Bible Students around the world will be observing the Memorial of our Lord on Tuesday, March 31st, 2026 (after 6:00 p.m.)
In determining the correct date, several pieces of information need to be obtained, using astronomical tables:
- Date and time of the Vernal (Spring) Equinox of the given year.
- Date and time of the New Moon preceding the Equinox.
- Date and time of the New Moon following the Equinox.
- Date and time of the New Moon which occurs closest to the Equinox.
- To find Nisan 1, add two hours and twenty-one minutes to account for the time difference at the meridian in Jerusalem.
Data for 2026
- Date and time of the Vernal (Spring) Equinox: March 20th at 2:47 p.m.
- Date and time of the New Moon preceding the Equinox: March 19th at 1:25 a.m.
- Date and time of the New Moon following the Equinox: April 17th at 11:53 a.m.
- Date and time of the New Moon which occurs closest to the Equinox: March 19th at 1:25 a.m.
- Add two hours and twenty-one minutes to determine the beginning of Nisan 1 at the meridian in Jerusalem: March 19th at 3:46 a.m.
To determine the date of Nisan 1, let’s remember that the Jewish day runs from 6:00 p.m. in the evening to 6:00 p.m. the following evening, unlike our customary midnight-to-midnight reckoning. By knowing the exact time at which Nisan 1 begins at Jerusalem in a given year, we can determine the date of Nisan 1 for that year.
For 2026, Nisan 1 begins on March 19th at 3:46 a.m. in Jerusalem. Backing up to the nearest preceding 6:00 p.m. indicates that Nisan 1 starts at 6:00 p.m. on March 18th.
To determine the date of Nisan 14, the date to celebrate the Memorial, we need to count forward thirteen FULL days, which brings us to March 31st. So, Nisan 14 starts at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31st, your local time.