Feast Day / Date
Weekly Sabbath / Every Week, from sunset Friday night to sunset Saturday night. Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 20:8-11
Biblical New Year,
1st Month New Moon / Sunday, March 22, 2015 (starting the evening of March 21 at sunset, 7:02 p.m. when the 3% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 8:53 p.m.)Genesis 1:14. The first new moon after the vernal equinox of March 20.
Passover / Saturday, April 4, 2015 observe at the end of the day (at sunset going into Sunday, April 5). (Passover is held at twilight ending the 14th day of the 1st month.) Leviticus 23:5, Exodus 12:3-6,
Feast of Unleavened Bread / Tuesday, April 5 through Monday, April 11, 20157 day feast starting on the 15th day of the 1st month (begins just after the Passover twilight), with the 1st and 7th days kept as Sabbaths.Leviticus 23:6-8
First Fruits / Sunday, April 12, 2015Starting at sunset the night before. It is the day after the 7th day Sabbath which falls within Passover week.Leviticus 23:9-11, 15-16,Genesis 7:11,Matthew 28:1-2
Pentecost / Sunday, May 31st, 2015Counted 50 days (just over 7 weeks/ 7 Sabbaths) from the First Fruits. Note that this festival is an extension of the Passover season, because it is counted from then.Leviticus 23:15-21,Acts 2.
Feast of Trumpets / Tuesday, September 15, 2015(as above, starting at sunset the evening before). It is the 1st day of the 7thbiblical month.Leviticus 23:23,Revelation 8.
Day of Atonement / Thursday, September 24, 2015 (starting at sunset the night before). This is the 10th day of the 7th month Leviticus 23:26-33
Feast of Tabernacles / Tuesday, September29, 2015(starting Mon., Sept 28 at sunset)through Tuesday, October 6This is from the 15th day of the 7th month and continues for 8 days.Leviticus 23:16.
Purim / Tuesday, February 23, 2016 and Wednesday, February 24, 2016 (starting the evening before at sunset).Esther 9:18-22. This is the 14th and 15th day of the 12th month.
13th Month New Moon / Thursday, March 10, 2016 (starting the evening of March9 at sunset, 5:53 p.m. when the 1% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky and sets at 6:56 p.m.)
More detailed charts;
2015 Feast Days/ Appointed Times for California, USADay/ Bible Texts / Sabbath? / Date
Weekly Sabbath / Yes. Regular work should not be done. / Every Week, from sunset Friday night to sunset Saturday night. Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 20:8-11
Biblical New Year,
1st Month New Moon / Yes.Regular workshould notbe done. / Sunday, March 22, 2015 (starting the evening of March 21 at sunset, 7:02 p.m. when the 3% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 8:53 p.m.)Genesis 1:14. The first new moon after the vernal equinox of March 20.
Passover / No.Regular work can be done. / Saturday, April 4, 2015 observe at the end of the day (at sunset going into Sunday, April 5). (Passover is held at twilight ending the 14th day of the 1st month.) Leviticus 23:5, Exodus 12:3-6,
Feast of Unleavened Bread / Yes.On the 1st day and 7th day regular work should not be done (sunset to sunset). / Tuesday, April 5 through Monday, April 11, 20157 day feast starting on the 15th day of the 1st month (begins just after the Passover twilight), with the 1st and 7th days kept as Sabbaths.Leviticus 23:6-8
First Fruits / No.Regular work can be done. / Sunday, April 12, 2015Starting at sunset the night before. It is the day after the 7th day Sabbath which falls within Passover week.Leviticus 23:9-11, 15-16,Genesis 7:11,Matthew 28:1-2
2nd Month New Moon / Yes.Regular workshould notbe done. / Monday, April 20, 2015 (starting the evening of April 19 at sunset, 7:24 p.m. when the 2% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 8:43 p.m.). Isaiah 66:23, Ezekiel 46:3, Amos 8:4-6, Numbers 10:10, Psalm 81:3, 4
(2nd Passover) / Same as for Passover. / Sunday, May 3, 2015 Keep only if you missed 1stPassover. Observe at the end of the day (sunset going into May 4). It’s 14th day of the 2nd month.Numb 9:6-13,Gen. 7:11.
