FOR the Hebrew people wey live for Promise Land, na for beginning of the year them de clear ground and plant things. And this one na around September or October for our time.

People that time de use moon calculate how month long reach (this one fit be 29 or 30 days). And them de use sun calculate how year long reach. But the year wey they use moon calculate de short pass the one wey they use sun calculate. So, they need to find how they go balance the two. To do this one, them de add extra days or month, and this one fit be before the beginning of the next year. This one go make the calendar match with the season wey them de plant and harvest.

But for the time of Moses, God tell e people say their own year go start with the month of Abib, or Nisan wey be March or April for our own time. (Ex. 12:2; 13:4) Them de do one festival for this month, this one na the time wey them de harvest barley.—Ex. 23:15, 16.

One man wey really go school well wey e name na Emil Schürer talk say: “E dey easy to know when to add extra month inside the calendar.” E talk this one for e book wey the name na The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ, (175 B.C.–A.D. 135). Them de do the Passover for the day wey moon full for the month of Nisan (14 Nisan). E still talk say ‘this one must always happen after the day for spring time when day and night dey equal. If the end of the year don de reach and they see say Passover go fall for the time before the time wey night and day go dey equal for spring time, they go add one month before the month of Nisan.’

Jehovah Witness people de use this method when they want choose the correct date for the Memorial of Jesus death. And this one de always happen for spring time wey match the date wey be Nisan 14 for Hebrew calendar. Them de tell all the congregations for the whole world the date before the time reach. a

But that time, how Hebrew people de know when one month go end and when another one go start? Today, you fit just look the date for calendar wey they print or for calendar wey dey your phone or computer. But for Bible time, e no dey easy like that.

For the time wey flood happen for Noah time, them de count one month to be 30 days. (Gen. 7:11, 24; 8:3, 4) After sometime, no be only 30 days Hebrew people de use count one month again. For Hebrew calendar, new month de start when they start to see the new moon. That one na 29 or 30 days after the beginning of last month.

One time when David and Jonathan de talk about new month, they talk say: “Tomorrow na the new moon.” (1 Sam. 20:5, 18) So, e be like say for their time, them de calculate month before e reach. But how Israel people de know when new month go start? Mishnah na one book wey they write Jew people tradition and laws inside. And this book talk some things about this one. Wetin dey the book show say, after Jew people come back from Babylon, to calculate month na part of the work wey Jew people high court de do. For the seven months wey them de do festivals, the court de meet for the 30th day of the month. Na the work of this men to talk when the next month go start. How them de decide this one?

Watchmen de stand for high place them around Jerusalem de watch sky for night to see when new moon go first come out. Quick-quick, they go tell the Sanhedrin wey be Jew people high court. When the men for this court feel say they don get enough proof to show say the new month don come out, then they go announce-am say the new month don start. What if the weather condition no allow the watchmen to see as the new moon de come out? So, they go announce say na 30 days that month be, and say the new month don start.

 The book wey the name na Mishnah explain say, them de light fire for the top of Mount of Olives near Jerusalem, to announce say the new month don start. For the whole of Israel, them de light fire ontop high place them to spread the news. After, them de send messengers to spread the news. So with this one, the Jew people for Jerusalem, for the whole of Israel, and for other place them go know say the new month don start. And then, all of them go celebrate their festival for the same time.

The chart wey dey this article go help you understand the months, festivals, and seasons wey dey the Hebrew calendar for the time of Israel people.