In 358 CE (Common Era), Hillel II instituted a Jewish calendar and leap year. The result was that Jewish could be celebrated on the same day every year. Thanks to him, Jewish holiday dates are the same every year.
The Jewish calendar month has either 29 or 30 days, and a year will comprise twelve or thirteen months. Beacuse it actually takes 12.4 lunar months to complete a yearly cycle (365 and a quarter days), a year does not divide neatly into 12 months. The earliest Jews relied on seeing the new moon to judge when the beginning of the month would be. The Rosh Chodesh- or first day of the month – is always announced b the Sanhendrin. Another factor in deciding the number of months in the year has to do with the agricultural year. It will take 19 years for a full cycle to repeat itself.There are an extra 7 months during this time.
Hebrew Calendar
The official calendar of Israel is known as the Hebrew or Jewish calendar. A new month will not begin before a new moon is sighted.The months in the Jewish calendar are: Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, Elul, Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shevat and Adar. It’s because of the leap year (where an extra day is created) that enables holidays to be celebrated on the same date every year.
Festivals
Jewish festivals are still widely celebrated, and traditions usually strictly stuck to. Because these festivals reflect Jewish culture and history, they are held to be important, and form the backbone of the Hebrew calendar.
Jewish Holidays
Jews place a great deal of importance on celebrating the holiday dates in the calendar. Each holiday provides a good opportunity for people to reflect on their life and the year that has passed.These holidays promote the sense of being one with fellow believers. The Sabbath (or Shabbat) is the most important day in the Jewish week, as it commemorates God’s day of rest. Other days where work is prohibited include the festival days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Shavuot and Sukkot.
Jewish days start during sunset so in celebrating the holidays, usually some confusion arises.Some still follow the ancient practice of adding an extra day to their holidays while others stick to having the holiday just for a day. Usually, festivities start on the evening before the main day’s events occur.
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