1st of January in Israel / 25th of December: Normal working days, no days off for anybody. Some folks acknowledge this verbally, saying “Shana Tova” (Happy New Year, but it’s more common to hear this on the street at the end of summer before Rosh haShana), some go to parties and drink, but that is with the understanding that there’s no sleeping in or missing work the day after.
Feast days in Israel: Day off, no work. (Pessach “Passover,” Shavuot “Pentecost,” Rosh haShana “Yom Teruah, Day of Trumpets, agricultural new year, Sukkot “Tabernacles”). Also, the prior day is a half day, a “preparation day,” some shops/workplaces are open half day, others are closed completely. If open, it closes early. Office workers are not required to show up on preparation day nor on the Feast, but normally return to work on the First Day after the Feast.
Weekly Shabbat in Israel: On the prior day (preparation day) the supermarket closes at 2pm in winter, 3 or 4 in summer; convenience stores close by 3 pm in winter; half the restaurants are closed for preparation day, none of the offices are open; half the residents are not working the day before and practically none work on the day of Shabbat; Work forbidden (exceptions made for specifically-approved 24-hour convenience shops, hospitals, electric plant workers, all of which are given an exception, for the purpose of saving lives).
Just a few of the differences here, in contrast to the rest of the world.
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In Times Square, New York City, Israel bought a Happy New Year’s Day ad, with a reminder about Ran Gvili, whose body is still held in Gaza after he was killed in Israel on Oct 7. See our post below and scroll up from there:
https://x.com/jtodorg/status/2006709588993741172
