When Is Passover?
Passover 2027 begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 21 — in 167 days — and ends at nightfall on Thursday, April 29 (outside Israel). It is always 15 Nisan in the Hebrew calendar.
Updated · By the YearlyCalendar.org team
Passover (Pesach) commemorates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It lasts seven days in Israel and eight days elsewhere and begins with the Seder meal.
April 2027 calendar
The calendar marks the first full day of Passover, Thursday, April 22, 2027; it begins at sundown the evening before.
- Federal holiday / day off
- Observance
- Weekend
April 2027 – Passover 2027
| Wk | SundaySun | MondayMon | TuesdayTue | WednesdayWed | ThursdayThu | FridayFri | SaturdaySat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 14 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 15 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15Tax Day | 16 | 17 |
| 16 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22Earth DayPassover (first day) | 23 | 24 |
| 17 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
Passover dates 2020–2040
Between 2020 and 2040, Passover has its first full day as early as March 27 (2032) and as late as April 24 (2035). End dates are for observance outside Israel.
How the date is set
Passover begins on 15 Nisan. The Hebrew calendar is lunisolar: months follow the moon, and a leap month (Adar II) is added seven times in every 19 years to keep Passover in spring. Its first full day falls between March 26 and April 25 this century and never on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday.
The Seder
On the first night (and the second night outside Israel) families hold the Seder, a ritual meal at which the Haggadah, the story of the Exodus, is read. Matzah, unleavened bread, is eaten and leavened food is avoided for the whole festival.
Passover and Easter
The Last Supper described in the Gospels is linked to Passover, and Easter often falls during or next to Passover week. In some years the Hebrew leap month pushes Passover three to four weeks after Easter, as in 2027, 2035 and 2043.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
When is Passover 2028?
Passover 2028 begins at sundown on Monday, April 10, 2028 and ends at nightfall on Tuesday, April 18, 2028.
Why is Passover eight days outside Israel?
Before the Hebrew calendar was fixed by calculation, communities far from Jerusalem could not be sure on which day the new month had been declared, so they kept an extra day of each festival. Jews outside Israel keep that custom, so Passover lasts eight days there and seven in Israel.
What foods are avoided during Passover?
Chametz: leavened food made from wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt. Many Ashkenazi Jews also avoid kitniyot, such as rice, corn and legumes.