Jewish

9 Feb (Mon)	Tu B'Shevat	Also known as the "New Year for Trees." It occurs on the 15th of the Jewish month of Shevat and marks the beginning of the season in which the earliest-blooming trees in the Land of Israel emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. Tu B'Shevat is marked by the planting of new trees and the eating of fruit, particularly from the "Seven Kinds" that are singled out by the Torah in its praise of the bounty of the Holy Land: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.
10 Mar (Tue)	Purim	Festival celebrating the events related in the Book of Esther about how the Jews of Persia were saved from Haman's plot to exterminate them. In synagogues, the Book of Esther is read aloud twice, the name of Haman being drowned out with rattles and hooters by the congregation. The festival is also celebrated by the giving of gifts of food and drink, giving charity to the poor, and a celebratory meal. Other customs include drinking alcohol, wearing of masks and costumes, and the eating of Hamantashen ("Haman's pockets"), which are cakes filled with poppy seeds.
9 - 16 Apr (8 days)	Pesach (Passover)	Eight day festival commemorating the Jewish Exodus from Egypt. The highlight of Pesach is the Seder meal, which is held in family homes at the beginning of the festival, when the story of how the Jews were delivered from slavery is recounted. Matzah (unleavened bread), the symbol of Pesach, is eaten throughout the festival, as are other foods containing no leaven. There is a great spring clean of homes before the festival begins to ensure no trace of leaven remains during Pesach.
21 Apr (Tue)	Yom Ha-Shoah	Holocaust Awareness Day. This is a day of remembrance for the victims of the Nazi Holocaust. Memorial candles are lit and special services held.
29 Apr (Wed)	Yom Ha'atzma'ut	Also known as Israeli Independence Day, this day commemorates the declaration of independence of Israel in 1948. It is always preceded by Yom Hazikaron, the Israel Fallen Soldiers Remembrance Day. An official ceremony is held every year on Mount Herzl on the eve of Yom Ha'atzmaut. The ceremony includes a speech by the speaker of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament), a dramatic presentation, a ritual march of soldiers carrying the Flag of Israel, forming elaborate structures (such as a Menorah, Magen David and a number which represents the age of Israel) and the lighting of twelve beacons (each for every one of the Tribes of Israel).
12 May (Tue)	Lag B'Omer	The 33rd day of Omer. Omer is a period of 49 days, lasting from Pesach to Shavuot, and is a time of sadness. Lag B'Omer provides a temporary relief to this sadness, commemorating the end of a plague in Roman times. The prohibitions of the Omer period do not apply to Lag B'Omer and it is a time of dancing and singing. Families often go on picnics and outings. A large number of weddings occur on this day, since weddings are not permitted during other days of the Omer period.
29 May (Fri)	Shavuot	Shavout occurs at the end of the Omer period and celebrates the revelation of the Torah on Mount Sinai and the early harvest season in Israel. The festival is marked by decorating synagogues with flowers and the eating of dairy foods, such as blintzes and cheesecakes.
23 Jul (Thu)	Tisha B'Av	A day of great sadness in the Jewish calendar, marked by a full-day fast. The day mourns the destruction of the first and second Temples in Jerusalem and other tragedies in Jewish history. Traditionally, the Book of Lamentations is read.
19 Sep (Sat)	Rosh Hashanah	Festival marking the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah occurs over two days, starting and ending at sunset on successive days. It begins ten days of repentance and self-examination, during which God sits in judgement of every individual. Shofars (ram's horns) are blown in synagogues as a reminder of Abraham's sacrifice of a ram instead of Isaac, his son. Traditionally, apples dipped in honey are eaten in the hope of a "sweet" new year.
28 Sep (Mon)	Yom Kippur	Jewish Day of Atonement, marking the end of the ten-day period of repentance begun at Rosh Hashanah. It is regarded as the holiest day in Judaism, being referred to in the Bible as the "Sabbath of Sabbaths". The day is marked by a 25-hour long fast and most of the day is spent in prayer, asking for forgiveness for past wrongs and resolving to improve in the future.
3 - 10 Oct (8 days)	Sukkot	Also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, this festival commemorates the 40 years that the Jews spent in the wilderness before reaching the Promised Land. Traditionally, a temporary structure, called a sukkah, resembling the sort of dwellings used by the Jews while in the wilderness, is used during this time for eating meals, entertaining guests, relaxing and even sleeping. The roof, which has to be open in part to the elements, is covered with branches and decorated with fruit.
11 Oct (Sun)	Simchat Torah	Simchat Torah is a Hebrew term meaning "rejoicing with/of the Torah". It is one of the happiest days in the Jewish calendar and is marked with festivities in synagogues that include singing, dancing and a moderate consumption of alcohol. The day marks the completion of the annual cycle of reading from the Torah and on this day all the Torah scrolls are paraded around the synagogue.
12 - 19 Dec (8 days)	Hanukkah	(Alternatively spelt Hanukah, Chanukah, and Chanukkah). Also known as the Festival of Lights or Festival of Rededication, this eight-day Jewish festival starts on the 25th day of Kislev, which may be in December, late November, or, very occasionally, early January. The festival is observed in Jewish homes by the lighting of candles — one each day — housed in a special menorah called a hanukiah, consisting of nine candles, with the centre one being used to light the others. The festival celebrates the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem following the victory of the Maccabees over King Antiochus IV, specifically the Miracle of the Oil, when one day's consecrated olive oil, needed to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple, lasted for eight days. Traditionally, foods cooked in oil, such as doughnuts and latkes (potato cakes), are eaten and the game of dreidel is played by children.