What time does Passover actually begin?

Passover begins at sundown on the evening before the civil date commonly listed for it, marking the start of the first Seder. This tool targets early evening as an approximation of sundown; the exact moment varies by your location and time of year.

Why does the Passover date change every year?

Passover starts on the 15th of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, which is lunisolar rather than purely solar. A leap month is added in some years to keep Passover in the spring, so its Gregorian date can shift by a few weeks depending on whether the current Hebrew year is a leap year.

How accurate are the dates in this tool?

The dates come from widely published Hebrew-to-Gregorian calendar conversions rather than an astronomical calculation performed in your browser. They are accurate for planning purposes but you should confirm the exact date with a Jewish calendar or your community if precision matters.

How long does Passover last?

Passover lasts seven days in Israel and eight days in most communities outside Israel. This countdown targets the start of the first day only.

What time zone does the countdown use?

The countdown uses your device's local date and time, so the target moment reflects your own time zone automatically.

Are dates available beyond the years listed?

The table currently covers the next several years. Dates further out will be added as they are confirmed.

Days Until Passover

See exactly how many days, hours, and minutes remain until Passover (Pesach) begins at sundown.

Time Until Passover Begins

Days

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

Quick Facts

Next Passover begins —
Total hours left —
Total minutes left —
Holiday length 7–8 days

Target time is an approximation of sundown; check a local Jewish calendar for the exact moment in your area.

Passover Start Dates by Year

Year	First Seder	Days Away

Dates reflect the evening the first Seder begins. Source: published Hebrew-to-Gregorian calendar conversions.

Summary

This tool counts down to the next Passover (Pesach), the Jewish holiday commemorating the Exodus from Egypt. Because Passover always begins on the 15th of Nisan in the Hebrew lunisolar calendar, its Gregorian calendar date shifts from year to year. The countdown targets sundown on the evening the first Seder begins, using a lookup table of published start dates for upcoming years, and updates every second in your browser.

How it works

Your browser reads today's local date and time.
The tool looks up the next upcoming Passover start date from a table of published Gregorian dates.
It calculates the difference between now and sundown on that date.
The countdown shows days, hours, minutes, and seconds remaining, refreshed every second.
A reference table lists Passover start dates for several years ahead.

Use cases

Plan travel or family gatherings around the start of Passover.
Count down to the first Seder with family or friends.
Check how much time is left to prepare a Passover Seder plate and menu.
Look up upcoming Passover start dates for the next several years.
Plan work or school time off ahead of the holiday.
Share the countdown with a community group or synagogue newsletter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-09-09 · Reviewed by Nham Vu