Hebrew Holiday Dates 2019 + Printable

Sharing the dates for the Hebrew holidays for 2019! To be sure you make note of them, grab the printable with the dates and stick it on your fridge or in your planner. Get the dates put on your calendar and be intentional about taking off work and freeing yourself up during these times so you can take part in the set apart times that YHWH has for us. 

Once again, I am giving you two sets of dates. My aim is not to convince you of the correctness of one calendar over another but to encourage you to pick a set of dates and go with it for keeping the feasts. Work is allowed during certain days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Tabernacles. I have made note of where the no-work days land for your convenience.

Traditional calendar:

Remember, traditional dates start at sundown on the date listed and go until sundown the next day. For example Passover starts at sundown on April 19 and ends at sundown on the 20th. The traditional calendar always gives an extra day to Shavuot and Yom Teruah, though Scripture treats both as one-day holidays.

Passover - April 19
Feast of Matzah - April 20-27
First Fruits - April 20
Shavuot - June 8-10
Yom Teruah - September 29 - October 1
Yom Kippur - October 8
Sukkot - October 13-21

High holy days/no work days:

Passover - April 19-20 (this is not a no work day in and of itself, but since it lands on Shabbat is treated as such)
First day of Matzah Week - April 20-21
Last day of Matzah Week - April 26-27 (this is also the weekly Sabbath)
Shavuot - June 8-10
Yom Teruah - September 29 - October 1
Yom Kippur - October 8-9
First day of Sukkot - October 13-14
Last day of Sukkot - October 20-21

Click here to download the Hebrew Holidays Traditional Dates.

Torah to the Tribes calendar:

This calendar uses daylight to daylight dates. For example, Passover starts at daylight on April 3 and goes until daylight April 4.

Passover - April 3
Feast of Matzah - April 4-10
First Fruits - April 7
Shavuot - May 26
Yom Teruah - September 17
Yom Kippur - September 26
Sukkot - October 1-8

High holy days/no work days:

First Day of Matzah Week - April 4
Last Day of Matzah Week - April 10
Shavuot - May 26
Yom Teruah - September 17
Yom Kippur - September 26
First Day of Sukkot - October 1
Last Day of Sukkot - October 8

Click here to download the Hebrew Holidays Torah to the Tribe Dates.


Not sure which calendar to go by? The calendar debate can be confusing and there are other sets of dates besides the ones I am sharing. If you have a congregation or group to celebrate with I would personally adhere to what they are using, as getting to celebrate with a like minded group of believers is very special. Each calendar has pros and cons and we probably won't know with 100% certainty what the dates are for the festivals of YHWH until Yahusha returns. As always, pray about what YHWH would have you to do and be willing to adjust as your understanding grows.

Let's starting planning to keep the feasts this year!

Sukkah Inspiration for the Feast of Tabernacles

Who needs ideas for their temporary dwelling? Scripture instructs us that during Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles we are to live in temporary dwellings or booths (Leviticus 23:42). While Judaism has many, many rules for how a sukkah should look and be, Scripture doesn't give specifics. So I have no doubt that YHWH expected us to each put our own spin on how we keep this commandment. I love getting to share sukkahs from several different feast keepers so you can see the range of possibilities. Your temporary dwelling could be a tent or a camper or a homemade canopy. Hopefully this inspiration sparks and idea that is doable for you.

From @blooming_light - What a pretty set up for a Sukkot dinner party! Simple two by fours can definitely be dressed up to look elegant.

From @blooming_light - After the party!

From @elysamary - The lights add such a festive touch to this elegant sukkah!

From Land of Honey - This is my yarn sukkah from a few years back. The structure is really easy to do. The yarn takes a little persistence but is definitely doable, or you could put curtains or a tarp up to make more protective walls.

A friend send me this picture of a more traditional sukkah in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia. You can get kits for sukkahs similar to this.

Another friend made this using the structure from an old swing set, and then some furniture and decor that she had. It looks like a great place for Bible study!

From @taliacarbis of The Climbing Tree - I love that she took comfy furniture and a rug (a plant even!) to make this temporary dwelling more like home. These touches make for an inviting atmosphere for your friends and family to spend time in.