3rd Month New Moon / Yes.Regular workshould notbe done. / Tuesday, May 19, 2015 (starting the evening of May 18 at sunset, 7:46 p.m. when the 1% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 8:30 p.m.)
Pentecost / Yes.Regular work should not be done. / Sunday, May 31th, 2015Counted 50 days (just over 7 weeks/ 7 Sabbaths) from the First Fruits. Note that this festival is an extension of the Passover season, because it is counted from then.Leviticus 23:15-21,Acts 2.
4th Month New Moon / Yes.Regular workshould notbe done. / Thursday, June 18, 2015(Starting the evening of June 17 at sunset, 8:03 p.m. when the 2% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 9:01 p.m.)
5th Month New Moon / Yes.Regular workshould notbe done. / Friday, July 17, 2015 (starting the evening of July 16 at sunset, 8:01 p.m. when the 1% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 8:23 p.m.)
6th Month New Moon / Yes.Regular workshould notbe done. / Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015 (starting the evening of Aug 15 at sunset, 7:36 p.m. when the 1% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 8:11 p.m.)
7th Month New Moon / Yes.Regular workshould notbe done. / Tuesday, September15, 2015 (starting the evening of Sept 14 at sunset, 6:57 p.m. when the 2% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, sets at 7:49 p.m.)
Feast of Trumpets / Yes.Regular workshould notbe done. / Tuesday, September 15, 2015(as above, starting at sunset the evening before). It is the 1st day of the 7thbiblical month.Leviticus 23:23,Revelation 8.
Day of Atonement / Yes.Regular workshould notbe done. / Thursday, September 24, 2015 (starting at sunset the night before). This is the 10th day of the 7th month Leviticus 23:26-33
Feast of Tabernacles / Yes.On the 1st day 8th day, sunset to sunset regular work should not be done. / Tuesday, September29, 2015(starting Mon., Sept 28 at sunset)through Tuesday, October 6This is from the 15th day of the 7th month and continues for 8 days.Leviticus 23:16.
8th Month New Moon / Yes.Regular workshould notbe done. / Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015(starting the evening of Oct 13 at sunset, 6:18 p.m. when the 1% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 6:57 p.m..)
9th Month New Moon / Yes.Regular workshould notbe done. / Friday, Nov. 13, 2015(starting the evening of Nov 12 at sunset, 4:47 p.m. when the 1% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 5:52 p.m.)
10th Month New Moon / Yes.Regular workshould notbe done. / Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015(starting the evening of Dec. 12 at sunset, 4:40 p.m. when the 2% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 6:16 p.m.)
11th Month New Moon / Yes.Regular workshould notbe done. / Monday, Jan. 11, 2016 (starting the evening of Jan 10 at sunset, 4:58 p.m. when the 1% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 6:03 p.m).
12th Month New Moon / Yes.Regular workshould notbe done. / Wednesday, Feb.10, 2016 (starting the evening of Feb 9 at sunset, 5:27 p.m. when the 2% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 7:01 p.m.)
Purim / No.Regular work can be done. / Tuesday, February 23, 2016 and Wednesday, February 24, 2016 (starting the evening before at sunset).Esther 9:18-22. This is the 14th and 15th day of the 12th month.
13th Month New Moon / Yes.Regular workshould notbe done. / Thursday, March 10, 2016 (starting the evening of March9 at sunset, 5:53 p.m. when the 1% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky and sets at 6:56 p.m.)
2015 Feast Days/ Appointed Times for California, USA
It is of note that many early Christians continued to observe these biblical appointed times, including the Waldenses. We also have record of Paul the Apostle keeping the feasts in the New Testament. Each of these appointed times is a good time to study the history of the Lord’s leading on that day throughout biblical history, as well as studying the prophetic symbolism of that feast as related to end time events. Festive or special foods, healthfully prepared, as well as including natural/seasonal decorations or group activities having to do with spring and harvest (as related to the time of year) can all help to make the biblical memorial holidays an uplifting and memorable experience. Families could also study creation, scientific evidences for the Young Earth, etc. You could have prayer groups, festive fellowship activities for kids such as simple outdoor fall festival games, etc. There are many ideas for how they could be kept. Colossians 2:16 teaches us that the ceremonial requirements for how they should be kept were nailed to the cross with the other laws of Moses (those written in handwriting, as opposed to the 10 commandments which were written on stone by God). It’s only the appointed times/seasons which remain, as established in relation to the sun and moon from creation long before the Children of Israel were even born (see my two articles above).,
See my blog post at this link for information on how these dates were calculated;
Day/ Bible Texts / Sabbath? / Date / Ideas for Observance
Weekly Sabbath
Genesis 2:2-3
Exodus 20:8-11 / Yes.
