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Sephardic Jewish Holidays: A Complete Guide

A living guide to the Jewish year through Sephardic tradition, memory, prayer, and family customs.

Understanding the Sephardic Jewish Calendar

The Jewish year is structured around cycles of memory, agriculture, history, and spiritual renewal.

Across Sephardic communities from Morocco, Syria, Turkey, Greece, Iraq, and the Balkans, each holiday is experienced through distinctive melodies, prayers, foods, and family customs passed down through generations.

This guide organizes the full Sephardic calendar chronologically while also revealing the deeper themes that connect Jewish time: renewal, joy, freedom, and remembrance.

Jewish Holidays

Discover the Jewish holidays through Sephardic customs, traditions, prayers, foods, melodies, and communal practices. From Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to Passover, Shavuot, and Tisha B’Av, explore how Sephardic communities have observed and celebrated the Jewish calendar across generations.

This Sephardic Jewish holiday calendar presents the holidays in chronological order, with dates, observances, historical context, and resources from Sephardic U. Explore each holiday to learn not only when it occurs, but how Sephardic Jews have experienced, remembered, and preserved these traditions throughout the year.

Rosh Hashanah
Upcoming Holiday

Rosh Hashanah

Begins sunset of Friday, September 11, 2026
Ends nightfall of Saturday, September 12, 2026
No work is permitted.
For Sephardim, Selichot traditionally begin on 2 Elul — roughly 30 days before Rosh Hashanah. Explore Sephardic Selichot →
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and the beginning of the Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe. Sephardic communities enter the season through an extended period of Selichot, with distinctive melodies and traditions that prepare the heart for repentance, renewal, and the coming year.
Visit the Rosh Hashanah ⟶
Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur

Begins sunset of Sunday, September 20, 2026
Ends nightfall of Sunday, September 20, 2026
No work is permitted.
A complete fast is observed from sunset until nightfall.
Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, a day devoted to fasting, prayer, repentance, and reconciliation. Sephardic liturgy is marked by powerful melodies and ancient piyyutim that guide the community through the solemn services of the day.
Visit the Yom Kippur ⟶
Sukkot

Sukkot

Begins sunset of Friday, September 25, 2026
Ends nightfall of Thursday, October 1, 2026
No work is permitted on the first two days.
Work is permitted during Chol HaMoed, with holiday restrictions.
Dates listed are for outside Israel.
Sukkot is the festival of booths and one of the three pilgrimage festivals. Sephardic families traditionally bring the joy of the holiday into the sukkah through distinctive foods, melodies, hospitality, and the mitzvah of the Four Species.
Visit the Sukkot ⟶
Shemini Atzeret

Shemini Atzeret

Begins sunset of Saturday, October 3, 2026
Ends nightfall of Sunday, October 4, 2026
No work is permitted.
Dates listed are for outside Israel.
Shemini Atzeret is a distinct festival immediately following Sukkot. Rather than simply extending Sukkot, it is understood as a final intimate gathering with God, marked by special prayers, celebration, and the transition toward the next season of the Jewish year.
Visit the Shemini Atzeret ⟶
Simchat Torah

Simchat Torah

Sunday, October 4, 2026
No work is permitted.
Dates listed are for outside Israel.
Simchat Torah celebrates the completion and immediate renewal of the annual Torah-reading cycle. Sephardic communities mark the occasion with singing, dancing, special melodies, and the joy of beginning the Torah again from Bereshit.
Visit the Simchat Torah ⟶
Hanukkah

Hanukkah

Begins sunset of Friday, December 4, 2026
Ends nightfall of Friday, December 11, 2026
Work is permitted, except on Shabbat.
Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the enduring miracle of the oil. Across Sephardic communities, the holiday has inspired distinctive songs, foods, family customs, and traditions of lighting the hanukkiah.
Visit the Hanukkah ⟶
Tu BiShvat

Tu BiShvat

Saturday, January 23, 2027
Work is permitted.
Tu BiShvat, the New Year for the Trees, celebrates renewal and the connection between Jewish life and the Land of Israel. Sephardic communities developed rich traditions around fruits, blessings, and mystical Tu BiShvat gatherings, particularly in the kabbalistic tradition of Safed.
Visit the Tu BiShvat ⟶
Purim

Purim

Sunday, February 21, 2027
Work is permitted, though many communities avoid unnecessary work.
Purim celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from destruction in the Persian Empire, as told in the Book of Esther. Sephardic communities have preserved distinctive Purim melodies, foods, pastries, and storytelling traditions, including regional variations of the Purim feast and mishloach manot.
Visit the Purim ⟶
Passover

