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!

Slow Cooker Meals for Shabbat

My menu inspiration has really changed from when I last shared meal ideas for the Sabbath day. When snow and ice and low temperatures are out in full force there's nothing like a warm meal for comfort. How do you serve a hot meal without cooking on Shabbat? One solution is to use a slow cooker. Depending on what you're making, you can start simmering your meal on Friday for Shabbat lunch. Soups and things with plenty of liquid work best for this. Otherwise, just toss your ingredients in the crock ahead of time and then keep it in the fridge. On the Sabbath day all you'll need to do is set the crock in the base to get it cooking. Meals don't get much easier than that. Utilizing a slow cooker to avoid working at meal preparation on Shabbat is a great way to honor the Sabbath day.

Crockpot Moroccan Soup from Half Baked Harvest

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Risotto from Well Plated

White Chicken Chili from Well Plated

Crockpot Creamy Cashew Chicken from Half Baked Harvest
Make this vegetarian by swapping the chicken with extra potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, or chickpeas.

Slow Cooker Oatmeal from A Beautiful Plate

Slow Cooker Corn and Potato Soup from Healthy Nibbles and Bits

Slow Cooker Enchiladas from Oh My Veggies

Slow Cooker Smoky Refried Black Beans from Oh My Veggies
Serve these with the fixings for tostados or burritos. Tortillas, salsa, chopped peppers, lettuce, cheese, etc.

Slow Cooker Winter Minestrone Lentil Soup from A Beautiful Plate

Crockpot Mexican Casserole from Well Plated

Crockpot Salsa Verde Pozole from Half Baked Harvest

Slow Cooker Potato and Cauliflower Curry from Half Baked Harvest

Hopefully these meal ideas can help you to have a more restful Sabbath.

More on Sabbath meals:
The No Stress Guide to Sabbath Meal Prep

Make Ahead Shabbat Meals

Biblically Clean Salads to Make Ahead

Shabbat in the New Testament

If you've ever wondered about the Sabbath day in the New Testament this post is for you. Many people have told me that if the Sabbath was truly important for us it would have been mentioned by the Messiah or in the New Testament. The thing is though that Shabbat actually gets brought up a lot in the New Testament. More times than in the Torah! And with the New Testament only making up about a third of the whole of Scripture, Shabbat appears in higher proportions than in the Tanakh.

Shabbat is such a foundational part of the lifestyle that Scripture teaches it often goes without saying. Sort of like how I've never seen the days of the week listed in order in a newspaper or magazine. This information is so obvious in our world that it's unspoken. The New York Times does not need to tell it's readers that Monday is after Sunday and that it's the most dreaded day of the week, but a time traveler from the Shang dynasty wouldn't have any idea about this.

If honoring the Sabbath is not part of your culture, then the implied presence of it is easy to miss. I think one of the reasons Peter, John, and Paul don't talk about observing Shabbat more expressly is that it never crossed their minds that those who follow the Messiah would scratch off one of the ten commandments. 

And speaking of those ten commandments, do you realize Yahusha spent comparatively little time on the other nine? Sabbath keeping comes up far more often in the New Testament than things like not killing or having no gods in your life besides YHWH. Do we think YHWH has "freed" us from the restriction to not murder or that we can go ahead and lie and steal? Of course not! Even without saying much on the subject we know that the Messiah still wants us to honor these commandments. Hopefully seeing how much Shabbat comes up throughout Scripture will help us to see how valuable it is to the Living Word.

Let's take a look at where Shabbat appears in the New Testament:

Hebrews 4:9 - There remains Shabbat for the people of YHWH.

Did you hear that? This book was written many years after Yahusha ascended into Heaven and the writer of Hebrews didn't believe that Shabbat was no longer applicable to us.


Luke 6:5 - The Son of Man is Master of Shabbat.

Why would the Messiah give himself this title if he wanted us to ignore this commandment? Does that make any kind of sense? He also described himself as the Good Shepherd - do we say he is out of the shepherding game? Do we think he used to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life for other people but not for us? Scripture tells us that not only did Yahusha keep Shabbat but also that he has taken ownership of the idea of Shabbat. The commandment that his people make the seventh day a set apart one belongs to him.


Matthew 12:12 - It is permitted in Torah to do mitzvoth on Shabbat.

You know how Yahusha was constantly accused of violating Shabbat? Those accusations were false. Here he explains that the Torah actually permits healing on the Sabbath day. This is not him bending the rules or blowing off part of Scripture. This is the Living Word explaining correct understanding of YHWH's commandments for Shabbat. If his intent was to do away with one of the commandments in a year or two after his death he would not have spent so much time working to correct our understanding of it.


Acts 13:14 - They came to Antioch in Pisidia and went into the synagogue on Shabbat.

