Jewish Holidays: Fact Sheet

"Introduction

Judaism is one of the three major Abrahamic faiths, alongside Islam and Christianity. Many traditions and variations of Judaism are practiced in the United States, including cultural and religious variations. According to the Pew Research Center, about 2.4% of Americans (7.5 million people) self-identify as religiously or culturally Jewish. Roughly 27% of American Jews describe themselves as culturally, but not religiously, Jewish.1

This fact sheet highlights four major cultural and religious holidays (Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Hanukkah) observed by a significant portion of Jewish American populations and addresses some of the ways that these holidays have been recognized by elected officials. It does not include national holidays recognizing modern Israeli history.

This fact sheet is designed to assist congressional offices with work related to Jewish holidays. It contains sample speeches and remarks from the Congressional Record, presidential proclamations and remarks, and selected historical and cultural resources.

This is part of a series of Congressional Research Service fact sheets on religious holidays in the United States.

Determining Dates of Holidays

The traditional Jewish calendar is based on a lunisolar calendar, with 354 days, adjusted every few years.2 This means that while Jewish holidays are observed on the same date every year according to the Jewish calendar, these dates vary on the Gregorian calendar.

Major Holidays and Observances

By and large, official government observance of Jewish holidays is determined at the local level. For example, some school districts close schools or allow students to take excused absences to observe certain Jewish holidays. In some Jewish communities, work is forbidden on specific holidays, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and certain days of Passover. These provisions against work are similar to the prohibitions against working on the Sabbath.

Owing to the long history and great diversity within Jewish communities, the observance of these holidays can vary widely.

Passover

Passover is generally observed in April in the Gregorian calendar. It commemorates the Israelites’ emancipation and exodus from Egypt, and lasts for seven or eight days. The name refers to the last of the 10 plagues that God inflicted on Egypt, in which God killed the first born of every Egyptian household, but “passed over” Israelite households, leaving their firstborn children alive.

Observing Passover often includes clearing the house of leavened foods, eating unleavened foods throughout the festival, and participating in the Seder, which usually takes place at home on the first or second night of the festival. There are many variations on the Seder, but it generally includes reading from a book called the Haggadah and eating a ritualized meal.

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is generally observed in September or October in the Gregorian calendar. It celebrates the Jewish New Year and lasts for two days. It also marks the beginning of 10 days of repentance leading up to Yom Kippur.

During Rosh Hashanah, many Jews eat bread or a piece of apple dipped in honey so that the coming year will be sweet. Challah bread is often baked in round loaves for the holiday to symbolize the cycle of the year. The shofar (a hollowed ram’s horn) is often blown. In religious communities, the holiday includes a special service at a synagogue.

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, is generally observed for one day in September or October in the Gregorian calendar. It is generally considered the holiest day of the year.

Observing Yom Kippur often includes fasting and prayer. Synagogues generally hold multiple services throughout the day, which means that some Jews spend most of the day at a synagogue.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah), or the Festival of Lights, is generally observed in December in the Gregorian calendar. Lasting eight nights, it commemorates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century B.C.

During the first evening of the festival, the first branch of the menorah is usually lit. The menorah is a candelabrum with nine branches. Eight branches represent each night of the festival. The ninth branch is the shamash or helper candle, which is usually used to light all the others. On each subsequent night of the festival, an additional branch is usually lit. Common traditions include exchanging gifts, playing with a four-sided top called a dreidel, and eating certain fried foods, including latkes (a type of fried potato pancake) and doughnuts..."
Jewish holidays