Passover

Begins sunset of Wednesday, April 21, 2027
Ends nightfall of Wednesday, April 28, 2027
No work is permitted on the first two and last two days.
Work is permitted during Chol HaMoed, with holiday restrictions.
Dates listed are for outside Israel.
Passover celebrates the Exodus from Egypt and the birth of the Jewish people as a free nation. Sephardic traditions often preserve a particularly broad culinary heritage during Pesach, with many communities permitting kitniyot such as rice and legumes while maintaining the strict prohibition against chametz.
Visit the Passover ⟶
Lag BaOmer

Lag BaOmer

Tuesday, May 25, 2027
Work is permitted.
For many Sephardic communities, Lag BaOmer is celebrated as the Hilula of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, with music, piyyutim, bonfires, and communal celebration.
Lag BaOmer is the 33rd day of the Omer and holds special significance in Sephardic and Middle Eastern Jewish tradition. It is widely celebrated as the Hilula of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, with gatherings, music, bonfires, and celebrations honoring the great sage and mystical traditions associated with him.
Visit the Lag BaOmer ⟶
Shavuot

Shavuot

Begins sunset of Thursday, June 10, 2027
Ends nightfall of Friday, June 11, 2027
No work is permitted.
Dates listed are for outside Israel.
Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai and also celebrates the ancient wheat harvest. Sephardic communities preserve distinctive melodies, piyyutim, foods, and all-night Torah-learning traditions that make the festival a celebration of both Torah and heritage.
Visit the Shavuot ⟶
Tisha B'Av

Tisha B'Av

Wednesday, August 11, 2027
A complete fast is observed from sunset until nightfall.
The day commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem and other tragedies in Jewish history.
For Sephardic Jews, Tisha B’Av also carries the memory of the destruction of Sefarad and the Expulsion from Spain.
Tisha B’Av is Judaism’s national day of mourning, commemorating the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem and the tragedies that followed throughout Jewish history. For Sephardic Jews, the day also carries the memory of the destruction of Sefarad and the 1492 Expulsion, linking the mourning of Jerusalem with the preservation of Sephardic heritage across the Diaspora.
Visit the Tisha B'Av ⟶

How Sephardic Communities Experience the Jewish Year

Sephardic tradition is not preserved only through texts. It is transmitted through homes, synagogue melodies, family tables, and communal memory. Across centuries and continents, these practices continue to connect generations through a living heritage.

 

Sephardic Jewish life is shaped not only by the calendar, but by the transmission of tradition across generations. In many communities, melodies (piyyutim), liturgical customs, and family foods vary from region to region while preserving shared spiritual meaning.

From the poetic Selichot of the High Holy Days to the festive tables of Passover and the reflective mourning of Tisha B’Av, Sephardic practice reflects a living connection between memory, prayer, and communal identity.

These traditions are reflected across the holidays below, organized by season and theme.

Explore Sephardic Holidays by Theme

Beyond the chronological calendar, Jewish holidays can also be understood through recurring spiritual themes that shape Sephardic life and tradition.

High Holy Days (Yamim Noraim)

Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur focus on reflection, judgment, and spiritual renewal.

Festivals of Joy

Sukkot, Hanukkah, and Purim celebrate protection, miracles, and communal joy.

Freedom & Revelation

Passover and Shavuot trace the journey from liberation in Egypt to receiving the Torah.

Seasonal & Natural Cycles

Tu Bishvat and Rosh Hodesh reflect agricultural and lunar renewal rhythms.

Mourning & Memory

Tisha B’Av and related fast days commemorate loss and historical tragedy.

Other Holidays and Fasts

Discover minor holidays and fast days, such as Tu Bishvat, Lag BaOmer, Tzom Gedaliah, Asarah B’Tevet, Ta’anit Esther, Tzom Tammuz, and Rosh Hodesh. Each observance has its own Sephardic traditions and significance, which you can explore in detail.

Asara B’Tevet

Ta’anit Esther 2025 – Fast of Esther

Tu Bishvat

Simchat Torah

Commemorating Loss and Seeking Redemption: Understanding the Significance of the Fast of Tevet

Shemini Atzeret: The Eighth Day of Assembly and Its Traditions

Lag Ba’Omer: History, Customs, and the Sephardic Hilula of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai

Sephardic Holiday Traditions

Sephardic communities celebrate Jewish holidays with distinctive customs, melodies, prayers, and culinary traditions that set them apart from Ashkenazi practices. From the Yamim Noraim to Passover, Hanukkah, and minor fasts, these traditions reflect centuries of Sephardic heritage. Explore the unique ways Sephardim observe and celebrate each holiday.

