Hillula Calendar
Compiled by
Rabbi Zev-Hayyim Feyer

About This Calendar

     It is customary to observe the anniversary of the passing of a loved one or a great soul by reciting the Kaddish. In the Ashkenazic tradition, this anniversary is called the Yahrzeit, literally, the “Year-time,” and it is often a day of sadness, a day of mourning, even a day of fasting. In Sephardic, Kabbalistic, and Hassidic circles, this anniversary is called the Hillula. Hillula "הילולא" is an Aramaic term meaning a festivity, especially a wedding celebration, and the mystics understood the anniversary of a righteous individual’s passing as akin to a wedding, in which the soul rises, each year, to a new and higher spiritual level. If we understand the hillula as a day on which the soul takes another step toward its next incarnation (or toward transcending the cycle of gilgul¹, we can celebrate and rejoice rather than mourning.

Traditionally, the term hillula is applied only to the anniversary of the passing of a tzaddik². We, rather, apply itto everyone, for two reasons. As the Prophet says, "ְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים"; all Thy people are righteous.”³ Further, should a particular individual not quite measure up to the designation of tzaddik, s/he needs the celebration even more, to enable his or her soul to rise.

     We present here a comprehensive list of Hillulas and other significant dates in the Jewish calendar, with their Hebrew and English dates. English dates marked with a superscripted J are according to the Julian calendar then in use. English dates marked with a superscripted E are evening dates and therefore correspond with the following Hebrew date.

Please click for current Hillula Calendar. Note: This is a LARGE file.

Or click on an image for each individual month of the Hillula Calendar

TEVET / טבת	KISLEV / כסלו	MARHESHVAN / מרחשון	TISHRI / 'תשר
2 ADAR / אדר ב'	1 ADAR / אדר אי	ADAR / אדר	SHEVAT / שבט
TAMMUZ / תמוז	SIVAN / ס'ון	IYAR / א'ר	NISAN / ניסן
	ELUL / אלול	AV / אב