Yahrzeit in a leap year: Adar I or Adar II?
Short answer: if someone passed away in Adar of a regular year, a leap year has two possible dates. Ashkenazic custom keeps the yahrzeit in Adar I, and some observe both. Sephardic custom keeps it in Adar II. If the passing was in Adar I or Adar II of a leap year, the yahrzeit stays in that same month. Ask your rabbi which custom your family follows.
Why there are two Adars
The Hebrew calendar follows the moon, which runs about 11 days shorter than the solar year. To keep Pesach in the spring, a 13th month is added in 7 of every 19 years. That extra month is Adar I, and the regular Adar becomes Adar II. Purim is in Adar II.
The three cases
| Date of passing | Yahrzeit in a leap year | Yahrzeit in a regular year |
|---|---|---|
| Adar of a regular year | Adar I (Ashkenazic custom, our default), Adar II (Sephardic custom), some observe both | Adar |
| Adar I of a leap year | Adar I | Adar |
| Adar II of a leap year | Adar II | Adar |
The sources: the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 568:7) rules Adar II. The Rema there brings the view of Adar I and notes that some keep both, and the Mishnah Berurah (568:42) favors keeping both. See Peninei Halakha and Din Online for summaries.
Example for 5787
Someone who passed away on Monday, March 10, 2025 (10 Adar 5785, a regular year) has two possible yahrzeit dates in 5787:
- Adar I (Ashkenazic custom, our default): Wednesday, February 17, 2027 (10 Adar I 5787), from sundown Tue, Feb 16, 2027
- Adar II (Sephardic custom): Friday, March 19, 2027 (10 Adar II 5787), from sundown Thu, Mar 18, 2027
Check any date with the yahrzeit calculator.
Coming leap years
| Hebrew year | Regular years | Adar I begins | Adar II begins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5787 | 2026 to 2027 | Mon, Feb 8, 2027 | Wed, Mar 10, 2027 |
| 5790 | 2029 to 2030 | Mon, Feb 4, 2030 | Wed, Mar 6, 2030 |
| 5793 | 2032 to 2033 | Mon, Jan 31, 2033 | Wed, Mar 2, 2033 |
| 5795 | 2034 to 2035 | Sat, Feb 10, 2035 | Mon, Mar 12, 2035 |
| 5798 | 2037 to 2038 | Sat, Feb 6, 2038 | Mon, Mar 8, 2038 |
Each Hebrew month begins at sundown the evening before the date shown.
Questions and answers
Is a yahrzeit in Adar I or Adar II in a leap year?
It depends on when the person passed away. If it was in Adar I or Adar II of a leap year, the yahrzeit stays in that same Adar. If it was in Adar of a regular year, Sephardic custom observes it in Adar II, Ashkenazic custom observes it in Adar I, and some Ashkenazim observe both.
Is 5787 a leap year?
Yes. 5787 (September 2026 to October 2027) has Adar I and Adar II. Adar I begins Mon, Feb 8, 2027 and Adar II begins Wed, Mar 10, 2027.
What about a birthday or bar mitzvah from Adar?
A bar or bat mitzvah for someone born in Adar of a regular year is held in Adar II. Birthdays and anniversaries from a regular-year Adar are also kept in Adar II, the standard practice and Hebcal's rule; our calendar does the same unless you choose Adar I. Someone born in Adar I or Adar II of a leap year keeps that same Adar in later leap years.
What does Family Luach do by default?
Adar I, the Ashkenazic custom. This matches Hebcal's yahrzeit calculation for a passing in Adar of a regular year. You can switch the whole calendar's yahrzeits, or any single person, to Adar II. Birthdays and anniversaries from a regular-year Adar default to Adar II.