From @taliacarbis of The Climbing Tree - Decorative touches like Talia's pomegranates can be a great activity for kids or yourself.

From Land of Honey - See the whole post for this here. It's made out of bamboo rods and thrifted curtains.

From @blooming_light - Here's a woodsy temporary dwelling made from tree branches and pine boughs.

From Asherah Cinnamon, displayed at the Oregon Jewish Museum Sukkah exhibit in 2014 - the branches in this one are so pretty!

From Love Sarah Schneider - I love the idea of a canopy right over the table! Absolutely beautiful for a Sukkot dinner party or Scripture study.

A big thank you to everyone who allowed me to share their work and photos; you guys are inspiring others to keep the feasts of YHWH! #sukkahgoals for sure!

More sukkah inspiration here. And here.

What is a Sabbath Day in the Bible?

What is a Sabbath day in Scripture? We know that one of the ten commandments is a directive to honor the Sabbath day by keeping it holy...but when are the Sabbath days and what do you need to do to keep them holy? This post will examine what it means to when the Bible says not to work on Sabbath days, which are sometimes referred to as "no-work days," after verses stipulating that we are not to do any work on these days.

When are the Biblical Sabbath days?
The weekly Sabbath. This is the seventh day of the week because "on the seventh day God rested." (Genesis 2:2)
The first and last days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Shavuot.
Feast of Trumpets.
Yom Kippur.
The first and last days of Tabernacles.

What is a Sabbath day supposed to be like?
These are days to rest; we should avoid ordinary work, professional or otherwise. We get ourselves into trouble when we focus on human ideas about the Sabbath...like saying that your house needs to be spotless or the toilet paper needs to be torn ahead of time or that you need to sit down to a formal dinner complete with ceremonial blessings at an exact time, because those are not commandments. If your house is clean for the Sabbath good for you, but if it isn't you are certainly not doomed to have some sort of lesser Shabbat.

Stick with the commandments: don't work. Rest.

So we should have the no-work days for the feasts off from our jobs, in addition to the weekly Sabbath. Scripture uses the phrase, "ordinary work," or "servile work," regarding what we should steer clear from on these days. This means it's not just a day off from work to do house projects or to spend in the kitchen whipping up a feast for your congregation. I think that's incredibly freeing and beautiful. We've all attended way too many special events or family get-togethers where one or two people sacrifice their day to prepare and organize the meal, while 20 other people relax in the living room. And mostly it's women who are working so hard so that their family can relax. When YHWH pulled work off the table for these days, I have no doubt he meant this as a way to get women celebrating and relaxing with everyone else. And because it's a Sabbath day and work is forbidden, no one has any expectations of being served by them and they have no guilt about keeping this command. What a lovely gift.

Not working is synonymous with not shopping. I, for one, basically always feel like shopping is a lot of work, but even if you don't the idea of a day of rest is to do just that. Rest. Not running errands to cross off the list. Not causing someone else to work on one of YHWH's no-work days. Nehemiah 13:17 calls buying and selling on these days "profaning the Sabbath." Put your wallet away and enjoy these days purchase free.

A holy convocation. 
Don't miss that in addition to resting, we are to have a holy convocation. In other words a gathering with believers to celebrate these set-apart times. You know, a party. This can be a challenge, but if possible get together with people willing to celebrate these days. If there's a time to make a drive to meet with believers, this is it! Make it happen, plan something fun. One of the meanings of convocation in Scripture is reading, so make it a point to read appropriate passages from Scripture as part of your festivities.

That's the gist of a no-work day. Pretty easy, isn't it? It's a major loss that so many have believed the lie that these days are about jumping through hoops or that it's too hard for us. What could be easier or less of a burden than a day off, spent with family and friends? When YHWH gave us these commandments he did so because they are good for us! 

Sabbath days are:
A day to rest!
Time to remember the awesomeness of YHWH.
Celebration of his set apart times.
Level ground for all. No one is stuck serving or in the kitchen on these days.
A happy change of pace from everyday chores.
Restorative.
An opportunity to spend time with others of the Hebrew faith.
Joyful!