  • Meals feature chamin (Sephardic cholent), mehshi (stuffed vegetables), and regional pastries.

  • Distinct Sephardic zemirot (songs) and melodies enrich the Shabbat table.

  • Kiddush is recited by the ba‘al habayit (master of the house), who alone says the blessing over the wine (hagafen). He drinks first, and only then do others follow, as a sign of respect and honor for the head of the household.

  • Havdalah often includes fragrant herbs like myrtle or cinnamon, reflecting local Sephardic customs.

  • Many Sephardic families light a special candle to honor the new month.

  • Festive family meals with pastries and sweet dishes celebrate renewal and blessing.

  • Synagogue liturgy includes piyyutim and melodies for Ya’aleh Veyavo and Hallel.

  • In some communities, women traditionally refrain from certain household work, treating Rosh Hodesh as a semi-festive day.

  • Seliḥot are recited throughout the month of Elul in the morning rather than late at night.

  • The Rosh Hashanah greeting is “Tizku leshanim rabot” (תזכו לשנים רבות) with the response “Neimot vetovot” (נעימות וטובות).

  • Sephardic Rishonim (early scholars) historically rejected Tashlikh and Kapparot, though they were reintroduced by the Lurianic school. Spanish & Portuguese Jews still generally do not practice them.

  • Only one menorah is typically lit per household, unlike Ashkenazim where each family member lights their own.

  • The shammash is lit together with the other lights, fitting the traditional oil lamp custom.

  • Sephardic homes often serve fried pastries like sfenj (North Africa) or bimuelos (Spanish) instead of Ashkenazi latkes.

  • Sephardim have unique piyyutim (liturgical poems) and melodies for Hoshanot.

  • In many communities, special emphasis is placed on hospitality in the sukkah (ushpizin) and festive foods with symbolic ingredients.

  • Sephardic communities emphasize mishloach manot with prepared meals (rice, meat dishes, sweets), not just snacks.

  • Public readings of the Megillah are often accompanied by unique melodies specific to each Sephardic tradition.

  • Sephardim recite blessings over only the first and third cups of wine.

  • The Seder plate is arranged in a fixed hexagonal order, with minor variations across communities.

  • Most Sephardim eat kitniyot (rice, legumes, beans, corn). Ashkenazim — and some Moroccan Jews — avoid them.

  • Sephardic haroset recipes feature dates, figs, and nuts, unlike the apple-wine base used by Ashkenazim.

  • Foods like eggplant dips, lamb stews, and rice dishes are traditional Passover staples.

  • Sephardim celebrate Shavuot with festive meat meals, reflecting the tradition of honoring holidays with the richest foods.

  • Dairy dishes, such as bourekas, rice pudding, or cheese pastries, may be served as starters or desserts, but the main meals are typically meat-based.

  • The Book of Ruth is read with Sephardic melodies, often differing from Ashkenazi chant.

  • Sephardic men traditionally avoid haircuts and shaving for 34 days (not 33, as Ashkenazim do).

  • In some communities, the mourning is observed until Lad BaOmer (34th day), while others extend it to Shavuot.

  • Sephardim chant Kinot (lamentations) in distinct maqam melodies.

  • Eicha (Lamentations) is often read with a different cantillation than Ashkenazi usage.

Learn More & Holiday Resources

Deepen your understanding of Sephardic holiday traditions with guides, articles, and community resources. Whether you’re looking for prayers, recipes, or historical context, these resources will help you connect more deeply.

The Sephardic Passover Guide

Selichot

Torah Reading for Passover

Sephardic Hanukkah Halakhot for the Holiday

Sephardic Birkat Hamazon

Sukkot Quick Guide

The Sephardic Guide: The Halakhot and Traditions of Purim

Sephardic Yom Kippur Quick Guide: Fasting, Halakha, and Meaningful Observance

Counting the Omer: History, Significance, and Practice

Sephardic U Siddur

Rosh HaShana Quick Guide

Stay Connected & Celebrate

Sephardic holidays are more than dates on a calendar — they are living traditions, rich with music, prayer, and flavors passed down through generations. Whether you’re observing your first Sephardic Seder, learning the melodies of Yamim Noraim, or simply exploring the history behind each celebration, Sephardic U is here to guide and inspire you.

Discover how to fully experience the beauty of Sephardic customs and share them with your family and community. Join us to connect, learn, and celebrate the richness of Sephardic heritage all year long.

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