Dates
Purim 2024
Begins at sundown on March 23, 2024 and ends at nightfall on March 24, 2024.
Starts
March 23, 2024
at sundown
Ends
March 24, 2024
at nightfall
Length
1 day
work permitted
Years on file
7 years
2024 to 2030
Purim 2024 ended on March 24, 2024. The dates, times and customs below are kept as a record.
Next: Purim 2027, sundown March 22, 2027 →Israel or the diaspora?
Purim falls on 14 Adar in most places. Walled cities from the time of Joshua, Jerusalem chief among them, keep Shushan Purim on 15 Adar instead, one day later.
Purim celebrates the rescue of the Jews of Persia told in the Book of Esther: costumes, a public Megillah reading, food gifts to friends, gifts to the poor, and a festive daytime meal.
On the ground
What happens in Israel
Costumes everywhere for a week, street parties, and the Adloyada parades. Jerusalem celebrates a day after the rest of the country, so many people do both.
Practice
How it is observed
- Hearing Megillat Esther read, with noise at every mention of Haman
- Mishloach manot: sending food gifts to friends
- Matanot la'evyonim: gifts to at least two people in need
- Costumes, carnivals and a festive daytime meal
"Chag Purim sameach" or "Freilichen Purim"
Hamantaschen, the triangular filled cookies, and a festive seudah with wine.
Every year on file
Purim 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 2024
Other Jewish holidays in 2024
8 of the 14 other dates on the 2024 calendar, in the order they fall. Each has its own page for 2024.
January 25, 2024
Tu BiShvat 2024
The new year of the trees. Tree planting in Israel and eating the fruits of the land.
April 23, 2024
Passover (Pesach) 2024
The festival of freedom, marking the Exodus from Egypt. Seder nights, matzah, and no chametz for eight days (seven in Israel).
May 6, 2024
Yom HaShoah 2024
Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Israel a two-minute siren brings the country to a standstill.
May 13, 2024
Yom HaZikaron 2024
Israel's Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, the day before Independence Day.
May 14, 2024
Yom HaAtzmaut 2024
Israel's Independence Day, marking the declaration of the state in 1948.
May 26, 2024
Lag BaOmer 2024
The 33rd day of the Omer count. Bonfires, weddings and celebrations at Mount Meron.
June 12, 2024
Shavuot 2024
The festival of receiving the Torah at Sinai. All-night learning and dairy foods. Two days in the diaspora, one in Israel.
August 13, 2024
Tisha B'Av 2024
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 Purim 2024?+
Purim 2024 begins at sundown on March 23, 2024 and ends at nightfall on March 24, 2024. Jewish days start in the evening, so the first full day is March 24, 2024.
How long is Purim?+
1 day. Purim falls on 14 Adar in most places. Walled cities from the time of Joshua, Jerusalem chief among them, keep Shushan Purim on 15 Adar instead, one day later.
Is Purim different in Israel?+
Purim falls on 14 Adar in most places. Walled cities from the time of Joshua, Jerusalem chief among them, keep Shushan Purim on 15 Adar instead, one day later.
What happens in Israel on Purim?+
Costumes everywhere for a week, street parties, and the Adloyada parades. Jerusalem celebrates a day after the rest of the country, so many people do both.
What do you say on Purim?+
The standard greeting is "Chag Purim sameach" or "Freilichen Purim".