Related posts:
Why I'm Still Keeping the Sabbath
Things NOT Required for Sabbath Rest
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays

Hebrew Holiday Dates 2018 + Printable

This is the fifth time Land of Honey has made a printable of the Hebrew holiday dates for the upcoming year! My hope is that you print these off, save it to your phone, and write them in your calendar so that you can start preparing to honor YHWH by accepting his invitation to his set apart times. Be intentional about getting time off from work, budgeting for the celebrations, and otherwise scheduling the rest of your life around the feasts. Keeping the commandments won't happen by accident; so if you want to honor them you have to plan for it.

So the calendar has the dates (once again, two options to choose from) for YHWH's set apart times, then below I have specified which ones YHWH tells us not to work on. These times should be treated like the weekly Sabbath, where we take time off from professional work and avoid shopping, cooking, and so on. During the majority of days in Matzah Week and Sukkot work is allowable but I would encourage you to take those days off from your job, if possible, so that you can fully enjoy these set apart times.

For the traditional calendar:

Remember, traditional dates start at sundown on the date listed and go until sundown the next day. For example Passover starts at sundown on March 30 and ends at sundown on the 31. The traditional calendar always gives an extra day to Shavuot and Yom Teruah, though Scripture treats both as one-day holidays.

No work days are:

Passover - March 30-31 (this is not a no work day in and off itself, but since it falls on Shabbat it is)
First day of Matzah Week - March 31- April 1
Last day of Matzah Week - April 6-7 (this is also the weekly Sabbath)

Shavuot - May 19-21

Yom Teruah - September 9-11

Yom Kippur - September 18-19

First day of Sukkot - September 23-24
Last day of Sukkot - September 30-October 1

For the Torah to the Tribes calendar:

This calendar uses daylight to daylight dates. For example, Passover starts at daylight on April 3 and goes until daylight April 4.

No work days are:

First day of Matzah Week - April 4
Last day of Matzah Week - April 10

Shavuot - May 27

Yom Teruah - September 17

Yom Kippur - September 26

First day of Sukkot - October 1
Last day of Sukkot - October 8

Download the calendar dates below and stick it in your planner or on your fridge. Free for your personal use.

Click here to download the Hebrew Holidays Traditional Dates.

Click here to download the Hebrew Holidays Torah to the Tribes Dates.

Not sure which calendar to go by? The calendar debate can be confusing and there are other sets of dates besides the ones I am sharing. If you have a congregation or group to celebrate with I would personally adhere to what they are using, as getting to celebrate with a like minded group of believers is very special. Each calendar has pros and cons and we probably won't know with 100% certainty what the dates are for the festivals of YHWH until Yahusha returns. As always, pray about what YHWH would have you to do and be willing to adjust as your understanding grows.

Let's starting planning to keep the feasts this year!

Things the Messiah Said During Sukkot

Did you know the Messiah had a lot to say during the Biblical holiday of Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles? I believe this holiday is significant to the Messiah because at this time we remember that he dwelled with us and will once again come to live amongst us. This post takes a look at the words of Jesus during the festival of Sukkot. 

If we study Scripture we can see that the Messiah did keep the feasts, including Sukkot. He would have spent time in a temporary dwelling, he went to the Temple to celebrate with others, and he taught there. We have this special glimpse into his life, because everything he did was within the context of obedience to Scripture. There is added depth to the words of the Messiah when we realize where and when those statements were made. Think of what Sukkot looks like; the temporary dwellings, the four species, and imagine Yahusha in the midst of that speaking these words.

Things the Messiah Said During Sukkot:

"If anyone thirsts, let them come to me and drink." -John 7:37
This is a beautiful verse with added meaning: if you wanted to come to the Messiah then and there you would have to come to the feast of Sukkot. And by coming to Sukkot he would refresh and revive you.

"Go up to the festival." -John 7:8
Here is an example of Jesus verbally encouraging people to keep the feasts of YHWH. When he told his brothers to go up to keep Sukkot, it was not an abstract or simple idea. First of all, it's over 60 miles from the Galilee area to Jerusalem. And Sukkot is also an eight day festival. In essence he was telling them to take their time, money, and resources to honor YHWH. He didn't throw in, "if you want to," or "if it's convenient." The savior told them to celebrate Tabernacles.

