Rosh Hashanah | 2026 Date, Meaning & Greetings

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a spiritual holiday that takes place for two days in late summer or early fall. It’s a time for reflecting on the past year and setting intentions for the upcoming year. Rosh Hashanah traditions include synagogue services, apples and honey to symbolize a sweet year, and the Hebrew greeting “Shanah tovah,” meaning “a good year.”

Because Rosh Hashanah follows the lunisolar Hebrew calendar, the dates are different every year. For example, Rosh Hashanah 2025 was September 22–24, but Rosh Hashanah 2026 is September 11–13.

To send well wishes during Rosh Hashanah, you can say “Happy Rosh Hashanah” or “Happy New Year.” Keep reading to learn about more Rosh Hashanah greetings as well as important dates and traditions.

What is Rosh Hashanah?

Rosh Hashanah is the New Year and anniversary of the world’s creation in Judaism. The name “Rosh Hashanah” translates to “head of the year” in Hebrew. It lasts for two days and begins a sacred 10-day period called the High Holy Days or the Days of Awe.

The High Holy Days are a period of reflection, prayer, and spiritual renewal that culminate in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

During Rosh Hashanah, people gather with family, eat symbolic foods (e.g., apples dipped in honey), and attend prayer services. The first synagogue ceremony for Rosh Hashanah includes the sounding of a shofar, a ram’s horn that symbolizes spiritual awakening.

The rest of the High Holy Days leading up to Yom Kippur are for seeking forgiveness for past wrongdoings and performing acts of charity. According to Judaism, Rosh Hashanah is when God determines each person’s fate for the coming year, and Yom Kippur is when God seals that fate.

Rosh Hashanah greeting

As Rosh Hashanah approaches, many people search for ways to express good wishes for the year ahead.

• Saying “Happy Rosh Hashanah” is perfectly acceptable in English.
• The most common Rosh Hashanah greeting in Hebrew is “Shanah tovah” (good year), but a few other Hebrew greetings convey deeper spiritual blessings.
• Greeting cards for Rosh Hashanah often feature imagery of apples, honey, pomegranates, and shofars, with heartfelt wishes in English or Hebrew.

Whether you’re seeing someone in person or sending a message, it’s thoughtful to share blessings for a good and sweet year.

When is Rosh Hashanah?

Rosh Hashanah always begins on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. The Hebrew calendar is lunar-based, so the Rosh Hashanah dates are different each year in the Gregorian calendar. Therefore, when you’re wondering “When does Rosh Hashanah start?” always check a calendar that includes Jewish holidays.

Rosh Hashanah always begins at sunset and lasts for two days. It officially ends at nightfall. For example, Rosh Hashanah 2025 was from sundown on September 22 to nightfall on September 24.

When is Rosh Hashanah 2026?

In 2026, Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on Friday, September 11. It lasts until nightfall on Sunday, September 13.

Rosh Hashanah traditions

Rosh Hashanah traditions are deeply meaningful and help usher in the new year with reverence and hope:

• Blowing the Shofar: The ram’s horn is sounded during synagogue services as a spiritual wake-up call.
• Tashlich Ceremony: Casting breadcrumbs into flowing water symbolizes letting go of sins.
• Festive Meals: Families gather to eat symbolic foods like apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year.
• Prayer and Reflection: Rosh Hashanah services include special prayers such as “Alvinu Malkeinu” (“Our Father, Our King”), which asks for forgiveness and repentance.

Rosh Hashanah food

Food plays a central role in Rosh Hashanah celebrations, with each dish symbolizing hopes for the new year. Traditional Rosh Hashanah foods include:

• Apples dipped in honey for a sweet year
• Round challah bread that represents cycles and continuity
• Pomegranates, which are said to have 613 seeds representing the 613 mitzvot (commandments)
• Tzimmes, a sweet carrot and dried fruit stew, symbolizing prosperity
• Honey cake, another sweet treat that represents blessings
• Fish head, which represents leadership and moving forward

Frequently asked questions about Rosh Hashanah

How do you say Happy Rosh Hashanah?

The most common way to say “Happy Rosh Hashanah” in Hebrew is “Shanah tovah” (good year). It’s also perfectly acceptable to say “Happy New Year” or “Happy Rosh Hashanah” in English. Some other Rosh Hashanah greetings include:

• “L’shanah tovah umtukah” (l’sha-NAH toe-VAH), meaning “a good and sweet new year”
• “Tizku l’shanim rabot” (tiz-KOO l’-sha-NEEM ra-BOT) for “may you be granted many pleasant and good years”
• “Gut yontif” (goot YON-tiff), which is Yiddish for “good holiday”

When you’re writing a Rosh Hashanah greeting, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you with correct spelling and capitalization.

When is Rosh Hashanah this year?

Rosh Hashanah occurs on different dates every year because the Hebrew calendar is different from the Gregorian calendar. Here are the Rosh Hashanah dates for the next few years:

• Rosh Hashanah 2026: September 11–13
• Rosh Hashanah 2027: October 1–3
• Rosh Hashanah 2028: September 20–22
• Rosh Hashanah 2029: September 9–11

QuillBot’s AI Chat can answer questions about when religious holidays occur and any other holiday-related details you’re curious about. You can also prompt it to show you sources so that you can verify the accuracy of its outputs.

What are the High Holy Days?

The High Holy Days (aka the Days of Awe) are the 10 days that start with Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and end with Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement in Judaism).

The purpose of this time in Judaism is to reflect on the past year, make amends for mistakes, and do good deeds. The High Holy Days are very sacred. According to the teachings of Judaism, God decides each person’s fate for the new year on Rosh Hashanah and seals that fate on Yom Kippur.

When you’re writing about the High Holy Days, capitalize all of the words. QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you remember to do so.

How many months are in the Hebrew calendar?

There are 12 months in the Hebrew calendar:

• Nisan
• Iyar
• Sivan
• Tammuz
• Av
• Elul
• Tishrei
• Heshvan
• Kislev
• Tevet
• Shevat
• Adar

Each month begins and ends with the new moon. However, every 19 years, there is a leap month (a second Adar) to keep the calendar aligned with the solar year.

For that reason, holidays such as Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur are on different days every year.

If you’re writing about months in the Hebrew calendar, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you with correct spelling and capitalization.