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 Adar
is the sixth month of the religious year (which begins with Tishrei) and
the twelfth month of the civil year (which begins with Nisan).
The name Adar is of Assyrian-Babylonian origin, and its zodiacal sign
is Pisces.
The feast of Purim which falls
on the 14th of Adar imparts a festive character to the entire month:
"When Adar enters, joy increases." According to tradition, Adar was a busy month, aside from the story
of Purim.
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| 3
Adar |
the
Second Temple was dedicated. |
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7
Adar
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the anniversary of
both the birth and the death of Moses which was a date for rejoicing (or
alternatively fasting) among various Jewish communities (the fast day
was observed in 17th-cent. Turkey, Italy and northern Europe, and the
custom spread to Hasidic circles). |
| 9
Adar |
said
to be the date of the split between the school of Hillel and the school
of Shammai, and was therefore decreed as a fast day. |
| 13 Adar |
called Nicanor Day to mark the
anniversary of Judah the Maccabee's defeat of Syrian general Nicanor in
161 BCE; originally it was observed as a festival but later became the
Fast of Esther. |
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| 14
Adar |
Purim, celebrating
the deliverance of the Jews of the Persian empire from extermination (5th
cent. BCE). |
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| 16 Adar |
Nehemiah (5th cent. BCE) recommenced
the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem on that day, hence the day was
designated a feast day. |
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| 20
Adar |
Honi
ha-Me'aggel
(Honi the Circle Maker; 1st cent. BCE) miraculously evoked the rain, and
so the day was at one time observed as a fast day. |
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In leap
years, there are two months of Adar, so as to ensure that the festival of Passover falls
in the spring. During such years, most observances normally held in
Adar are moved to Adar Sheni or Second Adar; the intercalated month is the first month of Adar, known as Adar Rishon.
When a death occurs in Adar in
an ordinary year, the yahrzheit (anniversary of the death)
is observed in the first month of Adar, even in a leap year. Adar Rishon is intercalated seven times in a 19-year lunar cycle in order
to bring the Hebrew calendar into line with the general solar calendar
(and to ensure, for example, that Passover falls in the spring); it
is 29 days long in an ordinary year, 30 days long in a leap year.
Adar Sheni always has 29 days.
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