Understanding the Jewish Calendar The Jewish calendar is a sophisticated timekeeping system that blends the celestial rhythms of both the moon and the sun. Unlike the purely solar Gregorian calendar, the Jewish (or Hebrew) calendar is lunisolar, meaning its months align with lunar phases while its years stay synchronized with the solar seasons. 1. The Luni-Solar Balance
A standard lunar year of 12 months is about 354 days, roughly 11 days shorter than a solar year. To prevent spring holidays like Passover from drifting into winter, the calendar employs a 19-year Metonic cycle.
Leap Years: In 7 out of every 19 years, an extra 30-day month—Adar I—is added before the regular month of Adar (then called Adar II).
Months: Most months alternate between 29 and 30 days to match the roughly 29.5-day lunar cycle. 2. A Day and Year of Different Origins
The Jewish calendar measures time from a unique starting point and defines the “day” differently than secular standards: JUDAISM | Understanding the Jewish calendar – L’Ajuntament
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