Rosh Hashanah 2025

The two days Jewish New Year’s feast Rosh Hashanah, which means “head of the year” in English, is observed from 23. September until 01. September 2025 and is always celebrated 163 days after Passover. According to the Jewish calendar that would be the 1st and 2nd of Tishrei. Besides a New Year’s feast, Rosh Hashanah is also the Feast of Trumpets. It is the only Jewish feast that is also in Israel celebrated for two days. Several customs for the celebration in the synagogue and at home exist. The symbolic color of Rosh Hashanah is white.

There is no unity among the Jews about the celebration of Rosh Hashanah. While orthodox and conservative Jews observe both days of the feast, Reform Jews only recognize the first day. The Samaritans celebrate Yom Teruah, their Rosh Hashanah, in spring, as it is obliged due to the Torah and the Talmud. The New Year’s feast - no matter on what date - is a reminder for the special relationship between the Israeli people and God. The Modern Hebrew New Year’s congratulation is “Shanah Tovah!” (“Happy New Year!”)

The most important custom about Rosh Hashanah is the Shofar Blowing. The shofar is a ram’s horn and the sound of its blowing is an exhortation to behave pious and morally exemplary. The believers vindicate themselves on New Year’s Day for their deeds of the passing year and renew their bound with God for the New Year. Due to the Jewish believe He is sitting on a throne, having a huge book of live with all the good and bad deeds of all people noted. Positive notes can seal people to life, bad ones to death.

Rosh Hashanah is a feast of joy and obeisance towards God. After the morning service in the synagogue there will be a huge and rich meal at home. First they wash their hands, and then they dip an apple into honey and eat it. That is symbol for “sweetness”, meaning the good times of a year. Additionally pomegranate seeds and white bread is consumed. The latter is a symbol for the circle of a year and is also dipped into honey. Sweet goes along with that, another symbol for joy. The eating of a fish or sheep’s head is supposed to show that the believer is able to control himself.

More dates:

• Rosh Hashanah on Sep 12, 2026
• Rosh Hashanah on Oct 02, 2027
• Rosh Hashanah on Sep 21, 2028