"He that believes in me as the Scriptures have said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." -John 7:38
When Yahusha said this the only Scripture that existed is what we now call the Old Testament. He wants us to see that these writings - Genesis, Malachi, Chronicles, everything - are about him. They talk about him, they prophesy of him, they point to him. That includes the feasts. Why would we forgo a commandment of YHWH that points to the Messiah?

"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." - John 7:24
Usually only the first three words of this verse are quoted. The Messiah expects his followers to use discernment when evaluating circumstances and relationships. He expects us to look at an action and be able to tell if it is something that lines up with Scripture or not. As with traffic laws, it is not my responsibility to toll out penalties for violating the rules. But still I can see that running a stop sign is a breach of the law. In the same way, if my friend is driving I won't give them a ticket for speeding but I can suggest they slow down. Yahusha expects us to use righteous discernment in our lives.

"Are you angry that I made a man entirely well on the Sabbath?" -John 7:23
The Messiah asked this question in response to accusations that he was demonically possessed. This is similar to popular responses to those who are seeking to live righteously by keeping God's feasts and such. "You're crazy! You've been deceived into thinking observing the commandments is important." In John 5 he healed a man at another festival of YHWH (which was probably also Sukkot), on the Sabbath. This was not a violation of the Torah, but an offensive to rules made up by men. Going against status quo is nearly always upsetting to others.

"The world hates me because I bear witness that its works are wicked." -John 7:7
If you're a Tabernacles celebrator you might feel a little bit out of place at this time of year. What do the neighbors think of the sukkah? Stores are decorated for Halloween. Your coworkers don't quite get the importance of this week for you. Choosing to keep the Biblical holidays points out to others that the typical holidays are not okay.

"My teaching is from the one who sent me." -John 7:16
Here he pointed out that he is teaching is consistent with what YHWH had already commanded throughout Scripture. This is significant because it tells us that Yahusha's instructions line up with YHWH. YHWH wants Sukkot honored, so does the Messiah.

Scripture points to the Messiah's birth being during Sukkot as well. Math can be done to figure out when John the Baptist's father served in the Temple, shortly afterwards Elizabeth was pregnant with John. We know that John was six months older than Jesus, so the family likely had a Passover baby and a Sukkot baby that year. We also see that the Savior was literally born in a sukkah and that the wording of the angel's announcement to the shepherds was very Sukkot-centric.

Scripture also tell us that during Sukkot The Messiah:

-Went to the temple for Sukkot. -John 7:2

-Taught. -John 7:14

-Sent people to celebrate Sukkot. -John 7:8

-Went to the festival. -John 7:10

"The one who says he lives in him ought to walk as he did." -1 John 2:6

More on Sukkot:
Everything You Should Know about the Feast of Tabernacles
8 Things Scripture Says about Sukkot
Sukkot Bible Reading Plan

12 Ways to Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread

1. Bake matzah bread. I know the rabbinical rules to 'unleavened' can be a little intimidating but really what YHWH says is just to not let your bread rise or ferment. Making your own matzah is not difficult and it's SO MUCH BETTER than the boxed kind. Here's my recipe for matzah made with einkorn flour.

2. Read Scripture. This is something we desperately need to reclaim as a joy instead of drudgery. Read appropriate passages out loud, ask children to act them out, memorize a verse this week, or art journal. Our lives and special times will be so much better if YHWH's word is the cornerstone.

3. Make a matzah pinata. Isn't little Lior who made his own mini matzah pinata the cutest? Here are my directions for this super fun Unleavened Bread Week decoration and tradition. Maybe the kids could smash it and get out the goodies at the end of the week?

4. Wear something festive. This Yeshua is the afikomen tee is on sale, or you could wear this shirt! Grab a matzah tie, or even get your dog involved in the festivities with a bandana or collar. Matzah socks, anyone?

5. Celebrate with a sweet kosher-for-Passover treat. Not baking with flour doesn't mean you can't enjoy a special dessert! Try these chocolate donuts,  or a mixed berry pavlova, or these walnut-crusted cherry tarts from Love and Lemons.

