When Is Rosh Hashanah?

Rosh Hashanah, which means “head of the year” in Hebrew, marks the Jewish New Year. The festive holiday is one of the holiest times of the year for observant Jews, who believe it’s when God created the universe. It’s an occasion for prayer, reflection on the past year and, much like New Year’s on January 1, renewal.

The date of Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Day of Judgment, is dictated by the Jewish calendar. Although the Jewish New Year always starts in the fall, its timing can vary by up to a month on the Gregorian calendar.

In 2026, Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on Friday, September 11, and ends at nightfall on Sunday, September 13. Like all Jewish holidays, it’s celebrated from sundown to sundown. The blowing of the shofar, a ram’s horn that sounds like a trumpet, is a central ritual of Rosh Hashanah. This year, the holiday ushers in Jewish year 5787.

Although some Jewish denominations celebrate the new year for just one day, as prescribed in the Torah, most Jews celebrate Rosh Hashanah for two days. This practice dates to ancient times, when the start of a new month was determined by witnesses who reported seeing the new moon to religious authorities in Jerusalem. Because the news took time to spread, farther flung communities began observing the two possible days when a new moon could be spotted to ensure they didn’t miss the holiday.

Rosh Hashanah begins at the start of the Hebrew calendar’s seventh month, Tishrei or Tishri. The 12-month-long Jewish calendar is lunisolar, meaning it’s set by both the positions of the sun and the moon. Accordingly, its months are 29 to 30 days, causing dates to shift every year according to the Gregorian calendar. Although Rosh Hashanah is fixed on Tishrei 1-2, the holiday’s date typically falls between September 5 and October 5 on the Gregorian calendar.

Rosh Hashanah begins the High Holidays and marks the start of a 10-day period of reflection and repentance in Judaism, called the Days of Awe. The period culminates in the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.