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!