The calendar has a logic of its own
Jewish dates follow the Hebrew (lunar) calendar, which is why they "fall" on different days each year. And they all begin at sundown the evening before: when you see that Passover "starts on 2 April", the big dinner is the night of the 1st.
The main ways in
Rosh Hashanah (new year) and Yom Kippur (day of atonement) are the dates when most people show up, observant or not. Hanukkah is celebrated at home, lighting candles for eight nights — no infrastructure required. Purim is costumes and joy; Passover is the seder, the most widely celebrated family meal of the year.
None of them requires a membership card: you can take part in a seder without knowing Hebrew, hear the shofar without belonging to any community, and light Hanukkah candles with your kids "because it’s lovely". That is how almost everyone starts.
If you want to go a step further
The KosherWorld calendar shows every holiday with its practical reading (what is customary, whether there is a fast, whether people work) and its cultural one. And in the search you’ll find catering, bakeries and grocery stores to set the table for each one.
See what’s coming
The next holidays with their dates, what is celebrated and what is customary.
See what’s comingEditorial approach
This guide summarizes practices that can vary across communities, families, and movements. We compare institutional references from different traditions and avoid presenting one custom as universal.