The year 2012 is just around the corner and most of us are already planning on what to do for the upcoming holidays. No matter what religion and culture we believe in, the festivals are always the best way to bring family, friends, neighbors, and a community closer to one another. We forgive and forget all that has happened in the past, forget about the bad times, and pray for good times to come soon. However, at times the pressures at work, school, and/or home can become so intense that we may never realize which holidays are upcoming or have passed us by. Which is why, since you don't get to miss on any of the holidays and to help you keep yourself available and spend as much time as possible with your family, we have put together a table of Jewish holidays in 2012. In this new year, you can start fresh and be home for any and all the holidays you like. Instead of making last-minute flight bookings and taking time off work (even when your boss is breathing down your neck for not informing sooner), you can easily plan your entire schedule with ease. So here's a complete table with list and dates. Let's take a look.
List of Holidays in 2012
The following table will not only tell you which are the top holidays for 2012, but all the holidays starting from the month of January. Even though
Hanukkah is one of the most popular holidays that people around the world are familiar with, there are other major holidays as well. In Jewish culture, a day begins and ends right at sunset. Hence, the holidays also follow the same pattern; they begin a day before and end on the day at sunset of the date given below. This table will get you familiarized with the calendar of major holidays. Also, you might want to read on the
list of Hebrew months for more details.
Dates |
Day of the Month |
Name of the Holiday |
Jan 5 |
Thursday |
Fast of Tevet 10 |
Jan 25 |
Wednesday |
Rosh Chodesh Sh'vat |
Feb 8 |
Wednesday |
Tu B'Shevat |
Feb 18 |
Saturday |
Shabbat Shekalim |
Feb 23 |
Thursday |
Rosh Chodesh Adar |
Mar 3 |
Saturday |
Shabbat Zachor |
Mar 7 |
Wednesday |
Ta'anit Esther |
Mar 7 |
Wednesday |
Purim |
Mar 9 |
Friday |
Shushan Purim |
Mar 17 |
Saturday |
Shabbat Parah |
Mar 24 |
Saturday |
Shabbat HaChodesh |
Mar 24 |
Saturday |
Rosh Chodesh Nisan |
Mar 31 |
Saturday |
Shabbat HaGadol |
Apr 5 |
Thursday |
Ta'anit Bechorot |
Apr 6 |
Friday |
Passover |
Apr 19 |
Thursday |
Yom HaShoah |
Apr 22 |
Sunday |
Rosh Chodesh Iyyar |
Apr 25 |
Wednesday |
Yom HaZikaron |
Apr 26 |
Thursday |
Yom HaAtzma'ut |
May 6 |
Sunday |
Pesach Sheni |
May 10 |
Thursday |
Lag B'Omer |
April 20 |
Sunday |
Yom Yerushalayim |
May 22 |
Tuesday |
Rosh Chodesh Sivan |
May 26 |
Saturday |
Shavuot |
Jun 20 |
Wednesday |
Rosh Chodesh Tamuz |
Jul 8 |
Sunday |
Fast of 17th of Tammuz |
Jul 20 |
Friday |
Rosh Chodesh Av |
Jul 28 |
Saturday |
Fast of Tish'a B'Av |
Aug 4 |
Saturday |
Shabbat Nachamu |
Aug 18 |
Saturday |
Rosh Chodesh Elul |
Sept 16 |
Sunday |
Rosh HaShana |
Sept 19 |
Wednesday |
Fast of Gedaliah |
Sept 25 |
Tuesday |
Yom Kippur |
Sept 30 |
Sunday |
Sukkot |
Oct 7 |
Sunday |
Hoshanah Rabbah |
Oct 7 |
Sunday |
Shemini Atzeret |
Oct 8 |
Monday |
Simchat Torah |
Dec 8 |
Saturday |
Hanukkah |
Dec 23 |
Sunday |
Fast of Tevet 10 |
There are certain holidays when work is not permitted or should be avoided. These holidays are
Purim,
Passover,
Shavuot,
Tisha B'Av,
Rosh HaShana,
Yom Kippur,
Sukkot,
Shemini Atzeret, and
Simchat Torah. During Hanukkah, you are allowed to work but not during
Shabbat. Apart from these holidays, there are a few holidays when work can be commenced. However, in order to be absolutely sure, you should speak to your Rabbi for details.
Now that we saw a detailed list, you might be interested in knowing what are some other holidays coming up in the year of 2012. As I mentioned earlier, plan ahead of time and spend as much quality time as possible with your family and friends. There's nothing like being home for the holidays (not just the major ones). Make the new year twice as better as this year was.
Happy Holidays in advance!