Lag BaOmer 2026

When Is Lag BaOmer in 2026?

In 2026, Lag BaOmer falls on May 4. The observance lasts 1 day. Because Lag BaOmer follows a 18 Iyar (33rd day of the Omer counting from Passover), Hebrew lunisolar calendar, the exact Gregorian date shifts each year. Begins at sundown on 17 Iyar. The Omer count begins on the second night of Passover, so Lag BaOmer's Gregorian date is tied to Passover's. In Israel, the largest celebration is at Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's tomb on Mount Meron, with bonfires nationwide. The Hebrew leap-year cycle shifts the date. Since Lag BaOmer's date changes from year to year, here are the dates for the next five years so you can plan ahead: Year Date 2026 May 4 2027 May 24 2028 May 13 2029 May 2 2030 May 22

What Time Does Lag BaOmer Start in Your Time Zone?

Lag BaOmer falls on the 18th of Iyar in the Hebrew lunisolar calendar — the 33rd day of the Omer counting period. In 2026, Lag BaOmer falls on May 6. As a minor holiday, it is observed during the day (not from sunset to sunset), and there is no fast or restriction on work. The bonfire celebrations typically begin on the evening of May 5 and continue through the day of May 6. The bonfires on the night of Lag BaOmer are typically lit after sunset on May 5 (the evening that begins the 18th of Iyar). The largest bonfire — at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai on Mount Meron — is lit at midnight, drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. The celebration continues throughout the night and into the following day. Diaspora Jewish communities observe Lag BaOmer on the same Gregorian date as Israel, with bonfires, picnics, and community events at synagogues and Jewish community centers. The table below shows the observance date for Lag BaOmer in major time zones around the world: Location Observance Date Time Zone New York, USA May 4 EST/EDT (UTC-5/-4) London, UK May 4 GMT/BST (UTC+0/+1) New Delhi, India May 4 IST (UTC+5:30) Sydney, Australia May 4 AEST/AEDT (UTC+10/+11) Dubai, UAE May 4 GST (UTC+4)

The Story Behind Lag BaOmer

Lag BaOmer is a minor Jewish holiday that falls on the 33rd day of the Omer — the 49-day period between Passover and Shavuot. The name literally means "the 33rd of the Omer" — the Hebrew letters lamed (ל) and gimel (ג) together have the numerical value of 33. The holiday is observed primarily as a day of celebration and release, breaking the semi-mourning customs that are observed during the rest of the Omer period. The Omer period is traditionally a time of semi-mourning in the Jewish calendar. According to the Talmud, 24,000 students of the great sage Rabbi Akiva died in a plague during this period in the 2nd century CE, between Passover and Shavuot. The plague is said to have ceased on Lag BaOmer — the 33rd day of the Omer — which is why the mourning customs (no weddings, no haircuts, no live music) are lifted on this day. Some traditions also identify Lag BaOmer as the anniversary of the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a disciple of Rabbi Akiva and the traditional author of the Zohar (the central text of Jewish mysticism). According to tradition, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai instructed his students to celebrate the day of his death as a festival — since on that day, he revealed the deepest secrets of the Torah to his students before dying. The theological meaning of Lag BaOmer is complex. The plague that killed Rabbi Akiva's students is traditionally explained as a punishment for the students' failure to respect one another — a lesson in the importance of loving one's fellow Jew, even (or especially) in the context of intense Torah study. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's association with the day adds a mystical dimension, with the day celebrated as a revelation of the hidden, inner dimensions of the Torah. The combination of these themes — the lifting of mourning, the celebration of mysticism, and the emphasis on communal love — gives Lag BaOmer its distinctive character as a day of joyous celebration in the middle of a somber period.

