Rosh Chodesh which literally means "Head of the Month" is a monthly holiday that celebrates the arrival of the new moon, marking the start of a new month in the Jewish calendar.
The Jewish Calendar is a lunar calendar with twelve lunar months and 354 days per year. Each lunar month consists of 29 1/2 days. Since it is impossible to switch months in the middle of the day, certain Hebrew months have twenty-nine days whilst others have thirty days.
In order for the Jewish Festivals to be synchronized with the proper season, for example Passover (Pesach) which must fall in the spring (in Israel - the Northern Hemisphere), a leap year is added every few years. In a nineteen year cycle there will be seven leap years.
The Jewish leap year, however, is not like the leap year in the Gregorian calendar which is one day added on at the end of February every four years. A Jewish leap year adds on an entire month to close the gap between the 354 day lunar calendar and the 365 day solar calendar. Since the month of Adar (approximately February-March) is the last month of the Hebrew year, we add on an extra month at this time. We then have Adar I and Adar II which assures us that the holidays will be celebrated in the proper season. Originally, the date of Rosh Chodesh was confirmed on the testimony of witnesses observing the new moon, a procedure known as Kiddush Hachodesh (sanctification of the month). After the Sanhedrin (an assembly of either 23 or 71 elders or rabbi's, appointed to sit as a tribunal in every city in ancient Israel) declared Rosh Chodesh for either a full 30 day month or a 29 day month, news of it would then be communicated throughout Israel and the diaspora.
This system was dependent on the functioning of the Sanhedrin to declare the month, and to communicate this month to far-flung Jewish communities. In the 4th century CE, this became impossible and instead a fixed calendar of 29 and 30 day months was instituted by Hillel.
At the end of a 29 day month, Rosh Chodesh is celebrated for one day, on the first day of the new month. At the end of a 30 day month, Rosh Chodesh is celebrated for two days - the 30th day of the previous month, and the 1st day of the new month.
With the exception of the month of Heshvan, the eighth month of the year, every single month of the Jewish Calendar has some sort of special day or special observance. The importance of Rosh Chodesh is therefore obvious.
The names of the months are not Hebrew but Babylonian. The Bible refers to the Jewish holidays only by the order of the months and not by the Babylonian names which were assigned long after the canonization of the Torah. For example, the Torah gives the date of Yom Kippur as the tenth day of the seventh month, whilst the date of Pesach is the fifteenth day of the first month.
The month of Iyar is the second month of the Jewish calendar counting from Nisan, and it is a unique period that bridges the redemption of Pesach with the spiritual preparation for Shavuot through the ongoing mitzvah of Sefirat HaOmer. In 2026, the month of Iyar begins on Thursday evening, 16 April 2026 (1 Iyar 5786) and continues until Thursday, 14 May 2026 (29 Iyar 5786). The preceding day, Wednesday evening, 15 April 2026, marks Rosh Chodesh Iyar, which is observed over two days (30 Nisan and 1 Iyar). Iyar is a 29-day month, as is standard in the fixed Hebrew calendar for this month.
Iyar is traditionally associated in Jewish thought with healing and spiritual consolidation. According to rabbinic tradition, the name of the month is often linked conceptually to the verse “Ani Hashem Rofecha” (“I am Hashem, your healer”), as the letters of the month are seen as reflecting themes of recovery after the liberation of Pesach. It is a month in which the physical redemption of the Exodus begins to be transformed into spiritual refinement through the counting of the Omer, a daily practice that continues throughout Iyar in preparation for receiving the Torah on Shavuot.
Each Jewish month is associated with a tribe of Israel, a zodiac sign, a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, a limb of the human body, and a precious stone, reflecting deeper spiritual symbolism found in classical Jewish mystical sources. The tribe of Iyar is Issachar, known in Torah tradition for its dedication to Torah study and spiritual discipline. The zodiac sign is Taurus (Shor), symbolising strength, steadiness, and groundedness. The precious stone associated with Iyar is traditionally sapphire (ספיר), representing clarity, wisdom, and depth of understanding. The limb of the body linked to Iyar is the right kidney, symbolising inner counsel and refined decision-making. The Hebrew letter of the month is Vav (ו), which represents connection and continuity, reflecting how Iyar connects the redemption of Nisan to the revelation of Sivan.
Several significant dates fall within Iyar 5786 / 2026. The month includes Yom HaZikaron, observed on the evening of Sunday, 19 April 2026, and continuing into Monday, 20 April 2026 (4 Iyar 5786). Immediately following this is Yom HaAtzmaut, beginning at sunset on Monday, 20 April 2026, and continuing through Tuesday, 21 April 2026 (5 Iyar 5786), marking the establishment of the State of Israel and celebrated in many communities with thanksgiving and Hallel. Later in the month, Lag BaOmer is observed on Sunday, 3 May 2026 (18 Iyar 5786), beginning Saturday night, 2 May 2026, marking a joyful break in the Omer period with customs of light, Torah, and celebration. Towards the end of the month, Yom Yerushalayim falls on Wednesday, 13 May 2026 (28 Iyar 5786), beginning the evening of 12 May 2026, commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967 and the restoration of access to its holy sites.
Beyond its calendar events, Iyar is also a month defined by spiritual steadiness and daily discipline. The continuous counting of the Omer throughout its days creates a rhythm of reflection and growth, encouraging personal refinement and preparation for receiving the Torah. Unlike the festive intensity of Nisan, Iyar is more structured and contemplative, yet it contains moments of national celebration and historical significance that give it both depth and meaning.
In essence, the month of Iyar in 2026 is a time of balance between remembrance, gratitude, and spiritual development. It moves the Jewish people from redemption toward revelation, from national birth toward covenantal purpose, and from physical freedom toward spiritual clarity, all within the steady progression of its 29 days.