The Hebrew/Gregorian Calendar
The Israeli daily rhythm marches to the beat of two calendars, and then some.
There’s the calendar universally accepted, which we call the "Gregorian" or "Civil" calendar. And then there's the Hebrew calendar. Somehow, the Muslim calendar also manages to weave in a few dates that are important to remember.
On the surface, it might seem that the global, Gregorian calendar, is the dominant one, driving our daily agenda. It sets meeting times, daily events, and all long-term plans – from January to December.
Well… not quite.
The printed calendar found in every home, hanging on the fridge, lying on the table, and tucked away as a diary in a bag – this most common calendar in Israel, is published at the beginning of the Hebrew year. It incorporates the Gregorian dates as well, but it starts in the Hebrew month of Tishrei and ends in Elul.
It features one full Hebrew year, and two partial Gregorian years that begin in September of one year and end in August of the following year.
This has been the way for over 100 years:
the Jewish residents of the country plan by the Civil calendar, yet they constantly peek at the Hebrew calendar to see "when the holiday falls," just to make sure everything runs according to plan, including holidays and vacations tied to the seasons.
The Israeli routine and its annual calendar are influenced by both the natural seasons and the holiday seasons, which are set by tradition and religious observance. There's a historical and conscious connection between them, and this connection dictates the daily schedule. This is how we have the "education system's summer vacation" or the "Knesset's winter session", and this is how we say "before the holidays" or "after the holidays", and each of these has different characteristics and dates that shift from year to year – between the Hebrew and Gregorian calendars.
For example: Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year holiday.
It kicks off the long "holiday season" of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. It falls on one of the days in the Gregorian month of September – sometimes in the middle, sometimes at the end. And sometimes even at the very beginning of September, just a few days after the school year kicks off and students return from their long summer break.
Between the two main calendars, the Muslim calendar also interweaves itself, determining the holiday dates for Israeli Arabs, the largest minority group among Israel's citizens, and in our neighboring Palestinian Authority. They work for us, the Jews, and trade with us, and provide us with services.
Because of their inherent involvement in Israel's daily life, their holidays and vacations also affect the overall fabric of life in the country.
Unlike the two main calendars, which are based on the moon's cycle but somehow meet every few years, the Muslim calendar is based on the sun's cycle, and it shifts from month to month each year, moving through all four seasons.
Israelis have learned to live with this calendar blend and maintain a normal routine with it. Their minds work in full synchronization between the calendars, and everyone knows more or less what's happening and when. This is part of Israeli-ness, both officially and unofficially, navigating through time in various aspects of life.
For example:
A Jewish Israeli child is born on two dates – the Gregorian date and the Hebrew date. Both will be noted on their ID card, and both will accompany them throughout their life, and after their death.
The Gregorian calendar will determine when they need to submit reports to the income tax and VAT authorities, and it will appear on computer and phone screens, on job application forms, and on official state documents.
The Hebrew calendar will be the yearbook that accompanies them to kindergarten and school and will draft them into the army.
Their salary will be paid at the beginning of the Gregorian month, and the holiday will greet them on the 1st of Tishrei or the 14th of Nisan. They'll retire by the Gregorian calendar and die by the Hebrew calendar (if they want Kaddish to be recited for them).
Since the early 2000s, as computers and the internet have taken over our lives, the printed calendar is gradually disappearing, and Israelis are connecting more to the Gregorian than the Hebrew. In the calendar built into computers or phones, the Gregorian dominates and also incorporates the dates of Jewish holidays.
Those zealous about Hebrew tradition, especially in the religious sectors with all their factions and movements, aren't quick to give up on the Hebrew dates yet. Many there continue to note only the Hebrew date and write checks with a Hebrew date. But even checks are about to disappear from the world, and financial transfers will be by Gregorian date only.
Israeli Snack Bites from the Hebrew/Gregorian Calendar:
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A Reason to Party: Tu B'Av (a Jewish day of love) and Valentine's Day.
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Three Days of Rest in One Week: Friday (Muslim), Saturday (Jewish), Sunday (Christian).
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Calendar meet-ups: Hanukkah (Jewish) and Christmas (Christian), sometimes overlap.
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Fancy Hebrew Date: Adding a "Hey" to the Hebrew year – for example, H'Tashpa"h (ה׳תשפ״ה). For instance: B' Av H'Tashpa"h (ב׳ באב ה׳תשפ״ה).
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An Addition for the Haredi Sector: "Two thousand twenty-three for their reckoning." (As if... their calendar... not ours.)
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Concepts from the Hebrew Calendar: "Lo Kol Yom Purim" (It's not Purim every day - meaning "don't expect a party every day"). April Fool's Day. "Partzuf Tisha B'Av" (Tisha B'Av face - meaning a gloomy face).
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Calendar Song: "Shneim Asar Yerachim" (Twelve Months) by Naomi Shemer. (Click to hear YouTube video with the song, below)
Historical Bits
The Civil Calendar was brought to the Land of Israel by the British, who conquered the land in the early 20th century. They pushed aside the Muslim calendar, which was customary here during the Turkish rule, and introduced the calendar accepted throughout the Empire and the Western world.
The calendar took hold and couldn't be moved even after the British left and a Hebrew state was established. The founders of the state set the Hebrew date as a standard of heritage and symbol. Just a little. Not too prominent and not interfering with the synchronization of our daily routine with the rest of the world.
Over the years, there were those who tried to completely abolish the connection to the Gregorian date, and conversely, there were those who demanded to establish it in all areas of life. But life is stronger than all the lobbyists of various kinds, and we are left with a strange mix, so Israeli, so Jewish, unlike any other country in the world.
More Historical Bits:
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Until the establishment of the state, a special "rental year" was customary in the Jewish Yishuv for real estate, apartments, and shops, a remnant of the Turkish rule period. Tenants and landlords drew up rental agreements that began in the month of "Muharram," the first month of the Muslim calendar.
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Until 1987, a fiscal year was customary in Israel, beginning on April 1st and ending on March 31st. All financial matters, including the state budget, company balance sheets, and annual income tax reports, ran between these months.
This is part of "The Israeli Story 1948-2025" project.
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