Holiday guide
Rosh Hashanah: Jewish New Year and Date
Rosh Hashanah begins on the first day of Tishrei, usually in September or October.
What is Rosh Hashanah?
What is Rosh Hashanah?
Rosh Hashanah begins on the first day of Tishrei, usually in September or October.
Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish year.
History and context
History and context
Rosh Hashanah begins on the first day of Tishri and opens the High Holy Days. It is commonly described as the Jewish New Year, but its observance also centers on judgment, renewal, memory, and the possibility of change. The holiday begins at sundown because Jewish days begin in the evening. Many communities include shofar sounding, prayer, reflection, and meals, while customs differ by family and tradition. Its Gregorian date changes because it follows the Hebrew calendar rather than a fixed solar date.
Rosh Hashanah opens the Yamim Noraim, often translated as the Days of Awe, and looks in two directions at once: toward gratitude for the year that has passed and toward the responsibility of beginning again. Prayer and self-examination are therefore part of the holiday's meaning, even when the public details look festive. The holiday is a doorway into the reflection that continues through Yom Kippur.
The shofar, a ram's horn, is sounded in synagogue as a call to attention and renewal. Meals often include foods associated with hopes for a sweet or abundant year. Apples dipped in honey are widely recognized, while round challah, pomegranates, and other symbolic foods appear in many homes. Sephardi and Mizrahi communities may use a broader set of simanim, or symbolic foods, and the exact menu is not universal.
Customs also vary across Jewish communities and families: services, melodies, languages, foods, and the balance between home and synagogue can all differ. That variation is part of the story, not an exception to it. To explore the practices in more detail, continue to the Rosh Hashanah traditions guide.
Why it matters
Why Rosh Hashanah matters
Its Hebrew-calendar date moves against the Gregorian calendar and begins at sundown.
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Today
How Rosh Hashanah is celebrated today
Services, shofar listening, reflection, and family meals may mark the holiday; practices vary.
A useful distinction
A useful distinction
The holiday is also a useful reminder that “New Year” does not mean a universal January-style reset. Its calendar position, liturgy, and shofar give the day a particular religious meaning that differs among movements and communities.
Further context
Further context
The shofar is an important symbol in many observances, but a guide should keep the emphasis on the holiday’s calendar and spiritual themes rather than presenting one ritual as identical in every congregation. The changing Gregorian date follows from the Hebrew calendar’s structure.
Calendar and context
Calendar and context
A date on the calendar is only the starting point. The meaning of this observance comes from the history attached to it and from the way people interpret that history now. Local programs, family decisions, institutions, and national law can all shape the day, so a clear guide separates the shared historical anchor from customs that are specific to a place or community.
Key facts
Rosh Hashanah facts
- Rosh Hashanah begins 1 Tishrei.
- It is the Jewish New Year.
- It begins at sundown.
- It opens the High Holy Days.
- Customs vary among communities.
Questions
Rosh Hashanah FAQ
When is Rosh Hashanah?
It begins at sundown before the first day of Tishrei.
What is Rosh Hashanah?
It is the Jewish New Year and the beginning of the High Holy Days.
Why does its Gregorian date change?
It follows the Hebrew calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar.
What is the shofar?
The shofar is a ram’s-horn instrument sounded in many Rosh Hashanah services.
How is it observed?
Observance may include services, reflection, shofar listening, and meals.
Planning ahead?
Track the next Rosh Hashanah
See the date and remaining time on the live countdown.