Regular work should not be done. / Every Week, from sunset Friday night to sunset Saturday night. / Friday evening: having a special family meal can be nice. Also sundown worship or singing songs or playing instruments in the evening. Sabbath Day: Church attendance for fellowship, having fellowship lunch or family meal inviting guests, afternoons are a nice time for nature walks or ministry outreach projects.
1st Month New Moon, Biblical New Year
The biblical new years date is figured by both the Sun and Moon, as established from creation in Genesis 1:14. It is the first new moon after the vernal equinox of March 20(Great Controversy 88 pg. 681.4, appendix) See also Psalms 104:19, Exodus 12:2
New Moon References; Isaiah 66:23, Ezekiel 46:3, Amos 8:4-6, Numbers 10:10, Psalm 81:3, 4 / Yes.
Regular workshould notbe done. / Sunday, March 22, 2015 (starting the evening of March 21 at sunset, 7:02 p.m. when the 3% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 8:53 p.m.)
** Happy New Year!!** / Biblical New Years day, which the Bible calls “the first month” of the year, is the true beginning of the new year. It is no coincidence that this is in the spring, which is intuitively the beginning of a new year after the winter has passed. God has also made this time a visual reproduction of the original creation of the world- which we can see through the budding and blooming nature all around. Because of these visual connections with Creation, and because the Bible validates spring as the time of the New Year, we can be pretty sure that this is the time of year when God originally created the world! So, if we keep the Biblical New Year we are in sync with the yearly cycle established at Creation and are celebrating God’s original creation of the world as well as acknowledging Him as our Creator!
Passover
Numbers 33:3
Leviticus 23:5, Exodus 12:3-6
(Galatians 3:17, Exodus 12:41, Genesis 15:18) / No.
Regular work can be done, but at twilight ending the day, the Passover meal/ Lord’s Supper should be held. / Saturday, April 4, 2015 observe at the end of the day (at sunset going into Sunday, April 5). (Passover is held at twilight ending the 14th day of the 1st month.)
This is usually going into a full moon night, by God’s design).**Watch for the third red lunar eclipse on this date**
Note- preparation for Passover season may begin on April 10, the 10th day of the first month, biblically, per the example of Israelites (Ex 12:3), and Noah. / Passover season (including First Fruits and the Feast of Unleavened Bread) is the true time to commemorate and remember the Jesus’ death and resurrection, of which Easter is acounterfeit.Holding a foot washing first, just as Christ did, is excellent spiritual preparation for the Lord’s supper fellowship meal (with men and women separated, except if married).
Because Passover is also close to the New Year which celebrates spring, spring themes can be very nice to use during Passover – such as decorating with blooming branches, orange blossoms, tulips, daffodils, etc.
Feast of Unleavened Bread
Leviticus 23:6-8
7 day feast
Note: This festival is also considered part of the Passover season. / Yes.
On the 1st day and 7th day regular work should not be done (April 5 starting at sunset of April 4, and April 11 starting at sunset of April 10). / Tuesday, April 5 through Monday, April 11, 2015
7 day feast starting on the 15th day of the 1st month (begins just after the Passover twilight), with the 1st and 7th days kept as Sabbaths.
This involves a “spring cleaning”- both spiritually and physically- (Exodus 12:15, 19, 1 Cor. 5:6-8). / Purging out the leaven of sin from our lives is a good theme, thinking of ways to reduce exposure to sin in our lives- such as negative influences from TV, movies, etc.
With the observance this as well s other Feast Days it can be really nice to observe the Lord’s Supper with grape juice and whole wheat crackers along with other special foods (I like Mediterranean theme such as olives, grape-leaf rolls, etc.) This festival is also a celebration of the seasons of nature, (spring or fall, depending on what hemisphere you live in) a time to celebrate the Creator.
