Dates
Lag BaOmer 2026
Begins at sundown on May 4, 2026 and ends at nightfall on May 5, 2026.
Starts
May 4, 2026
at sundown
Ends
May 5, 2026
at nightfall
Length
1 day
work permitted
Years on file
7 years
2024 to 2030
Lag BaOmer 2026 ended on May 5, 2026. The dates, times and customs below are kept as a record.
Next: Lag BaOmer 2027, sundown May 24, 2027 →Israel or the diaspora?
Same date everywhere.
Lag BaOmer is the 33rd day of the Omer count between Passover and Shavuot, a break in a period of semi-mourning, associated with Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
On the ground
What happens in Israel
Bonfires on every patch of open ground, built by children for weeks beforehand, and a huge pilgrimage to Mount Meron. Air quality across the country measurably drops that night.
Practice
How it is observed
- Bonfires across Israel and at Jewish communities worldwide
- The mass pilgrimage to Mount Meron, resting place of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
- Weddings and haircuts, paused during the Omer, resume
- First haircuts (upsherin) for three-year-old boys
"Lag BaOmer sameach"
Anything grilled: the bonfire barbecue is the modern Israeli tradition.
Every year on file
Lag BaOmer in other years
The Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, so the Gregorian date moves by up to a month from year to year but stays in the same season.
The rest of 2026
Other Jewish holidays in 2026
8 of the 14 other dates on the 2026 calendar, in the order they fall. Each has its own page for 2026.
February 2, 2026
Tu BiShvat 2026
The new year of the trees. Tree planting in Israel and eating the fruits of the land.
March 3, 2026
Purim 2026
Celebrates the rescue of the Jews of Persia as told in the Book of Esther. Megillah readings, costumes, mishloach manot and festive meals.
April 2, 2026
Passover (Pesach) 2026
The festival of freedom, marking the Exodus from Egypt. Seder nights, matzah, and no chametz for eight days (seven in Israel).
April 14, 2026
Yom HaShoah 2026
Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Israel a two-minute siren brings the country to a standstill.
April 21, 2026
Yom HaZikaron 2026
Israel's Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, the day before Independence Day.
April 22, 2026
Yom HaAtzmaut 2026
Israel's Independence Day, marking the declaration of the state in 1948.
May 22, 2026
Shavuot 2026
The festival of receiving the Torah at Sinai. All-night learning and dairy foods. Two days in the diaspora, one in Israel.
July 23, 2026
Tisha B'Av 2026
Fast day mourning the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem. If the 9th of Av falls on Shabbat, the fast is observed on Sunday.
Frequently asked questions
When is Lag BaOmer 2026?+
Lag BaOmer 2026 begins at sundown on May 4, 2026 and ends at nightfall on May 5, 2026. Jewish days start in the evening, so the first full day is May 5, 2026.
How long is Lag BaOmer?+
1 day. Same date everywhere.
Is Lag BaOmer different in Israel?+
Same date everywhere.
What happens in Israel on Lag BaOmer?+
Bonfires on every patch of open ground, built by children for weeks beforehand, and a huge pilgrimage to Mount Meron. Air quality across the country measurably drops that night.
What do you say on Lag BaOmer?+
The standard greeting is "Lag BaOmer sameach".