Next: 9 Nov 2026
Sigd
The Ethiopian Jewish festival of the covenant: fasting, prayer on a hilltop and the reading of the Torah.
When is Sigd in 2026?
Sigd 2026 is on Monday, 9 November 2026. Other years: 2027, Monday, 29 November 2027; 2028, Saturday, 18 November 2028.
About Sigd
Sigd is a holiday of the Beta Israel, the Ethiopian Jewish community, observed on the 29th of Cheshvan, fifty days after Yom Kippur. It marks the community's acceptance of the Torah and its yearning for Jerusalem. In Ethiopia, the community's priests, the kessim, led the people up a mountain, where they fasted, read from the scrolls, prayed and recited the Psalms, before breaking the fast with a meal. In Israel, where most of the community now lives, the gathering is held on the Armon Hanatziv promenade in Jerusalem, overlooking the Old City. Kessim in white robes and with umbrellas carry the Orit, the Torah, and read it, with chanting and prayers, and young people attend in traditional clothing. The festival became an official Israeli holiday in 2008.
Sigd dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Sigd date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday, 9 November 2026 |
| 2027 | Monday, 29 November 2027 |
| 2028 | Saturday, 18 November 2028 |
What is eaten
- injera
- doro wat
- tej
Also part of it, and being written: Beta Israel (The Ethiopian Jewish community.), Kes (The priests who lead.), Ethiopian Jews in Israel (The community in Israel.).
More marked on Sigd
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Sigd" 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.
- Prostration: Meghan Breeze, CC BY-SA 4.0, source