Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year on 1 Tishrei, and how it is observed

Rosh Hashanah on 1 Tishrei is the Jewish New Year and the start of the High Holy Days, observed with synagogue services, the sounding of the shofar, and apples with honey.

The one-line summary

Jewish New Year on 1 Tishrei (Hebrew calendar), observed with synagogue services, the sounding of the shofar, and symbolic sweet foods. Begins the High Holy Days, which culminate in Yom Kippur ten days later.

Origin

Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the world in Jewish tradition. The name means head of the year in Hebrew. The day is described in the Torah (Leviticus 23:24) as a day of rest and a memorial proclaimed with the blowing of trumpets (the shofar).

How it is observed

Evening before: candle lighting, festive meal with round challah bread. Main day: synagogue services with the sounding of the shofar (rams horn), apples dipped in honey (symbolic of a sweet new year), round challah, pomegranate, and tashlich (casting bread crumbs into a body of water to symbolize the casting away of sins). The observance runs 1-2 days.

Legal status

Rosh Hashanah is a public holiday in Israel, with schools closed and most businesses on reduced hours. It is not a US federal holiday but is widely observed across the US Jewish community; many Jewish employees take time off for the 1-2 day observance.

Where it is contested

Rosh Hashanah is broadly accepted. Discussions center on the choice between the Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform calendars (Orthodox and Conservative use the same Hebrew date; Reform sometimes schedules an alternate date for scheduling convenience). These have not produced any alteration of the holiday itself.

In other countries

Rosh Hashanah is observed by Jewish communities worldwide, especially in Israel, the US, France, the UK, Canada, Argentina, Russia, and South Africa. It is a public holiday in Israel; in other countries it is a religious observance rather than a civic day off.

Historical background

Rosh Hashanah (literally "head of the year" in Hebrew) is the Jewish New Year, observed on the first and second days of Tishrei in the Hebrew calendar (typically September-October in the Gregorian calendar). The holiday marks the beginning of the Ten Days of Repentance (Aseret Yemei Teshuva), culminating in Yom Kippur ten days later. Rosh Hashanah is observed as a two-day holiday in the diaspora and one day in Israel.

Rosh Hashanah has multiple layers of meaning. As the Jewish New Year, it is a time of personal reflection and divine judgment; tradition holds that God inscribes each person's fate in the Book of Life on Rosh Hashanah, with the decree sealed on Yom Kippur. As the "Feast of Trumpets," it commemorates the sounding of the shofar (ram's horn) in the Temple. Theologically, the holiday emphasizes divine sovereignty, creation, and the relationship between God and humanity.

Customs include the sounding of the shofar (a prescribed series of blasts), eating symbolic foods (apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year, round challah bread symbolizing the cycle of the year, pomegranates representing the 613 mitzvot), Tashlich (a ritual at a body of water to symbolically cast away sins), and time with family and community. The Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are marked by penitential prayers and increased synagogue attendance.

Rosh Hashanah greetings and Shabbat connection

The traditional Rosh Hashanah greeting is "Shanah Tovah" (Hebrew for "good year"), often extended to "Shanah Tovah u'Metukah" (a good and sweet year). Cards and greetings are sent during the holiday season. Rosh Hashanah often falls on Shabbat (Saturday), which creates logistical questions about preparing for the holiday (e.g., lighting candles, cooking) when many activities are restricted on Shabbat. When Rosh Hashanah falls on Saturday, candle lighting happens before sunset on Friday.

The tashlich ceremony, performed on the first day of Rosh Hashanah (or second day if first falls on Shabbat), involves going to a body of water and symbolically casting away sins, often by throwing breadcrumbs. The practice derives from the biblical story of Achan (Joshua 7) and is mentioned in the Book of Nehemiah. Tashlich is performed in many synagogues, often with congregational processions to local rivers or lakes.

Additional context

The 2026 Rosh Hashanah falls on September 12-13. The two-day observance begins at sunset on the preceding evening and continues through nightfall of the second day. Many synagogues hold tashlich ceremonies on the first day, with congregants gathering at local bodies of water to symbolically cast away sins before the new year begins.

Liturgy and Machzor

The High Holiday liturgy is contained in a special prayer book called the Machzor (cycle). The Machzor contains the special prayers, poems (piyyutim), and Torah readings for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Reform and Conservative Judaism publish their own Machzor versions; Orthodox congregations use traditional texts that have remained largely unchanged for centuries. The repetition of liturgy on the High Holidays - with the shofar sounding, the Avinu Malkeinu prayer, and the Unetaneh Tokef - are distinctive features.

Rosh Hashanah by the numbers

Sources

• HebCal, Rosh Hashanah 2026: hebcal.com
• Chabad.org, Rosh Hashanah: chabad.org
• Wikipedia, "Rosh Hashanah": en.wikipedia.org

History of Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish new year. The day is described in the Torah as a day of remembrance and the sounding of the shofar (ram's horn). The Talmud connects the day to the creation of the world and the beginning of the High Holiday period, which concludes ten days later with Yom Kippur.

Rosh Hashanah rituals

Rosh Hashanah is marked by synagogue services with shofar blowing, special prayers (Tashlich, the casting of bread into water symbolising the casting away of sins), and festive meals featuring symbolic foods: apples and honey (for a sweet year), round challah bread, pomegranates, and the head of a fish or ram.

The holiday typically lasts two days in the diaspora and one day in Israel. Rosh Hashanah is a public holiday in Israel. The Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are a period of introspection and preparation for the Day of Atonement.