Rosh ha Shannah (rosh = head, shannah = year) will soon be here and because the Hebrew calendar has a different cyclical pattern than does the Christian-based secular calendar, there arises much confusion as to when Rosh ha Shannah and other Jewish Holy Days & Festival Days may occur. Hence, this eMail. All Jewish Holy Days and Festival Days begin at sundown on the evening before the civil calendar date listed: Hebrew Year Civil Year . 5761 Holy Day or Festival 2000 - 2001 . 1 Tishrei Rosh Ha Shanah Sep 30 - Oct 1 (Sat - Sun) 10 Tishrei Yom Kippur Oct 9 (Mon) 15 Tishrei Sukkot Oct 14 (Sat) 22 Tishrei Shemini Atzeret Oct 21 (Sat) 23 Tishrei Simchat Torah Oct 22 (Sun) 25 Kislev Chanukah Dec 22-29 (Fri-Fri) 15 Shvat Tu B'Shvat Feb 8 (Thu) 14 Adar I* Purim Mar 9 (Fri) 15 Nissan Passover Apr 8 - 15 (Sun - Sun) 27 Nissan Yom Ha Shoah Apr 20 (Fri) 18 Iyar Lag B'Omer May 11 (Fri) -- Shavuot May 28 -29 (Mon - Tue) . 9 Av Tisha B'Av Jul 29 (Sun) * In certain years, Purim occurs on the 14 day of Adar II. Rosh ha Shannah (head of the year) falls on the first day of the 7th month (Tishrei) and that would take more than an eMail to explain. Passover occurs on the 15th day of the first month (Nissan). The 12 (and sometimes 13) months are: Nissan Iyar Sivan Tamuz Av Elul Tishrei Chevan Kislev Teves Shvat Adar (Adar II in certain years) L'Shannah Tova & Happy 5761, Walter Greenspan