Adar

Shevat       Adar (אֲדָר)       Nisan

Purim, the holiday of the deliverance of the
Jewish people in the ancient Achaemenid Empire,
being celebrated at a Tel Aviv carnival in 1934
by a Yemenite Jewish woman dressed
as Queen Esther.
Month Number: 12
Number of Days: 29
Season: Northern hemisphere
winter, Southern
hemisphere summer
Gregorian Equivalent: February–March

Adar (Hebrew: אֲדָר, Standard Adar Tiberian ʾĂḏār ; from Akkadian adaru) is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a winter month of 29 days. In leap years, it is preceded by a 30-day intercalary month named Adar Aleph (Aleph being the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet), Adar Rishon (First Adar) or Adar I and it is then itself called Adar Bet (Bet being the second letter of the Hebrew Alphabet), Adar Sheni (Second Adar) or Adar II. Occasionally instead of Adar I and Adar II, "Adar" and "Ve'Adar" are used (Ve means 'and' thus: And Adar). Adar I and II occur during February–March on the Gregorian calendar.

Based on a line in the Mishnah declaring that Purim must be celebrated in Adar II in a leap year (Megillah 1:4), Adar I is considered the "extra" month. As a result, someone born in Adar during a non leap year would celebrate his birthday in Adar II during a leap year. However, someone born during either Adar in a leap year will celebrate his birthday during Adar in a non-leap year, except that someone born on 30 Adar I will celebrate his birthday on 1 Nisan in a non-leap year because Adar in a non-leap year has only 29 days.[1]

Holidays in Adar

13 Adar (II in leap years) - Fast of Esther – on 11 Adar when the 13th falls on Shabbat - (Fast Day)
14 Adar (II in leap years) - Purim
14 Adar I (does not exist in non-leap years; Karaites celebrate in Adar II) - Purim Katan
15 Adar (II in leap years) - Shushan Purim - celebration of Purim in walled cities existing during the time of Joshua

17 Adar (II in leap years) - Yom Adar celebration feast

Adar in Jewish history

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Other uses

References

  1. No 24 WA21946, The Babylonian Chronicles, The British Museum
  2. Rabbi Gershon's gravestone, which lists 25 Adar as his day of passing, was discovered in the Mount of Olives cemetery in Jerusalem after the Six-day War.
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