September 2026 | 2026-W39 | Yom Kippur | Yes |
| Saturday 26 September 2026 | 2026-W39 | Sukkot | Yes |
| Saturday 3 October 2026 | 2026-W40 | Simchat Torah / Shemini Atzeret | Yes |
| Date | ISO week | Holiday | Day off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 22 April 2027 | 2027-W16 | Pesach | Yes |
| Wednesday 28 April 2027 | 2027-W17 | Seventh day of Pesach | Yes |
| Wednesday 12 May 2027 | 2027-W19 | Independence Day | Yes |
| Friday 11 June 2027 | 2027-W23 | Shavuot | Yes |
| Saturday 2 October 2027 | 2027-W39 | Rosh Hashanah | Yes |
| Sunday 3 October 2027 | 2027-W39 | Rosh Hashanah | Yes |
| Monday 11 October 2027 | 2027-W41 | Yom Kippur | Yes |
| Saturday 16 October 2027 | 2027-W41 | Sukkot | Yes |
| Saturday 23 October 2027 | 2027-W42 | Simchat Torah / Shemini Atzeret | Yes |
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pesach | Thursday 2 April 2026 | Thursday 22 April 2027 | +20 days |
| Seventh day of Pesach | Wednesday 8 April 2026 | Wednesday 28 April 2027 | +20 days |
| Independence Day | Wednesday 22 April 2026 | Wednesday 12 May 2027 | +20 days, changes month |
| Shavuot | Friday 22 May 2026 | Friday 11 June 2027 | +20 days, changes month |
| Yom Kippur | Monday 21 September 2026 | Monday 11 October 2027 | +20 days, changes month |
| Sukkot | Saturday 26 September 2026 | Saturday 16 October 2027 | +20 days, changes month |
| Simchat Torah / Shemini Atzeret | Saturday 3 October 2026 | Saturday 23 October 2027 | +20 days |
A shift ignores the year: +19 days means 19 days later in the calendar.
| Month | 2026 | 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 21 | 0 |
| February | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| March | 23 | 23 | 0 |
| April | 19 | 19 | 0 |
| May | 21 | 21 | 0 |
| June | 22 | 22 | 0 |
| July | 22 | 21 | −1 |
| August | 22 | 23 | +1 |
| September | 20 | 22 | +2 |
| October | 21 | 19 | −2 |
| November | 22 | 22 | 0 |
| December | 23 | 22 | −1 |
| Q1 | 64 | 64 | 0 |
| Q2 | 62 | 62 | 0 |
| Q3 | 64 | 66 | +2 |
| Q4 | 66 | 63 | −3 |
| Year | 256 | 255 | −1 |
Weekdays by the local weekend (Friday and Saturday), minus the public holidays most people have off.
Passover, one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals, celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It starts on the 15th of Nisan, with the Seder meal, where the story is told from the Haggadah. Jews do not eat or keep leavened foods (chametz) during the holiday and eat matzah instead.
At work: Very welcome to mention. Only the first and last days are national holidays in Israel, but the days in between can be disrupted: some shops and businesses close early. The card shows the official days off.
The last day of Passover week. The Torah calls the seventh day a holy convocation on which no servile work is done.
At work: A public holiday in Israel, with schools, government and most shops closed.
Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's national day, commemorates the Israeli Declaration of Independence on 14 May 1948. It falls on 5 Iyar in the Hebrew calendar and may be moved one or two days to avoid the Sabbath. The day before is Yom HaZikaron, the Memorial Day. It is marked by ceremonies, family gatherings, fireworks, barbecues, picnics and concerts.
At work: Fine to mention. A day off; note the solemn day before.
One of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals, on the sixth of Sivan. It marked the wheat harvest in the Land of Israel, and tradition holds that it is also the day the Ten Commandments were given at Mount Sinai. Customs include eating dairy foods, decorating homes and synagogues with greenery and studying Torah through the night.
At work: Very welcome to mention. A national holiday in Israel, with schools, government and most shops closed.
The Jewish New Year, and the first of the High Holy Days. It begins the Ten Days of Repentance that end with Yom Kippur. The shofar (ram's horn) is blown, and symbolic foods are eaten.
At work: Very welcome to mention. A national holiday in Israel, with schools, government and most shops closed. Jewish holidays begin at sundown the evening before, so people are away from the afternoon before.
The Day of Atonement and the holiest day of the year in Judaism. The main observances are a full fast and long prayer services. In Israel there are no radio or television broadcasts, airports are shut, there is no public transport and shops and businesses are closed.
At work: Do not schedule anything. Israel effectively stops for the day, which begins at sundown the evening before. Greetings are quiet rather than festive.
The Feast of Tabernacles, a seven-day festival that begins on the 15th of Tishrei. It is an autumn harvest festival and recalls the Exodus from Egypt. Meals are eaten in a sukkah, a temporary hut, and people take the four species. After the first day come the intermediate days (Chol HaMoed), when many businesses in Israel are closed.
At work: Very welcome to mention. Only the first and last days are national holidays in Israel, but the days in between can be disrupted: many shops and businesses close early or stay closed, so plan for a slow week.
Shemini Atzeret, the 'eighth day of assembly', directly follows the seven days of Sukkot. Simchat Torah marks the end of the yearly cycle of public Torah readings and the start of a new one. In Israel they are celebrated on the same day, while outside Israel Simchat Torah is the second day.
At work: Very welcome to mention. A national holiday in Israel, with schools, government and most shops closed.
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