Next: 25 May 2027
Lag BaOmer
Bonfires, bows and arrows and a pilgrimage to Meron: a joyful pause in the counting of the Omer.
When is Lag BaOmer in 2027?
Lag BaOmer 2027 is on Tuesday, 25 May 2027. Other years: 2026, Tuesday, 5 May 2026; 2028, Sunday, 14 May 2028.
About Lag BaOmer
Lag BaOmer, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer between Passover and Shavuot, is a day of joy in a period otherwise marked by semi-mourning. By tradition it is the day on which the plague among the students of Rabbi Akiva ended, and also the anniversary of the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, to whom the Zohar is attributed. In Israel, children build and light bonfires the night before, and roast potatoes and marshmallows. Elsewhere, there are picnics, outings and games with bows and arrows. Hundreds of thousands make a pilgrimage to the tomb of Rabbi Shimon in Meron in northern Israel, where there is singing, dancing and the tradition of the first haircut for three-year-old boys. Weddings are held that day.
Lag BaOmer dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Lag BaOmer date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday, 5 May 2026 |
| 2027 | Tuesday, 25 May 2027 |
| 2028 | Sunday, 14 May 2028 |
What is eaten
- potatoes roasted in the fire
- picnic foods
Also part of it, and being written: Counting of the Omer (The period it falls within.), Shimon bar Yochai (The sage remembered.), Meron (The pilgrimage site in Galilee.).
More marked on Lag BaOmer
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Lag BaOmer" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- First haircut: https://www.flickr.com/people/69061470@N05, CC BY-SA 3.0, source