Passover 2027

Israel vs. Diaspora: Passover 2027 Dates

Passover is observed on different days depending on where you are. In the Land of Israel, biblical festivals last one day; in the Diaspora, communities keep a second day (Yom Tov Sheni shel Galuyot), a custom dating back to calendar-confirmation times:

All times and dates elsewhere on this page follow the Diaspora schedule. Travelers should plan according to their location on the festival eve.

Halachic Framework

As a biblical festival (Yom Tov), Passover carries obligations similar to Shabbat, with a few permit exceptions:

• Work restrictions: Creative labor (melachah) is prohibited. Cooking and carrying for food preparation are permitted (ochel nefesh), so meals may be prepared on the festival itself.
• Prayer additions: Hallel is recited during the morning service, the Musaf sacrifice is memorialized in the Additional Prayer, and Yaaleh Veyavo is inserted into the Amidah and Grace After Meals.
• Yizkor: The memorial prayer for departed parents is recited in Diaspora communities (and in many Israeli ones) on the final day.
• Kiddush & candles: Festival candles are lit before sunset on the eve, and Kiddush is recited both nights.

Customs & Observances

• The Seder night — retelling the Exodus story with matzah and maror
• The seder plate (ke'arah) — six items: zeroa (shankbone), beitzah (egg), maror, charoset, karpas, and chazeret (Pesachim 116a; Shulchan Aruch OC 473)
• Keeping kosher for Pesach — no chametz (leaven) may be eaten or owned; kitchen utensils are kashered and chametz is sold before the festival
• Prohibition of chametz — eating only matzah for the duration
• Eating shmura matzah
• Reading the Song of Songs
• Counting the Omer begins on the second night

Greetings & Blessings for Passover

Traditional greetings used before, during, and after Passover:

• Chag Pesach Sameach — "A joyous Passover holiday"
• Chag Kasher V'Sameach — "A kosher and joyous holiday"
• Moadim L'Simchah — "Times of joy" (used on Chol HaMoed)

בעברית:

• חג פסח שמח
• חג כשר ושמח
• מועדים לשמחה — לימי חול המועד

About Passover

Passover (Pesach), the Festival of Freedom, begins on the 15th of Nissan and lasts seven days in Israel (eight in the Diaspora). It commemorates the Exodus from Egypt and the birth of the Jewish nation.

Also known as: Pesach

Jewish holidays begin at sunset on the evening before the date shown and conclude at nightfall (when three medium stars are visible) on the final day. In the Diaspora, major Torah festivals are observed for two days (Yom Tov Sheni shel Galuyot), while in Israel they are observed for one day.

Candle Lighting Times for Passover 2027

Festival candles are lit on the evening of Tuesday, April 20, 2027 before sunset. Times for six major communities:

Candle-lighting is calculated as sunset minus each community's customary offset (Jerusalem 40 minutes; most other communities 18). If a festival eve falls on a weekday, the times above are exact; use the weekly schedule links for surrounding dates.