The Mo’edim Calendar originates from Exodus 12:2, where YAHUAH commands Moses, "This month [Abib] shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you," establishing the ecclesiastical year with the new moon of Abib (the pre-exilic name for Nisan), the first month. It incorporates commanded feasts from Leviticus 23 and weekly Sabbaths (Exodus 20:8-11). For 2025, it begins with the last new moon on March 29, 2025 (1 Abib 5785), summarizing key dates within the 2025 scope (March 29 - December 31, 2025), transitioning from 5785 AM to 5786 AM.
- New Year Start:
- Date: March 29, 2025 (1 Abib 5785).
- Reason: The new moon of Abib, marking the ecclesiastical year’s start (Exodus 12:2), tied to the Passover season (Exodus 13:4). Occurred at 6:58 AM EDT, ~12 hours before today’s date (March 29, 2025, 6:29 PM PDT).
- Structure:
- Months: 29-30 days, based on lunar cycles, with 5785 being a leap year (13 months, including Adar II before Abib).
- Year 5785: ~355 days, ending approximately March 18, 2026 (29 Twelfth Month 5785), though this summary focuses on 2025.
- Key Dates (Commanded Feasts and Notable Events):
- Passover (Pesach): April 12, 2025 (15 Abib 5785) - Begins at sundown, one evening (Exodus 12:6-11, Leviticus 23:5).
- Unleavened Bread: April 13-19, 2025 (16-22 Abib 5785) - 7 days, with holy convocations on the 1st (April 13) and 7th (April 19) days (Leviticus 23:6-8).
- Firstfruits: April 13, 2025 (16 Abib 5785) - Day after the Sabbath during Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:10-11, traditionally 16 Abib).
- Shavuot (Pentecost): June 1, 2025 (5 Third Month 5785) - 50 days from Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:15-21).
- Feast of Trumpets: September 12, 2025 (1 Ethanim 5786) - New moon, trumpets blown, holy convocation (Leviticus 23:24-25); also the civil new year start.
- Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur): September 21, 2025 (10 Ethanim 5786) - Fasting and holy convocation (Leviticus 23:27-32).
- Tabernacles (Sukkot): September 26-October 2, 2025 (15-21 Ethanim 5786) - 7 days, holy convocation on 1st day (September 26) (Leviticus 23:34-36).
- 8th Day Assembly: October 3, 2025 (22 Ethanim 5786) - Holy convocation after Sukkot (Leviticus 23:36).
- End of 5785 (Civil): September 11, 2025 (29 Sixth Month 5785) - Last day before the civil year 5786 begins, though not the ecclesiastical end per Exodus 12:2.
- Feast of Dedication (Chanukah): December 13 (24 Ninth Month 5786) to sundown December 21 (2 Tenth Month 5786), 1 Maccabees 4:56 & 2 Maccabees 10:5-6.
- Sabbaths:
- Total in 2025: 40 Sabbaths from March 29 to December 27, 2025 (full 5785 has 51, ending ~March 14, 2026).
- Pattern: Every Saturday (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown):
- March 29, 2025 (1 Abib 5785) - Sabbath #1, coincides with New Year.
- April 5 (8 Abib) - Sabbath #2.
- April 12 (15 Abib) - Sabbath #3, overlaps Passover.
- April 19 (22 Abib) - Sabbath #4, overlaps Unleavened Bread Day 7.
- Weekly progression: April 26 (29 Abib), May 3 (6 Ziv), May 10 (13 Ziv), etc.
- September 12 (1 Ethanim 5786) - Sabbath #25, overlaps Trumpets.
- September 27 (16 Ethanim) - Sabbath #27, during Sukkot.
- December 27 (17 Tenth Month 5786) - Sabbath #40, last in 2025.
- Cycle: Continues every 7 days, unaffected by lunar shifts.
- Pre-Babylonian Month Names:
- 1st: Abib (March 29 - April 27, 2025).
- 2nd: Ziv (April 28 - May 27, 2025).
- 3rd: Third Month (May 28 - June 26, 2025).
- 4th: Fourth Month (June 27 - July 26, 2025).
- 5th: Fifth Month (July 27 - August 25, 2025).
- 6th: Sixth Month (August 26 - September 11, 2025).
- 7th: Ethanim (September 12 - October 11, 2025).
- 8th: Bul (October 12 - November 10, 2025).
- 9th: Ninth Month (November 11 - December 10, 2025).
- 10th: Tenth Month (December 11, 2025 - January 9, 2026, partial in 2025).