First Fruits
Leviticus 23:9-11, 15-16
Genesis 7:11,
Matthew 28:1-2
Note: This festival is also considered part of the Passover season. / No.
Regular work can be done. / Sunday, April 12, 2015
Starting at sunset the night before. It is the day after the 7th day Sabbath which falls within Passover week. / This was the day of Christ’s resurrection, and also points forward to the final resurrection of the just.
The firstfruits is on Sunday after the 7th day Sabbath that falls within Passover week. This is the first day of a 50 day count until Pentecost (which will be the Sunday after exactly 7 more weekly Sabbaths).
2nd Month New Moon
New Moon References; Isaiah 66:23, Ezekiel 46:3, Amos 8:4-6, Numbers 10:10, Psalm 81:3, 4 / Yes.
Regular workshould notbe done. / Monday, April 20, 2015 (starting the evening of April 19 at sunset, 7:24 p.m. when the 2% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 8:43 p.m.) / Lighting a candle at sunset, having a special meal on the day of the new moon can be nice. It can be a nice devotional time for drawing closer to the Lord, reviewing the past monthand establishing goals for spiritual growth for the upcoming month.
God has put lights in the sky to mark time, and it seems that this also is for the purpose of giving usthe opportunity to notice the passage of time and reflect on how we are using the precious commodity of our time.
(2nd Passover)
Numbers 9:6-13,Genesis 7:11 / Same as for Passover. / Sunday, May 3, 2015 observe at the end of the day (at sunset going into May 4).This is the 14th day of the 2nd month.
See above for further details about Passover. (10th day of this month is April29 ) / Same ideas as for Passover except that the time is moved to the second month.
If you are unable to celebrate the Passover season at the first appointed time, for unavoidable reasons, you can keep it a month later, as indicated by scripture.
3rd Month New Moon
New Moon References; Isaiah 66:23, Ezekiel 46:3, Amos 8:4-6, Numbers 10:10, Psalm 81:3, 4 / Yes.
Regular workshould notbe done. / Tuesday, May 19, 2015 (starting the evening of May 18 at sunset, 7:46 p.m. when the 1% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 8:30 p.m.) / Lighting a candle at sunset, having a special meal on the day of the new moon can be nice. It can be a nice devotional time for drawing closer to the Lord, reviewing the past monthand establishing goals for spiritual growth for the upcoming month.
Pentecost
Leviticus 23:15-21
Acts 2 / Yes.
Regular work should not be done. / Sunday, May 31st, 2015
Counted 50 days (just over 7 weeks/ 7 Sabbaths) from the Firstfruits.The day after the 7th Sabbath (the fiftieth day,) is the day of Pentecost.
Note that this festival is an extension of the Passover season, because it is counted from then. / This was the day of the Holy Spirit’s outpouring in the former rain. The disciples were gathered for prayer- so group prayer could be a wonderful thing to include in the observance of this festival.
In the 7 weeks prior to this the wheat harvest ripened, so the story of Ruth was often studied on this day historically.
4th Month New Moon
New Moon References; Isaiah 66:23, Ezekiel 46:3, Amos 8:4-6, Numbers 10:10, Psalm 81:3, 4 / Yes.
Regular workshould notbe done. / Thursday, June 18, 2015(Starting the evening of June 17 at sunset, 8:03 p.m. when the 2% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 9:01 p.m.) / See above about New Moon ideas.
5th Month New Moon
New Moon References; Isaiah 66:23, Ezekiel 46:3, Amos 8:4-6, Numbers 10:10, Psalm 81:3, 4 / Yes.
Regular workshould notbe done. / Friday, July 17, 2015 (starting the evening of July 16 at sunset, 8:01 p.m. when the 1% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 8:23 p.m.) / See above about New Moon ideas.
6th Month New Moon
New Moon References; Isaiah 66:23, Ezekiel 46:3, Amos 8:4-6, Numbers 10:10, Psalm 81:3, 4 / Yes.
Regular workshould notbe done. / Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015 (starting the evening of Aug 15 at sunset, 7:36 p.m. when the 1% crescent moon should be visible in the western sky, which sets at 8:11 p.m.) / See above about New Moon ideas.