Passover 2026 timing and calendar dates for planners
The Jewish holiday of Passover in 2026 begins at local sunset on the evening before Nisan 15 and continues through the end of Nisan 22 in diaspora communities and Nisan 21 in Israel. This overview gives the concrete Gregorian start and end dates for a range of time zones, explains the traditional day-by-day observance pattern, outlines how Hebrew-calendar calculations map to civil dates, and highlights scheduling implications for travel, work, and community services.
Exact start and end dates by location and time zone
Passover observance follows sunset-to-sunset days. For 2026, the first seder evening precedes the daytime date of Nisan 15; communities that observe eight days (most outside Israel) conclude at the end of Nisan 22. The table below lists commonly referenced cities with the local civil dates when the holiday begins at sundown and when the final festival day ends at nightfall.
| City (Time Zone) | Local start (sundown) | Local end (nightfall) | Observance note |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, USA (ET) | Evening of March 31, 2026 | Evening of April 9, 2026 (diaspora) | Most communities observe eight days |
| Los Angeles, USA (PT) | Evening of March 31, 2026 | Evening of April 9, 2026 (diaspora) | Count local sunset times |
| London, UK (GMT/BST) | Evening of March 31, 2026 | Evening of April 9, 2026 (diaspora) | Clocks may affect civil timestamps |
| Jerusalem, Israel (IST) | Evening of March 31, 2026 | Evening of April 8, 2026 (Israel) | Seven-day public holiday practice |
Traditional observance schedule and key days
The formal festival period begins at sunset on the eve of Nisan 15. The seder—ritual meal with the Haggadah—takes place on that first evening and typically on the second evening in diaspora communities. Daylight hours of Nisan 15 through Nisan 21 (Israel) or Nisan 22 (diaspora) are festival days with synagogue services, restrictions on leavened foods, and communal meals.
Specific days to mark on a planner’s calendar include the first seder evening, the second seder evening (where applicable), first and last full festival days (often with required communal services), and intermediate “Chol Hamoed” days used for permitted work and travel under communal norms. Event planners should note that public and institutional schedules—school closures, service times, kosher catering availability—tend to follow the local communal practice (seven or eight days).
Calendar calculations and Hebrew date correspondence
Hebrew dates are based on a lunisolar calendar. Nisan is the month that includes the spring full moon; Nisan 15 always falls on a full-moon period. Converting Hebrew dates to Gregorian dates requires accounting for leap months, lunar cycles, and the rule set for postponements used in the Hebrew calendar. For planners, the practical result is that the civil date of Nisan 15 shifts year-to-year within a range of several weeks.
Reliable organizations publish precomputed civil dates: major synagogues, rabbinical bodies, and calendrical services such as Hebcal or established community calendars. These sources reflect the normative mapping from Nisan 15 to a Gregorian date and generally note whether the community follows seven- or eight-day observance. For time-sensitive scheduling, use a source that reports local sunset times and the civil date corresponding to the start of Nisan 15 in the specific time zone.
Implications for travel, work, and community services
Scheduling around festival timing often affects transportation, catering, and venue availability. Airline and rail timetables don’t change for religious observance, but demand and staffing can. Planners should avoid booking departures or arrivals during the first seder evening and allow extra time for personnel and guests observing meal and service schedules.
Employers and community centers will vary in leave policies and holiday closures. Where institutions close for festival days, consider shifting rehearsals, deliveries, or setup to the week prior or to Chol Hamoed days when limited activity is commonly permitted. Catering that meets festival dietary rules (including kosher for Passover) requires advance contracting because suppliers may operate on reduced staff or limited menus.
Sources and verification methods for dates
Authoritative references include local rabbinic calendars, national rabbinical organizations, and well-established calendaring services that publish Hebrew-Gregorian conversions. Practical verification steps: check a rabbinic authority for your congregation, consult a reliable Hebrew-calendar service for the specific year, and confirm local sunset times for the event location. If a community follows a particular denominational practice (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, etc.), confirm whether that body issues different guidance on first/last-day observance or on work allowances during Chol Hamoed.
Scheduling trade-offs and timekeeping considerations
Planners face trade-offs between convenience and strict observance. Choosing venues that accommodate after-sunset start times may reduce conflicts but can increase costs and limit availability. Timekeeping differences—sunset-based starts—mean that a festival day can begin on two different civil dates across time zones; a late sunset near a time-zone border can create confusion for multi-site live broadcasts or synchronized services.
Accessibility considerations include providing recorded or captioned material for those unable to attend evening services, and seating and transportation accommodations for elderly or mobility-limited participants during peak festival times. Some communities permit limited activities on intermediate days; others restrict most forms of work. Confirm local practice to align volunteer schedules and disability accommodations with community norms.
How do calendar tools show Passover dates?
What travel planning considerations affect Passover?
Which event planning services handle seders?
Key planning takeaways: mark local sundown on the civil date preceding Nisan 15 as the start; treat the final festival day according to whether the community observes seven or eight days; and verify local sunset times and denominational rulings. When confirming logistics, cross-check a rabbinic calendar, a reputable Hebrew–Gregorian conversion service, and the venue’s local timekeeping to avoid mismatches. These steps help align catering, transportation, and staffing with community expectations while leaving room for verified local variation.
This text was generated using a large language model, and select text has been reviewed and moderated for purposes such as readability.
