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.