When is Rosh Hashanah 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027...2030?

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year ('head of the year' in Hebrew), is a significant festival for Jews. It marks the beginning of the Hebrew religious calendar.

During the event, shofar horns are blown in synagogues, symbolizing communication with God and seeking blessings for the upcoming year. Jewish people celebrate a 2-day holiday, greeting each other with "Shana tova" ('Happy New Year') and eating apples dipped in honey.

In 2024, the observance will begin at sunset on October 2nd and end at sunset on October 4th, with a duration of 2 days.

When Is Rosh Hashanah 2024?

Rosh Hashanah 2024 begins at sundown on October 2nd and ends at sundown on October 4th. The event lasts for 2 Jewish calendar days.

Rosh Hashanah means 'new year' in Hebrew and it marks the beginning of the Hebrew calendar year. The festival falls at the start of Tishrei, which is the seventh month of the ecclesiastical calendar in Judaism, whose first month is Nisan.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur 2024

Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the 10-day Jewish High Holy Day period, culminating in Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). In 2024, this spiritual journey starts at sundown on October 2nd and concludes at sundown on October 12th, when Yom Kippur ends.

This is considered to be the holiest time of the year. Throughout these days, Jews reflect on their words and deeds from the previous year, seek repentance for any misdeeds, and express hopes for self-improvement in the year ahead.

What Is the Difference between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur?

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are two different Jewish festivals with some connections. Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the 10 Jewish High Holy Days leading up to and including Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, occurs 9 days after Rosh Hashanah and is the climax of this high holy period.

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, which focuses on reflection and renewal, while Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, which is centered on repentance and seeking forgiveness.

 What Is the Date for Rosh Hashanah in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027...2030?

The date for Rosh Hashanah is based on the Hebrew calendar and it happens on the first day of the seventh Hebrew month. Yom Kippur falls on the 10th day after Rosh Hashanah. See below the dates for the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027...2030.  

How to Celebrate Rosh Hashanah Traditionally

The most important ritual is blowing a shofar, a curved ram's horn. In synagogues, the horns are blown about 100 times each day. The painful sound of this ancient instrument serves as a call to repentance and ask for blessings from God.

Devout believers will pray near bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, pools, or the sea, and they also toss some bread or other food into the water. This ritual is called Tashlikh in Hebrew and it is often done in the afternoon according to the religious law. It symbolizes the casting off of sins.

Jewish people eat many types of symbolic food during the Jewish New Year, such as apples dipped in honey, fish heads, and red pomegranates. These foods hold symbolic meanings: sweet apples dipped in honey symbolizes a sweet year ahead,  plentiful red pomegranates symbolizes being filled with righteousness before God, and fish heads symbolizes progressing further in the coming year.

How Is Rosh Hashanah 2024 Celebrated in the USA?

In the USA, Rosh Hashanah 2024 will occur at sundown on October 2nd and end at sundown on October 3rd (local time, only 1 day).

It is not a public holiday. However, it is widely observed and recognized by many Jewish Americans, who may take time off work or school to celebrate this important holiday. Businesses and schools may be closed or have altered schedules to accommodate those observing Rosh Hashanah.

Jewish people in the USA will celebrate the Jewish New Year with family gatherings to eat symbolic food, such as apples dipped in honey, and attending synagogue services. Some Jews may perform the Tashlikh rituals, praying and tossing bread into flowing water at places like the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges in New York. People will wish each other Shana Tova ('Happy New Year').

According to the Jewish religious law, it is forbidden to work during Rosh Hashanah, so Jews won't go to work for these 2 days. They often spend most of their time in their local synagogue.

How Is Rosh Hashanah 2024 Celebrated in Israel?

Rosh Hashanah is a 2-day public holiday in Israel. In 2024, it will take place from sunset on October 2nd and end at sundown on October 3rd. October 2nd and 3rd are public holidays, during which people don't go to work, so businesses and shops are closed.

During these 2 days, many Jews gather at the Western Wall for special prayers. People spend most of their time attending holiday services at synagogues.

How Is the Date of Rosh Hashanah Determined?

Rosh Hashanah falls on the 163rd day after Passover. The 9th day after Rosh Hashanah is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

The date of the festival is determined by the Hebrew calendar. As the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar and is 10 to 12 days shorter than the solar Gregorian calendar, the festival date is 10–12 days earlier or 18–20 days later year-to-year.

It falls in the months of September and October. To be exact, it never starts before September 5th (last occurring in 1899 and 2013). After 2089, the festival date will not start earlier than September 6th or later than October 5th (last occurring in 1967 and to occur in 2043).

The festival is celebrated for 2 days. In 2024, it will start on the evening of October 2 and last until October 4th, while in 2025, the festival will start on the evening of September 22nd and end on the evening of September 24th.