Lag B'Omer is a joyful Jewish holiday observed on the 33rd day of the Omer period, the 49-day count between Passover and Shavuot. It falls on the 18th of Iyar (this year begins at sundown on Monday, 4th May), marking a break from the semi-mourning customs of the Omer.
"Lag" comes from the Hebrew letters lamed (value 30) and gimel (value 3), totaling 33, with "B'Omer" meaning "in the Omer." It represents a day of celebration amid the Omer's restrictions on weddings, haircuts, and music.
The holiday honors Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the Zohar's author, whose yahrzeit (death anniversary) it marks; tradition holds he revealed mystical teachings that day. It also commemorates the end of a plague that killed many of Rabbi Akiva's students, emphasizing unity and respect (ahavat Yisrael).
Celebrations include lighting bonfires (symbolizing the Zohar's light), pilgrimages to Rabbi Shimon's tomb in Meron, Israel, weddings, boys' first haircuts (upsherin at age 3), and games with bows and arrows. In 2026, it begins at nightfall on May 5.
