Spending The Holidays in Israel

Israel known as “The Holy Land” is located in western Asia on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Located where Europe, Africa and Asia meet! The three religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all present amongst this diverse country too. A great place for families, couples and friends to visit! Offering amazing beaches as well as some of the most important religious land marks in the world. With an array of landscapes, this biblical land is ideal for sun worshippers, explorers and those just looking for a break from the norm.

Planning a trip is the start of an unforgettable trip to the Holy Land. This tiny country is one of the world's most exciting and varied destinations. For visitors making the journey chiefly for religious interest, virtually any time of year is a good time to visit the country. Most visitors will want to take two things into consideration when planning their visit: the weather and holidays. Summers, generally considered to extend from April to October, can be very hot with humid conditions along the coast, whereas winter (November-March) brings cooler temperatures but also the possibility of rainy days. Because Israel is the Jewish State, you can expect busy travel times around major Jewish holidays like Passover and Rosh Hashanah. The busiest months tend to be October and August, so if you're going to visit at either of these times make sure to start the planning and hotel reservation process well in advance.

In the Jewish religion Shabbat, or Saturday, is the holy day of the week and because Israel is the Jewish State, you can expect travel to be impacted by country-wide observance of Shabbat. All public offices and most businesses are closed on Shabbat, which begins Friday afternoon and ends on Saturday evening. In Tel Aviv, most restaurants remain open, trains and buses just about everywhere do not run - or if they do, it's on a very restricted schedule. This can complicate plans for day trips on Saturday unless you have a car. El Al, Israel's national airline does not operate flights on Saturdays. By contrast, Sunday is the start of the work week in Israel.

The first and last days of Passover (Pesach), Shavuot (Pentecost), Rosh Hashana (New Year) (two days), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and the first and last days of Sukkot (Tabernacles) are holidays with banks, businesses and offices closed. Holidays such as Purim and Chanukah are celebrated throughout the country, but nothing is closed. Israel’s Christians, Muslims, Druzes and Baha’is celebrate holidays on the appropriate days; Catholic and Protestant Christians celebrate Christmas and Easter according to the international calendar; Orthodox Christians celebrate these holidays about two weeks later.