jewish calendar
C1Formal, Academic, Religious
Definition
Meaning
A lunisolar calendar used in Judaism to determine religious observances and festivals, based on both the Moon's cycles and the solar year.
The system for dating events in Jewish religious and historical contexts; the liturgical calendar used to schedule holidays like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Refers specifically to the Hebrew calendar. While 'Jewish calendar' is common in general English, 'Hebrew calendar' is often used in more academic or precise contexts. It is not a general term for any calendar used by Jewish people (e.g., Gregorian).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Usage is identical in both varieties.
Connotations
Neutral/descriptive in both. Carries religious, cultural, and historical connotations.
Frequency
Similar frequency in both varieties, with slightly higher occurrence in communities with larger Jewish populations.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[determiner] + Jewish calendaraccording to + [determiner] + Jewish calendardate/month/year + in the + Jewish calendarVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Turn the page of the Jewish calendar (to mark the start of a new year).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in contexts discussing holiday schedules for multinational teams.
Academic
Used in religious studies, history, theology, and comparative calendar studies.
Everyday
Used when discussing the dates of religious holidays or family events.
Technical
Used in rabbinic, liturgical, or historical writing to specify dates.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- The Jewish-calendar date differs from the civil one.
American English
- We need to check the Jewish-calendar equivalent.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The holiday is in spring on the Jewish calendar.
- Rosh Hashanah is the New Year in the Jewish calendar.
- The Jewish calendar adds an extra month seven times in a nineteen-year cycle to align with the solar year.
- Scholars analysed how the fixed Jewish calendar, established in the 4th century CE, reconciled lunar and solar cycles.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'JEWish calendar' – Just Enough Weeks? It's lunar-based, so it has months based on the moon, requiring periodic adjustments.
Conceptual Metaphor
A TAPESTRY OF TIME (weaving together lunar cycles, solar years, and historical events).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating directly as 'еврейский календарь' in overly general contexts where 'иудейский календарь' is more precise.
- Do not confuse with 'еврейский календарь' as a generic term for any calendar printed in Hebrew or used in Israel (which is often the Gregorian).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'Jewish calendar' to refer to the standard Gregorian calendar used in Israel.
- Capitalising incorrectly (it is not a proper noun unless starting a sentence).
Practice
Quiz
What is a key feature distinguishing the Jewish calendar from the Gregorian calendar?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. 'Israeli calendar' typically refers to the Gregorian calendar used for civil purposes in Israel. The 'Jewish calendar' is the religious, lunisolar Hebrew calendar.
Yes, but differently. It adds an entire extra month (Adar I) in 7 out of every 19 years to keep lunar months aligned with solar seasons.
As of 2023-2024 Gregorian year, it is the year 5784-5785 (starting at Rosh Hashanah).
Yes. Many are printed annually, showing both Hebrew dates and Gregorian equivalents, and listing holidays and Torah readings.