How many days does Passover last in Israel?

In Israel, Passover lasts seven days.

The holiday begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan and ends on the 21st. In Israel, the first and seventh days are major festival days, while the intervening period is known as Chol HaMoed, meaning the weekdays or intermediate days of the festival. The Seder is held on the first night in Israel.

The commonly remembered eight-day length applies primarily to Jewish communities outside Israel, where an additional festival day is traditionally observed. This difference developed from the historical practice of communities in the Diaspora observing an extra day because of uncertainty about the calendar’s monthly declarations.

Passover commemorates the Exodus from Egypt and is also called the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The seven-day duration is therefore not a reference to the seven plagues or seven Seder foods. Reform and Reconstructionist communities outside Israel often observe seven days, so geography and Jewish denomination both matter when discussing duration.