Jewish Holidays: Fact Sheet
Updated November 24, 2021
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
R45002
Jewish Holidays: Fact Sheet
Introduction
Judaism is one of the three major Abrahamic faiths, alongside Islam and Christianity. Many
traditions and variations of Judaism are practiced in the United States, including cultural and
religious variations. According to the Pew Research Center, about 2.4% of Americans (7.5 mil ion
people) self-identify as religiously or cultural y Jewish. Roughly 27% of American Jews describe
themselves as cultural y, but not religiously, Jewish.1
This fact sheet highlights four major cultural and religious holidays (Passover, Rosh Hashanah,
Yom Kippur, and Hanukkah) observed by a significant portion of Jewish American populations
and addresses some of the ways that these holidays have been recognized by elected officials. It
does not include national holidays recognizing modern Israeli history.
This fact sheet is designed to assist congressional offices with work related to Jewish holidays. It
contains sample speeches and remarks from the Congressional Record, presidential
proclamations and remarks, and selected historical and cultural resources.
This is part of a series of Congressional Research Service fact sheets on religious holidays in the
United States.
Determining Dates of Holidays
The traditional Jewish calendar is based on a lunisolar calendar, with 354 days, adjusted every
few years.2 This means that while Jewish holidays are observed on the same date every year
according to the Jewish calendar, these dates vary on the Gregorian calendar.
Major Holidays and Observances
By and large, official government observance of Jewish holidays is determined at the local level.
For example, some school districts close schools or al ow students to take excused absences to
observe certain Jewish holidays. In some Jewish communities, work is forbidden on specific
holidays, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and certain days of Passover. These provisions
against work are similar to the prohibitions against working on the Sabbath.
Owing to the long history and great diversity within Jewish communities, the observance of these
holidays can vary widely.
Passover
Passover is general y observed in April in the Gregorian calendar. It commemorates the Israelites’
emancipation and exodus from Egypt, and lasts for seven or eight days. The name refers to the
last of the 10 plagues that God inflicted on Egypt, in which God kil ed the first born of every
Egyptian household, but “passed over” Israelite households, leaving their firstborn children alive.
Observing Passover often includes clearing the house of leavened foods, eating unleavened foods
throughout the festival, and participating in the Seder, which usual y takes place at home on the
1 “Jewish Americans in 2020,” Pew Research Center, May 11, 2021, at https://www.pewforum.org/2021/05/11/jewish-
americans-in-2020/.
2 Ephraim Jehudah Wiesenberg and Jacob Licht, “Calendar,” in Encyclopaedia Judaica, eds. Michael Berenbaum and
Fred Skolnik, 2nd ed., vol. 4 (Detroit: Macmillan Reference, 2007), p. 354.
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Jewish Holidays: Fact Sheet
first or second night of the festival. There are many variations on the Seder, but it general y
includes reading from a book cal ed the Haggadah and eating a ritualized meal.
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah is general y observed in September or October in the Gregorian calendar. It
celebrates the Jewish New Year and lasts for two days. It also marks the beginning of 10 days of
repentance leading up to Yom Kippur.
During Rosh Hashanah, many Jews eat bread or a piece of apple dipped in honey so that the
coming year wil be sweet. Chal ah bread is often baked in round loaves for the holiday to
symbolize the cycle of the year. The shofar (a hollowed ram’s horn) is often blown. In religious
communities, the holiday includes a special service at a synagogue.
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, is general y observed for one day in September or
October in the Gregorian calendar. It is general y considered the holiest day of the year.
Observing Yom Kippur often includes fasting and prayer. Synagogues general y hold multiple
services throughout the day, which means that some Jews spend most of the day at a synagogue.
Hanukkah
Hanukkah (also spel ed Chanukah), or the Festival of Lights, is general y observed in December
in the Gregorian calendar. Lasting eight nights, it commemorates the rededication of the temple in
Jerusalem in the 2nd century B.C.
During the first evening of the festival, the first branch of the menorah is usual y lit. The menorah
is a candelabrum with nine branches. Eight branches represent each night of the festival. The
ninth branch is the shamash or helper candle, which is usual y used to light al the others. On each
subsequent night of the festival, an additional branch is usual y lit. Common traditions include
exchanging gifts, playing with a four-sided top cal ed a dreidel, and eating certain fried foods,
including latkes (a type of fried potato pancake) and doughnuts.
Other Jewish Celebrations
Sukkot
Sukkot, or the Festival of Booths, is general y observed in September or October in the Gregorian
calendar. It celebrates the harvest and commemorates the 40 years that the Jews wandered the
desert after leaving Egypt. The festival lasts seven to eight days.
Traditional y, Sukkot was observed by living in temporary booths cal ed sukkot, like the
temporary homes in which the Israelites lived in the desert. Other observances include special
prayer services and meals.
