The Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, celebrating the Jewish New Year, starts at sundown Friday evening.
Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days, leading up to Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement.
Rosh Hashana, which translates from Hebrew to mean the “head” of the year, is commemorated with special prayers, foods, gatherings and more.
When is Rosh Hashanah 2026?
Rosh Hashanah will begin at sunset on Friday, Sept. 11 and will end at dusk on Sunday, Sept. 13. The celebration of the new year is the only Jewish holiday that is two days long both inside and outside Israel. It’s called yoma arichta, translated as “a long day” because the 48-hour celebration may be thought of as one extended day.
The exact date varies every year since it is based on the
Hebrew calendar, where Rosh Hashanah begins on the first day of the seventh month. It is typically in September or October.
Why is Rosh Hashanah celebrated?
Rosh Hashanah is often treated as a time to reflect on the previous year and focus on hopes for the coming year, according to Jordan Rosenblum, the Belzer Professor of Classical Judaism and Max and Frieda Weinstein-Bascom Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“It's the beginning of the Jewish calendar, and like all new years there are, it’s a time for sort of taking stock, right? What do I want to improve? You know, the equivalent of joining the gym in January,” he said.
Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of humanity and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates in the Yom Kippur holiday, according to history.com. It may be referred to as the "birthday of the world," marking the time when God created – or when the breath of life entered – Adam and Eve.
How is Rosh Hashanah celebrated?
Many Jewish people attend services at synagogues and other spaces for worship on Rosh Hashanah. Jewish congregations recite special prayers and songs to mark the new year.
Some Jewish communities blow a Shofar, a curved ram’s horn.
While the holiday is uplifting, it also urges believers to reconcile conflict that occurred within the past year and start the new year with a clean page.
“It’s meant to kind of stir you, awaken you to the idea of thinking of new year, taking stock, preparing to atone, and in the month leading up to Rosh Hashanah it begins to be used as a kind of wake up,” Rosenblum said. “It really kind of pierces the air, and you can't ignore it.”
Some Jews may also pray near a body of water in a Tashlich ceremony, in addition to tossing pieces of bread or other food into the water to symbolize sending off sins.
What are some traditional Rosh Hashanah foods?
Rosh Hashanah celebrations don’t just take place within the walls of a synagogue. Many Jews gather with friends and family to eat special foods and hold commemorations.
- Some Jewish people eat apples dipped in honey to represent a sweet new year.
- People also eat challah, a braided bread, in a round loaf to represent a cycle of the year.
- Pomegranate seeds also represent the 613 mitzvot, or commandments, that are cited in the Torah, the Jewish holy book.
Is it OK to say 'Happy Rosh Hashanah'?
Yes, happy Rosh Hashanah or happy new year are both appropriate greetings if you are talking to Jewish friends, family, co-workers or classmates around the holiday. You can also say “Shanah tovah,” which means good year in Hebrew.
Looking ahead: When is Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, this year runs from dusk on Sunday, Sept. 20 to nightfall on Monday, Sept. 21.
Includes reporting by USA Today Network.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: When is Rosh Hashanah 2026? Dates, meaning, and how it’s celebrated