I used to work for a Christian ministry that is very passionate about the book of Acts being a life manual for today's Believers. The ministry believes healings and miracles were not just limited to the early church, but what YHWH desires for his people today. I totally agree with this but I would also take things a step further: look at the other parts of the lives of the people in this book. These miracles happened through Shabbat keepers. Let's view this as a manual and live the way they did.


Luke 23:56 - They went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

Here is an example of Yahusha's followers observing Shabbat after his death. Many say there is too much pressing work that needs to be done to take a day of rest, but Yahusha's followers didn't violate the Sabbath, even for his sake. I imagine if these women had ever heard Yahusha teach that keeping Shabbat was not important they would have made an exception at such a significant time. But they didn't. The spices were an important part of burial tradition and it was clear they wanted to do this as soon as possible since they went "very early" in the morning after the Sabbath to anoint his body. 


Colossians 2:16-17 - Let no one judge you in connection with Shabbat...except the Israelite body of the Messiah.

YHWH knew that many people would not understand our desire to honor his Sabbath, which is why he warned us not to let their opinion sway us. This also tells us that it's not optional. We are not free from judgment regarding Shabbat (and also foods and feast days) so we can just do whatever we want. This verse tells us that judgment is passed by the body of the Messiah. As the bride, the body's beliefs on Shabbat should be unified with the Messiah's.


1 Corinthians 16:2 - After one of the Shabbats let everyone one of you lay aside and store up what YHWH has blessed him with.

Shabbat is still treated like a normal part of life here because it was. Yahusha never wanted his followers to give up a commandment of YHWH and early on his followers were aware of that.


Matthew 24:20 - Pray that you will not have to escape in winter or on Shabbat.

Yahusha is talking here about a time that 2,000 years later has not yet happened. The escape in question is after the abomination of desolation appears in the Beit Hamikdash. Why does he use this anecdote about praying that you won't have to flee on Shabbat? It's obvious he expects his people to be aware of and desire to honor Shabbat.


Acts 17:2 - As was his custom, Paul went into a synagogue on Shabbat and reasoned with them from the Scriptures.

Why does Paul have a habit of teaching from Scripture on the Sabbath? Because that is an activity that is approved of for Shabbat. We do not see him working as a tent maker (some would say a tallit maker), traveling, or shopping on the set apart day. One of the greatest Scripture teachers of all time knew not to violate Shabbat and we have no record that he ever did, even though Acts frequently talks about what Paul was up to on the Sabbath.


Acts 15:21 - For Moshe from old times has in every city those that proclaim his teachings, with his Torah being read in the synagogues very Shabbat.

Here instructions are given on how to handle people coming into the faith that have no foundation of the commandments about set apart living. A few basic pointers are given to them (stay away from idols, sexual sin, and blood), and then Scripture tells us to get these people to start observing Shabbat. On the Sabbath day, get to somewhere that is teaching YHWH's instructions so that you can learn how to live.


Revelation 12:17 - The dragon went to make war with the remnant of the woman's children, the ones that keep the commandments of YHWH, and have the testimony of Yahusha the Messiah.

The commandments and Yahusha. YHWH wants us to have both.

There are something like 58 express mentions of Shabbat in the New Testament, so this is by no means a conclusive list. Did you ever realize what a popular word this was in Scripture? What stands out to you about Shabbat keeping?

Related posts:
Fifteen Things Scripture Says About the Sabbath
How to Stop Working on Shabbat
Five Things the Messiah Taught About Shabbat

Call Upon the Name of YHWH

Yahweh. God. Yehovah. Adonai. The LORD. Yahuah. G-d. Elohim. Jehovah. Does what you call YHWH matter? Maybe you have heard that the name of YHWH should not be uttered or that he knows your heart so it doesn't make any difference what you call him. But Elijah believed otherwise.

"And you call on the name of your elohim, 
and I will call on the Name of YHWH." - 1 Kings 18:24

This is from the story where Elijah faced down 450 prophets of Baal; his premise for this challenge was very simple: let's both offer a sacrifice. We'll see which name responds.

The phrasing Elijah chose is extremely interesting and clamors for our attention. He didn't say, "We'll see which God answers," or, "I will call to my God," he made it a point to mention the name of YHWH. Significant? I think so.

Something I never paid much attention to in this story was Baal. Just a strange name for a false god, right? The truth is a little more interesting: Baal is the Hebrew word for Lord. Now glance at the story again - it reads differently! Verse 18: You have forsaken the commandments of YHWH to follow the Lord.

I have a hunch you know the rest of the story; the group of prophets couldn't get the attention of Baal no matter what they tried. But when Elijah called upon YHWH fire immediately consumed the sacrifice. Those who called upon the Lord didn't see a response, but the one who called upon YHWH did.