Purim
Purim is general y observed in February or March of the Gregorian calendar. It commemorates
the events of the Book of Esther, in which Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai saved the
Jewish people from Haman, who sought their destruction in ancient Persia.
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Jewish Holidays: Fact Sheet
Purim is largely a celebratory festival. Observances can include participating in a meal cal ed a
seudat (or se’udah), exchanging gifts, giving to charity, and participating in public readings from
the book of Esther. Some communities host a carnival.
Yom HaShoah
Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, is general y observed in April or May of the
Gregorian calendar. It commemorates the approximately 6 mil ion Jewish people who died in the
Holocaust. Since 1979, Congress has general y recognized several days near Yom HaShoah as
Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust.3
Because Yom HaShoah is a relatively modern commemoration, observances vary widely. The
United States Holocaust Museum has a resource page that includes ways to observe Yom
HaShoah, including how to organize a reading of names of those who died in the Holocaust and
sample speeches for public figures.4
U.S. Congressional Recognition
Some Members of Congress make floor statements, issue press releases, introduce resolutions, or
enter Extensions of Remarks into the Congressional Record to recognize holidays and
observances. The following are some recent examples that may be of assistance in preparing such
statements:
Senator Patrick Leahy, “Yom Kippur,” Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 166, no. 171
(October 1, 2020), pp. S6021-S6022.
Senator Kevin Cramer, “Senate Resolution 710 – Commemorating the High Holidays Celebrated
and Commemorated by the Jewish People in the United States, in Israel, and Around the World
and Recognizing the Many Accomplishments and Contributions of the Jewish Community in the
United States,” Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 166, no. 161 (September 17, 2020), p.
S5714.
Representative Adriano Espail at, “Representative Adriano Espail at Marks the Beginning of
Rosh Hashanah,” press release, September 27, 2019.
Representative Nydia M. Velázquez, “Velázquez on Rosh Hashanah,” press release, September 7,
2018.
Senator Rob Portman, “Portman Recognizes Beginning of Rosh Hashanah,” press release,
September 14, 2012.
Representative Kendrick B. Meek, “This Hanukkah—In Honor of Al Our Armed Forces and
their Families this Hanukkah,” Extension of Remarks, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol.
155, no. 192 (December 17, 2009), p. E3055.
3 H.J.Res. 1014, H.J.Res. 44, and H.Con.Res. 18.
4 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, “Days of Remembrance,” at https://www.ushmm.org/remember/days-of-
remembrance.
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U.S. Presidential Recognition
One of the many uses of a presidential proclamation is to ceremoniously honor or cal attention to
certain issues or events. Some proclamations and remarks commemorating Jewish holidays from
the Compilation of Presidential Documents include the following:
Statement on the Observance of Yom Kippur—President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., September 15,
2021.
Message on the Observance of Rosh Hashanah—President Donald J. Trump, September 18, 2020.
Statement on the Observance of Passover—President Barack Obama, April 22, 2016.
Remarks on Lighting the Hanukkah Menorah—President George W. Bush, December 18, 2006
Presidential proclamations and remarks from 1993 to present are available through
the govinfo service on the Government Publishing Office website. Earlier remarks are available
through The American Presidency Project, established by the University of California, Santa
Barbara.
Historical and Cultural Resources
Numerous resources provide information on the history and culture of Jewish holidays. Some of
these include the following:
Library of Congress, “Gathered Around the Seder Table: Images from the Passover Haggadah.”
This blog post describes the Haggadah, the text read for the Passover Seder, and il ustrates
Passover scenes.
“The Washington Haggadah.” This is a 15th century Hebrew manuscript held by the Library of
Congress.
Smithsonian.com, “Why Honey is Eaten for Rosh Hashanah, and Other Burning Questions.” This
blog post discusses the meaning behind several Rosh Hashanah traditions.
National Museum of African American History and Culture, “Rosh Hashanah.” This image of an
African American synagogue celebrating Rosh Hashanah is part of a collection cal ed “The
Commandment Keepers: African American Jewish Congregation in Harlem.”
Library of Congress, “The Faith of Far Away Moses: Yom Kippur, 1893.” This blog post looks
back at how Yom Kippur was celebrated at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1893.
Library of Congress, “Highlighting the Holidays: Happy Hanukkah.” This blog post includes
links to many Hanukkah-related collections.
Related CRS Reports
CRS Report R41990, Federal Holidays: Evolution and Current Practices, by Jacob R. Straus
CRS Report R43539, Commemorations in Congress: Options for Honoring Individuals, Groups,
and Events, coordinated by Jacob R. Straus
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Author Information
Gary Sidor
Senior Technical Information Specialist
Acknowledgements
This fact sheet was originally authored by Molly Higgins, former Reference and Data Services Librarian.
Disclaimer
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