6. Make a matzo house. Definitely the answer to the traditional gingerbread house. Decorate with fruit, nuts, or candy. Use frosting or peanut butter for the glue. Martha Stewart shows us how.

7. Get your omer counter ready to go. You can make your own or print one of, but either way counting fifty days to get to Shavuot is a commandment of YHWH. Last year I did a DIY flair one that was such fun to put together. Torah Sisters Magazine also has the prettiest printable cards to use and a kids counter, and both are free!

8. Watch a movie. From The Prince of Egypt to Exodus: Gods and Kings to The Ten Commandments to shorter kids movies there is a fair amount of media that portrays the Exodus story, albeit not usually in a 100% Scripturally accurate way. I find visual aids very helpful, but of course use discernment about what media you consume and be ready to fact check and discuss discrepancies with your fellow movie goers. Here is a children's cartoon on the Israelites leaving Egypt that you can watch for free.

9. Decorate with a printable. 1 Corinthians 5:8 should be central to our focus during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, so print it off as a reminder. Lots of other Feast appropriate printables can be found here.

10. Clay matzos. I showed you how to make these last week. Use them for jewelry, barettes, doll houses, as flair for your omer calendar, magnets, or to decorate an inexpensive picture frame with. 

11. Send a card. Receiving cards in the mail was always a marker of a special time to me as a child. Use this chag sameach card from The Climbing Tree or make your own. Sending to friends and family who also celebrate the Feast is fun for all, and sending to those who don't celebrate can be a thoughtful gesture that you're thinking of them.

12. Invite someone to dinner. This is special and memorable. Serve unleavened bread and maybe one or two of these recipes. This simple brunch is a huge crowd pleaser with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and cucumbers on fresh matzah. Discuss the meaning of the Feast and how it pertains to Yahusha to introduce your guests to this aspect of the kingdom.

How will you be celebrating Matzah week?

DIY Clay Matzah Jewelry

Here's an easy craft you can make to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

You will need:
air dry clay
paint - I used brown, white, and yellow acrylic
rolling pin
knife
fork
hot glue gun
plain pin back, barrettes, and ring

Step one: roll out your clay. How much depends on how many matzah pieces you'd like to end up with. I used about a golf ball sized piece of clay and wound up with 15 matzos. Roll to about quarter-inch thickness.

Step two: decide what size you'd like to your matzahs to be. I cut mine into roughly one inch squares, with a few bigger ones for pins. Use your knife to cut out squares. A pizza cutter might also work well. You can be as perfectionist or not as you'd like.

Step three: this is a fun part! Lightly press your fork onto each piece several times to give it that matzah texture. The holes need not go all the way through the clay and the end product will be sturdier if they don't. 

If you'd like to use your matzahs to make a necklace with, now would be a good time to poke a hole so you can string it up later.

Step four: let your matzah squares dry out. Mine were good to go the next day, but yours may vary depending on thickness and the type of clay you use. Just wait for them to be completely dry before the next step. It shouldn't take more than a few days!

Step five: when your squares are dry, it's time to paint. I mixed brown and white paint to make a shade of tan, and then used yellow and more of the dark brown, going for the golden brown look of matzah.

I started off with painting the squares tan, then adding small specks of the dark brown and splotches of yellow. This helps to mimic the speckled look of traditional matzah. If you're not happy with how one looks, just paint over it and try again!

Step six: I'm sorry but you'll have to wait one more time for these to dry. Mine were okay after a couple hours.

Once they are dry, congratulate yourself. You just made clay matzahs!

Step seven: grab your jewelry backs and hot glue gun. I painted the barrettes cream before hot gluing on the matzah, but other than that, just decide which direction you'd like your pieces to go and hot glue them into place.

Now you have matzah jewelry! Pretty easy, wasn't it?

There are many other things you can do with with these matzah pieces too. Instead of gluing to a ring or barrette you could attach them to magnets. Leave them as is for Lego sized matzah. Put pushpins on the back for your Count the Omer Flair Calendar. I'm planning on getting a picture frame and gluing these matzos around the edges for a cute decoration for the Feast of Unleavened Bread.