ב"ה

Jewish Practice Jewish Calendar About the Jewish Calendar

The Jewish Leap Year

The Jewish "leap year", which occurs seven times in a 19-year cycle, has 13 months instead of the regular year's 12. This is so that the lunar-based Jewish year should remain aligned with the solar seasons (12 lunar months make up a total of 354 days — slightly more than 11 days short of the 365.25 day solar cycle). The added month is called "Adar I" and is inserted before the month of Adar (termed "Adar II" in leap years).

Leap Year Explained

Adar: the month especially "pregnant" with meaning.

By Yerachmiel Tilles

10 Comments

Leap Year Q&A

Was Passover Celebrated Late this Year?

When Do I Celebrate My Birthday in a Leap Year?

In a Jewish Leap Year, in Which Adar Do I Observe Yahrtzeit?

How Does the Spring Equinox Relate to the Timing of Passover?

Leap Year Essays and Inspiration

13 Facts About Jewish Leap Years

The Significance of the Jewish "Leap Year"

The Nineteen-Year Marriage

Sixty Days of Purim

It’s All About the Timing

Always Happy

Sixty Days of Joy!

The Natural Redemption

Leap Year Video & Audio

The Jewish Leap Year

“Order of the Year”

It's in Your Hands

The Secret of the Jewish Leap Year

Rosh Chodesh

The Secret of the Leap Year

Join the Discussion

74 Comments

Newest

Oldest

BRENDA PIPHER HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK January 27, 2024

Is there any significance when the Jewish leap year coincides with Gregorian leap year? I was born on Feb. 13, 1965, after sunset, making Biblical birthday 12 Adar I 5725, a leap year Biblically. So my birthday this year is in both a Biblical and Gregorian leap year, I think. It made me wonder if there was a significance to that, or it's just coincidence and nothing more? Thank you for any help. Reply

Andrew Passaic January 26, 2023

I was born on a leap year on Adar I. Could this be why my Zodiac is Aquarius according to the solar calendar, while it seems to be Pisces (one month later) on the lunar? Reply

Rabbi Mendel Adelman for Chabad.org January 27, 2023

in response to Andrew:

The lunar calendar and solar calendar are not perfectly aligned. The solar year is 11 days longer than the lunar year. So, every year, there is some drift. The extra months realign them. Every year, the solar and lunar will diverge. But not every year will they fall out on different Zodiac signs. Reply

Andrew Passaic February 1, 2023

in response to Rabbi Mendel Adelman for Chabad.org:

Thank you Rabbi for taking the time to answer me. Is there any significance to my supposed lunar zodiac differing from my actual solar one? I'm asking based on something I heard, that Aquarius is in the current month of Shevat. Reply

Elisheva Zelaya Choose not to answer October 25, 2022

is 2011 a jewish leap year Reply

Chabad.org Staff November 1, 2022

in response to Elisheva Zelaya:

Yes 2011 did coincide with a Jewish leap year, the year 5771. Reply

Alfred Texas August 28, 2022

Is the leap year biblical? And is there anyway of keeping the feast Days without the leap year? Reply

Eliezer Zalmanov for Chabad.org August 29, 2022

in response to Alfred:

There is no way for the biblical holiday of Passover to always occur in the spring without an occasional leap year. Reply

Yisrael Nigeria October 24, 2022

in response to Alfred:

I'm tired of that leap year because it's not biblical, so please tell me if you know the truth about this. Reply

Bethany Sellersburg March 11, 2024

in response to Alfred:

The extra leap year is to keep the lunar calendar synced with the seasons. Maybe holidays and festivals are linked to seasons and the agriculture schedule. For instance, Passover is always celebrated in the spring. Without the leap years, it would gradually move to another season. Reply

Alfred January 26, 2023

in response to Eliezer Zalmanov:

But is the leap year Biblical. Did God or Yaweh command us to keep this leap year in the Bible? And another question, when does the first month of Abib on Gods calendar start according to the Bible? Because I’m coming up with it starting between February and March instead of between March and April Reply

Bryan Florida April 13, 2024

in response to Eliezer Zalmanov:

How far back does Adar Sheni go? Was it obseved to reconcile the calendar since the exodus?

Also, wouldn’t using the ripening of the abib as the start of the new year keep Passover always in the correct season? Reply

John steinman Fresno April 15, 2022

Was 3787 a Jewish Leap year? Reply

Miriam Fort Lauderdale March 20, 2022

If someone's Hebrew birthday is in Adar II how often will it coincide with their English birthday? Reply

Rabbi Yehuda Shurpin March 25, 2022

in response to Miriam:

It depends on a number of factors. There is a misconception that a person's Jewish and secular birthday coincides every 19 years. While it is true that there is a 19-year cycle in the Jewish calendar (in which a leap year occurs in years 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 19). This 19-year cycle does not determine the length of the two variable months (e.g. Marcheshvan and Kislev) of a given year, and hence the lengths of the various years within this cycle are not based on the 19-year cycle. In other words, Marcheshvan and Kislev can either be 29 or 30 days - making a ‘normal’ lunar year 354 days but it can really be either 353, 354, or 355 days. This is dependent on when Rosh Hashanah is, not the 19 years “small cycle” which has to do with the Jewish leap years.

Additionally, in Judaism, a new day begins at sunset, while in the secular calendar, a new day starts at midnight. So one born at night but before midnight, would also not have their birthdays coincide since the birthdays were already off from the day they were born.

