Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish High Holidays, Explained
Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah are the Jewish high holidays. They are the two most important holidays of the year and are celebrated very differently.
USA TODAY, Wednesday
Rosh Hashanah, the two-day Jewish holiday commemorating TK, takes place in early October.
Rosh Hashanah, which translates from Hebrew as “head of the year,” is one of Judaism’s holiest days. The two-day celebration marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year and is filled with traditions such as eating a round challah and praying by a body of water.
This year, the holiday begins at sunset on October 2 and ends at sunset on October 4. The exact date of the holiday varies each year—last year it began on September 15—but is almost always in September or October.
Here’s everything you need to know about Rosh Hashanah 2024, including when it occurs, what the holiday commemorates, and how it’s celebrated.
When is Rosh Hashanah 2024?
Because Rosh Hashanah is based on the Hebrew calendar, it begins on the first day of the seventh month, so this year’s celebration begins at sunset on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, and lasts until sunset on Friday, October 4, 2024.
Rosh Hashanah is the only Jewish holiday that lasts two days, both inside and outside Israel. It is called Yoma Arichta, which translates to “a long day,” since the 48-hour celebration can be considered a single extended day.
Rosh Hashanah is often viewed as a time to reflect on the past year and focus on hopes for the year ahead, Jordan Rosenblum, Belzer Professor of Classical Judaism and Max and Frieda Weinstein Bascom Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told USA TODAY last year.
What is Rosh Hashanah? Why is it important?
Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the “Days of Awe,” ten days of reflection and repentance that culminate in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and holiest holiday of the Jewish people.
Samira Mehta, director of undergraduate studies in the Jewish Studies program at the University of Colorado Boulder, previously told USA TODAY that the “Book of Life,” which symbolizes how the Jewish people will be judged in the coming year, is “opened” on Rosh Hashanah and “sealed” on Yom Kippur.
Rosh Hashanah is also important to some Jews because it celebrates the creation of humanity. Also known as the “birthday of the world,” it marks the moment when God created Adam and Eve—or when the breath of life entered them.
When is Yom Kippur?
Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Judaism, begins at sunset on Friday, October 11, 2024, and ends on Saturday evening, October 12, 2024. The name Yom Kippur translated from Hebrew to English means “Day of Atonement.”
How is Rosh Hashanah celebrated? Traditions explained
Jews may take time off from work to attend services with special prayers and songs to celebrate the New Year, but the celebrations do not only take place within the walls of a synagogue.
Many Jewish communities blow a shofar, a curved ram’s horn, during services.
Some Jews also pray near a body of water during a Tashlich ceremony and throw pieces of bread or other food into the water to symbolize the sending away of sins.
What are some traditional foods for Rosh Hashanah?
Many Jews gather with friends and family to enjoy special meals and hold commemorations:
- Some Jews eat apples and honey together to symbolize a sweet new year.
- People may also eat challah, a braided bread, in a round loaf to represent a yearly cycle.
- Pomegranate seeds also represent the 613 mitzvot, or commandments, listed in the Torah, the Jewish holy book.
USA TODAY reporter Sara Chernikoff contributed to this article.