How Lag BaOmer Is Celebrated

The most distinctive Lag BaOmer tradition is the lighting of bonfires. Across Israel and in Jewish communities worldwide, large bonfires are lit on the night of Lag BaOmer and the following day. The bonfires symbolize the spiritual light of the Torah — particularly the mystical teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, which (according to tradition) were revealed on the day of his death. The largest Lag BaOmer celebration is at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai on Mount Meron in the Galilee, where hundreds of thousands of Jews gather for an all-night celebration featuring bonfires, dancing, music, and the ceremonial first haircuts of three-year-old boys (a tradition called chalakeh or upsherin). The chalakeh / upsherin tradition is particularly associated with Lag BaOmer at Mount Meron. According to Hasidic tradition, a boy's hair is not cut until his third birthday, when he receives his first haircut and begins to learn the Hebrew alphabet and the first verses of the Torah. Lag BaOmer at Mount Meron is the most popular day for this ceremony, with thousands of boys receiving their first haircuts at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. The boys' hair is often weighed and the equivalent weight in coins donated to charity. Other Lag BaOmer traditions include the giving of chamsa (five) coins — a tradition of giving charity to children on Lag BaOmer, traditionally in coins worth a half-shekel. Israeli children celebrate Lag BaOmer by playing with bows and arrows (keshet v'katzav), a tradition with various explanations — that the rainbow (the sign of God's covenant after the flood) was not seen during Rabbi Akiva's lifetime (because his students' merit protected the world), or that the bow symbolizes the military training of Bar Kokhba's revolt (which Rabbi Akiva supported). The bow-and-arrow tradition gives Lag BaOmer a festive, child-centered character, with Israeli schoolchildren making their own bows and arrows in the days before the holiday. Why Does Lag BaOmer Move Every Year? Lag BaOmer is fixed on the 18th of Iyar in the Hebrew lunisolar calendar — the 33rd day of the Omer counting period between Passover and Shavuot. The Hebrew calendar's leap-month system keeps the festival anchored in April or May. The earliest Lag BaOmer can fall is late April; the latest is late May. The 18th of Iyar is calculated by the same lunisolar rules as Passover (which falls 33 days earlier in the count), so the festival's date is determined by the spring full moon.

Calendar Calculation

18 Iyar (33rd day of the Omer counting from Passover), Hebrew lunisolar calendar

Traveling for Lag BaOmer? Where to Go

Lag BaOmer draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai on Mount Meron in the Galilee, in northern Israel. The site is the second-most visited Jewish pilgrimage site in Israel (after the Western Wall), and Lag BaOmer is by far its busiest day. Hotels and guesthouses in the area book out months in advance, and many pilgrims camp on the mountainside. The celebration has been marred by tragedy in recent years — a 2021 stampede at Mount Meron killed 45 people, the deadliest civil disaster in Israel's history, leading to increased safety measures in subsequent years. Top destinations for this holiday: Meron (Israel): — A popular destination with significant celebrations and cultural events. Jerusalem: — A popular destination with significant celebrations and cultural events. New York City: — A popular destination with significant celebrations and cultural events. Bnei Brak: — A popular destination with significant celebrations and cultural events. If you're planning to travel for lag baomer, compare hotel rates and book early — accommodations in Meron (Israel) fill up weeks before the festival. [Search hotels for Lag BaOmer travel →]

Did You Know? Lag BaOmer Facts & Trivia

Lag BaOmer — the 33rd day of the Omer — breaks the semi-mourning customs observed during the rest of the Omer period (the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot). According to the Talmud, a plague that killed 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva ceased on this day, which is why mourning customs are lifted. Some traditions identify Lag BaOmer as the anniversary of the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a disciple of Rabbi Akiva and the traditional author of the Zohar (the central text of Jewish mysticism). According to tradition, Rabbi Shimon instructed his students to celebrate the day of his death as a festival. The most distinctive Lag BaOmer tradition is the lighting of bonfires. Across Israel and in Jewish communities worldwide, large bonfires are lit on the night of Lag BaOmer, symbolizing the spiritual light of the Torah — particularly the mystical teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. The largest Lag BaOmer celebration is at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai on Mount Meron in the Galilee, where hundreds of thousands of Jews gather for an all-night celebration. The event also features the chalakeh / upsherin — the ceremonial first haircuts of three-year-old boys, a Hasidic tradition.