Monday 8 May 2017

Israel Independence Day

From RRW
(FYI - RBH)

"Independence Day is designated to be on the 5th day of Iyar (ה' באייר) in the Hebrew calendar, the anniversary of the day on which Israeli independence was proclaimed, when David Ben-Gurion publicly read the Israeli Declaration of Independence. The corresponding Gregorian date was 14 May 1948.[16]
However, nowadays Independence Day is rarely celebrated on the 5th of Iyar itself, and on most years is moved forward or backwards by one or two days. According to the rules of the Jewish calendar explained in Days of week on Hebrew calendar, the 5th of Iyar can fall on a Monday, a Wednesday, a Friday or a Saturday. To avoid violation of Shabbat prohibitions, it was decided in 1951 that if the 5th of Iyar falls on a Friday or Saturday, the celebrations would be moved up to the preceding Thursday (3 or 4 of Iyar). Additionally, since 2004, if the 5th of Iyar is on a Monday, the festival is postponed to Tuesday (6 of Iyar). Monday is avoided in order to avoid potential violation of Sabbath laws by preparing for Yom Hazikaron (which one day before Independence Day) on a Shabbat. As a result, Independence Day falls between 3 and 6 of Iyar, and can be on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. It will only actually be on the 5th of Iyar when this date happens to be a Wednesday.[16]
Gregorian dates for Independence Day:
  • 16 April 2013 (Tuesday, postponed one day toIyar 6)
  • 6 May 2014 (Tuesday, postponed one day toIyar 6)
  • 23 April 2015 (Thursday, advanced one day toIyar 4)
  • 12 May 2016 (Thursday, advanced one day toIyar 4)
  • 2 May 2017 (Tuesday, postponed one day toIyar 6)‎"
 

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