This story made me see that YHWH distinguishes himself from "the Lord." I want to mention here that there was definitely a time in my life where I called YHWH 'God.' I know many with sincere faith who call upon 'the Lord.' I am not saying someone is a bad person or not saved or whatever else if they use generic words for YHWH. But I do think if you want to get to know someone better you start with learning their name.

In Exodus 34:6 he introduces himself. "I am YHWH." In fact, he says his name twice in a row. My brother's name is a little unusual so when he meets someone he almost always has to repeat it to get their pronunciation even remotely close. And it seems like that is what YHWH is dealing with here. He knew his name would be misunderstood.

Obviously, the Bible was not originally written in English so "YHWH" is actually the transliteration of the Hebrew letters yod-he-waw-he. These letters transliterate into the approximate English equivalents of YHWH. I use this to be as correct as possible to refer to the Living God. (The Hebrew letters are confusing to those unfamiliar and don't translate well onto all devices.) Sounding out the Hebrew letters gets us yah-a-wah or yah-hu-uh. Sounding out the English letters gets us yah-way. Yehovah would be a cousin of this. With the variety of worldwide accents some of us may need to adjust our enunciation as we learn more, and that's okay. Personally I think trying to pronounce someone's name correctly (even if you don't quite get there) is a lot more respectful than not using it, or worse yet, calling them by their enemy's name.

Okay sure, you may say, but my Bible uses LORD all the time. How important can the name be if it's not in there? Hear me out on this because the following is probably the most ridiculous thing Bible translators have ever done. In the original texts of Scripture the name YHWH was in there all over the place, Genesis through Revelation. This is crazy to hear but nonetheless translators have removed the name of YHWH from Scripture over 7,000 times! Many versions (like the ESV) even mention this in the preface, that LORD is used a stand in to 'represent' the name. LORD is not a transliteration of yod-he-waw-he. These letters are not only incorrect, but also the name of the false deity from 1 Kings 18. Exodus 23:13 tells us we aren't to speak the names of false deities at all, let alone substitute for YHWH.

"Do not add to the word which I command you, and do not take away from it." - Deuteronomy 4:2

Replacing the name of YHWH is taking away from Scripture. YHWH distinguishes his name from that of other deities for a reason.

One reason is that there are a lot of things in this world that get worshiped as "God" or "the Lord." When I am in my conservative Christian hometown people talk about "God" and I know they are talking about the one of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But if I am on a college campus, talking with someone from a different religious background, or in a more multicultural city, "God" is used to refer a wide variety of things. I have personally heard the term used to talk about Islam's Allah, the deity behind the Hindu celebration of Diwali, reiki spirit guides, and a new age higher power. Followers of these 'gods' need to know that YHWH is different from their so called god.

YHWH's name is so important to him that reverence for it is included as one of the ten most important commandments. Usually this gets translated as not to take it in vain. Read: don't use it like a swear word. Many rabbis have forbidden use of the name of YHWH so that the name could never be used incorrectly or inappropriately. Unfortunately, not using the name - thus causing people to forget it - is pretty much the opposite of what the command intends. A better translation of Exodus 20:7 would be not to empty his name. Don't bring it to nothing. Don't forget about it. We can see that Elijah clearly had no problem speaking aloud the name of YHWH. The Messiah had no problem using it either, and it got him a lot of push back from the Pharisees. He even says that he has restored the name of YHWH to the earth.

What else does Scripture say about the name of YHWH?

-The Messiah came in the name of YHWH. -John 5:43
-It will be upon his people. -Numbers 6:27
-Righteous people run to the name of YHWH and are safe. -Proverbs 18:10
-We are to esteem his name. -Psalm 29:2
-We are to love YHWH's name. -Isaiah 56:6
-Every generation should know and remember his name. -Psalm 45:17
-Salvation is found in the name of YHWH and Yahusha. -Joel 2:32, Acts 4:12
-We are to praise the name of YHWH. -Psalm 9:2
-We won't see the Messiah until we can say, "Blessed is he that comes in the   name of YHWH." -Matthew 23:39, Luke 13:35
-Disciples should be baptized in the name of YHWH, as well as the Messiah and   Holy Spirit. -Matthew 28:19
-Everyone who calls on the name of YHWH shall be delivered. -Romans 10:13
-The name of YHWH endures forever. -Psalm 135:13

It's amazing to see how important the name of YHWH is and by learning it we can better know our Creator. Like himself, his name is different from any other 'gods' of this world. May we never forget his name or bring it to ruin again.

"And Elijah came to all the people and said, 'How long will you keep hopping between to opinions? If YHWH is Elohim follow him, but if the Lord is God then follow him.'" -1 Kings 18:21