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Hebrew Greetings for Every Jewish Holiday

By Elisahar, native Hebrew speaker 4 min readUpdated November 4, 2026

Quick answer

The all-purpose Hebrew holiday greeting is "chag sameach" (happy holiday). Some holidays have their own: "shana tova" for Rosh Hashanah, "gmar chatima tova" or "tzom kal" for Yom Kippur, "chag kasher ve-sameach" for Passover, and "Shabbat shalom" every week.

Tap the speaker next to a Hebrew word to hear it. Words without a native recording yet use your deviceโ€™s Hebrew voice.

Holiday greetings at a glance

HolidayGreetingSay itMeaning
Shabbatืฉื‘ืช ืฉืœื•ืShabbat shalompeaceful Sabbath
Rosh Hashanahืฉื ื” ื˜ื•ื‘ื”shana tovagood year
Yom Kippurื’ืžืจ ื—ืชื™ืžื” ื˜ื•ื‘ื”gmar chatima tovamay you be sealed for good
Yom Kippur (fast)ืฆื•ื ืงืœtzom kaleasy fast
Sukkot / Shavuotื—ื’ ืฉืžื—chag sameachhappy holiday
Hanukkahื—ื ื•ื›ื” ืฉืžื—Chanuka sameachhappy Hanukkah
Purimืคื•ืจื™ื ืฉืžื—Purim sameachhappy Purim
Passoverื—ื’ ื›ืฉืจ ื•ืฉืžื—chag kasher ve-sameacha kosher and happy holiday

Tips for using holiday greetings

  • When in doubt, "chag sameach" works for almost any festival.
  • On Rosh Hashanah, people also say "shana tova u-metuka", a good and sweet year.
  • Donโ€™t say "chag sameach" on Yom Kippur. It is a solemn fast day, so use "gmar chatima tova" or "tzom kal".
  • From Friday afternoon, Israelis start saying "Shabbat shalom" to everyone, from friends to cashiers.

Key takeaways

  • "Chag sameach" fits most holidays
  • "Shana tova" for the New Year, "tzom kal" for fasts
  • Say "Shabbat shalom" from Friday afternoon

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