Public holidays in Israel
For exact dates in the Gregorian calendar see Jewish and Israeli holidays 2000–2050.
Public holidays in Israel are national holidays officially recognized by the Knesset, Israel's parliament. The State of Israel has adopted most traditional religious Jewish holidays as part of its national calendar, while also having established new modern holiday observances since its founding in 1948. Additionally, Christians, Muslims, and Druze have the right to Holiday leave on the holidays of their own religions. Of the religious and modern holidays below, some are bank holidays / national holidays requiring all schools, government institutions, financial sector, and most retailers in Jewish Israeli society to be closed, while other holidays are marked as days of note or memorial remembrances with no breaks in public or private sector activities.
As is the case with all religious Jewish holidays, most public holidays in Israel generally begin and end at sundown, and follow the Hebrew calendar. Because of this, most holidays in Israel fall on a different Gregorian calendar date each year, which syncs every 19 years with the Hebrew calendar.
Shabbat, the weekly Sabbath day of rest, in Israel begins every Friday evening just before sundown, ending Saturday evening just after sundown. Most of the Israeli workforce, including schools, banks, public transportation, government offices, and retailers within Jewish Israeli society are shut down during these approximately 25 hours, with some non-Jewish retailers and most non-kosher restaurants still open.
Public holidays
Jewish holidays are defined by the Hebrew calendar. Christian holidays are defined by the Gregorian calendar for Catholics and the Julian calendar for Orthodox. Druze holidays are also defined by the Gregorian calendar, with the sole exception of Eid al-Adha which is also celebrated by Muslims. Secular observances which are common to all religions are defined by the Hebrew calendar if they are of a uniquely national nature, and by the Gregorian calendar if they are of a global or international nature.The following are official holidays imposed by government authorities, except in cases of emergency or entities that require daily operational activities.
| Date/Range of dates in the Hebrew calendar | English name | Hebrew name | Status |
| Every Friday evening before sundown to Saturday evening after sundown | Sabbath | שבת Shabbat | Official holiday with all schools, government institutions, public transportation and most retailers shut down |
| Tishrei 1-2 | New Year | ראש השנה Rosh Hashanah | Official holiday |
| Tishrei 10 | Day of Atonement | יום כיפור Yom Kippur | Official holiday, businesses close around noon on the holiday's eve. Absolutely all businesses nationwide are closed. Virtually no traffic on the streets with the exception of emergency vehicles. Exceptions in Arab areas. Non-emergency services that normally operate on holidays, e.g. airports, border crossings, broadcasting stations etc. suspend their work for about 28–30 hours. |
| Tishrei 15 | Feast of Tabernacles | סוכות Sukkot | Official holiday |
| Tishrei 22 | Simchat Torah/Shmini Atzeret | שמחת תורה/שמיני עצרת Simchat Torah/Shemini Atzeret | Official holiday |
| Nisan 15 | Passover | פסח Pesach | Official holiday |
| Nisan 21 | Seventh day of Passover | שביעי של פסח Shvi'i shel Pesach | Official holiday |
| Iyar 5 | Independence Day | יום העצמאות Yom Ha-Atzmaut | Official Holiday |
| Sivan 6 | Shavuot | שבועות Shavuot | Official holiday |
| Av 9 | Tisha B'Av, fast | תשעה באב Tisha B'Av | Official holiday |
| May 9 | Victory Day over Nazi Germany | יום הניצחון על גרמניה הנאצית Yom HaNitzachon al Germania HaNatzit | Official holiday |