Taking all of the above (plus more) into account, while it’s true that “on average” the birthdays will coincide every 19 years. Since, however, the lunar and solar years don’t really “fully” sync with each other every 19 years, this is not a hard-and-fast rule and it can be more or less frequent depending on when you were born. Reply

Miriam Emano Fort Lauderdale March 25, 2022

in response to Rabbi Yehuda Shurpin:

Thank you. I specifically meant for someone born during a shana meuberet. For example, my MIL was born on יז אדר ב and it coincided this year with her English birthday. We're trying to figure out how many times it's coincided in her life. Reply

Vivian Russo Aventura January 12, 2023

in response to Rabbi Yehuda Shurpin:

Thank you! My secular and Jewish birthdays coincide this year for the first time in 30 years BH! Does that mean I was born on a leap year? Jan 13 1993, Tevet 20, 5753. It'd be really helpful to have a chart of the 19 year cycle applied to know which years are leap years in practice. Reply

Charles P. Aptowitzer Hillside March 8, 2022

Was 2014 a Jewish Leap year? Reply

Chabad.org Staff March 8, 2022

in response to Charles P. Aptowitzer:

Yes, 2014 was a Jewish leap year. See

https://www.chabad.org/calendar/view/month.asp?tdate=3/3/2014 Reply

Tzvi seewald February 25, 2022

hi ..was 1822 a jewish leap year .? 100 years ago Reply

LOIS KORMAN MARLBORO February 22, 2022

I understand the rule regarding birthdays.

What is the rule regarding yahrzeits? Reply

Eliezer Zalmanov for Chabad.org February 23, 2022

in response to LOIS KORMAN:

Most opinions are that a yahrtzeit is observed in the Adar I, but some people also recite kaddish (and light a candle) in Adar II. Reply

LOIS KORMAN MARLBORO February 25, 2022

in response to LOIS KORMAN:

Thank you, Rabbi Zalmanov. Reply

Elisheva Klein February 8, 2022

Was Adar 20, 5715 a leap year? Reply

Chabad.org Staff February 10, 2022

in response to Elisheva :

It was not a leap year. Reply

Elisheva Klein February 17, 2022

in response to Elisheva :

Thank You so much!
Gut Shabbos!🕊🙌🕊 Reply

G M February 6, 2022

Was 2019 a leap year? Reply

Shifrah miami February 10, 2022

in response to G:

was 2019 a leap year? Reply

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiyes February 2, 2024

in response to G:

Yes, it was Reply

LOIS KORMAN MARLBORO February 4, 2022

Thank you so much for your replies! Reply

Julie February 3, 2022

Thank you Reply

Julie Usa February 3, 2022

Adar 10 1963 was that a leap year? Thank you. Reply

Chabad.org Staff February 3, 2022

in response to Julie:

The year 1963 was not a leap year on the Jewish calendar, 1962 was a leap year. Reply

Andrea Nof NY January 20, 2022

My father died Adar 16 , 5774 . Was that a leap year Reply

Yaakov February 25, 2022

in response to Andrea Nof:

Yes Reply

LOIS KORMAN MARLBORO January 17, 2022

Was 5773 a leap year? Reply

Chabad.org Staff January 19, 2022

in response to LOIS KORMAN:

No, 5773 was not a leap year. the following year, 5774 was a leap year. See this link https://www.chabad.org/calendar/view/year.asp?tdate=12/21/2013&mode=j Reply

Yassette San Juan October 4, 2020

I was wondering if the leap year would affect the date of the priest service at the Temple. There are 24 divisions. Would each division serve at the same time of the year or would a leap year altered it. For example, the first division of service might occur between (let us pretend) iyyar. Would it always be during Iyar even in a leap year?? I appreciate your response. Shalom! Reply

Rabbi Mendel Adelman for Chabad.org October 7, 2020

in response to Yassette:

It is not clear. It is most likely that they used the 24 week cycle consistently. The families would then not always have exactly the same dates every year. Alternatively, they would do a raffle for the extra weeks. Reply

Yassette San Juan October 7, 2020

in response to Rabbi Mendel Adelman for Chabad.org:

Thank you so much. Another question: do they make the divisions starting aviv or starting tishrei? Reply

Charles Ellaville August 1, 2020

Does anyone anywhere know where I can find a calendar with both Jewish and Gregorian dates? Reply

Chabad.org Staff August 3, 2020

in response to Charles:

We have one online at chabad.org/calendar - for printed calendars try a local or online Judaica store. Reply

Bruce Egert Hackensack NJ January 28, 2020

When is the next Adar Bet, or "leap month" and what 'number year' is it within the 19-year cycle?

Thank you. Reply

Chabad.org Staff February 26, 2020

in response to Bruce Egert:

The next leap year on the Jewish calendar coincides with the year 2022. Reply

Dorcas India via chabadindia.org January 4, 2021

in response to Chabad.org Staff:

Please explain Reply

Dorcas India via chabadindia.org October 25, 2022

in response to Dorcas:

Please explain weather to follow conjunction moo or crescent moon as I am find it to find in the biblical scriptures Reply

Dorcas India via chabadindia.org October 25, 2022

in response to Dorcas:

The easiest way of calculating the leap year is 5783/19=7 is the reminder. If the remainder is 3,6,8,11,14,17 are considered as leap year. Since the remainder is 7 this year it's not leap year. Hope my answer is correct. Reply

Thomas Lee Virginia October 13, 2019

Biblical support for leap year? Greetings. Is there biblical support for the Hebrew calendar's leap year and, if so, where can it be found? Reply

Dereck Shaw llford December 19, 2019

in response to Thomas Lee:

Passover is referred to as Chag HaAviv - the spring festival as it occurs in the Chodesh HaAviv - Spring Month. See Ex 13:4, Ex 23:14 and Dt 16:1. In order that Passover that celebrates the going out of Egypt falls in the spring or the Spring Month falls in spring then it requires the extra month every so often. Also, Succot is called the ingathering festival when all the grains are removed from the fields and gathered into the barn before the rains fall. This festival also must fall at the correct time of the year to celebrate this. Reply