Rosh Hashanah 2027: the Jewish New Year
Rosh Hashanah, literally the “head of the year”, opens the Jewish year on the first day of the month of Tishrei. It is both joyful and serious: people wish each other “Shanah Tovah”, a good year, around tables where apples are dipped in honey, and go to synagogue to hear the shofar. Rosh Hashanah lasts two days, in Israel and everywhere else, and begins the Ten Days of Repentance that lead up to Yom Kippur. Here are its dates, its meaning, its rituals and its food.
When is Rosh Hashanah in 2027?
2027
From the evening of Friday 1 October until nightfall on Sunday, 3 October 2027
in 328 days
2028
From the evening of Wednesday 20 September until nightfall on Friday, 22 September 2028
Every holiday begins at sunset the evening before and ends at nightfall; dates shown are those observed outside Israel, with Israel’s dates noted where they differ.
What Rosh Hashanah means
Tradition marks Rosh Hashanah as the anniversary of the creation of the world, or more precisely of humankind. It is also the Day of Judgement, when each person takes stock of the past year: their actions, their choices, the way they have treated others. It is called the day of the sounding of the shofar, too. Rosh Hashanah opens the Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe, and the Ten Days of Repentance that end with Yom Kippur. During this time people try to put right what needs putting right: apologising to those they have hurt, making resolutions for the year ahead. Yet the mood is not gloomy. It is a festival, with new clothes, generous meals and the hope of a sweet year.
Rosh Hashanah traditions
The central ritual is hearing the shofar, a ram’s horn sounded in long, broken and staccato blasts during the service; when the first day falls on Shabbat, it is not blown that day. Prayers are longer than usual, with melodies heard only at this time of year. On the first afternoon, many people go to a river, the sea or any natural water for Tashlich, symbolically casting away their sins. At the table, blessings are said over foods that carry wishes: apple in honey for a sweet year, pomegranate for merits as many as its seeds, a fish head so that you will be “the head and not the tail”. People greet each other with “Shanah Tovah”, sometimes adding the wish to be inscribed for a good year.
Rosh Hashanah food
Anything sweet takes pride of place, and bitter flavours are often avoided. The challah is round, like the cycle of the year, and often studded with raisins. Ashkenazi families make carrot tzimmes with honey, honey cake (lekach) and sometimes gefilte fish. In Sephardic homes, the meal opens with a Seder of symbolic foods, dates, leeks, chard, squash and black-eyed peas, each with its blessing, before dishes such as couscous or stuffed vegetables. Everywhere, apple and honey remain the emblem of the holiday.
Rosh Hashanah as a couple
Rosh Hashanah is often the first big meal of the year where someone new is introduced to the family. Each household has its own customs: a Sephardic family will hold the Seder of blessings, an Ashkenazi family may simply serve apples and honey. It is a chance to discover each other’s traditions, decide whose table to join on each evening, and start the year with shared wishes. For a new couple, it is also a natural moment to talk about what you each hope for next.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Rosh Hashanah last?
Rosh Hashanah lasts two days, both in Israel and in the diaspora. It begins at sunset on the evening before the first day and ends at nightfall at the close of the second.
What do you say on Rosh Hashanah?
The usual greeting is “Shanah Tovah”, a good year, or “Shanah Tovah Umetukah”, a good and sweet year. Many also wish each other to be inscribed for a good year in the Book of Life.
Why do people eat apple dipped in honey?
It expresses a wish that the coming year will be sweet. It is eaten on the first evening after a short blessing, and many families keep honey on the table until the end of the autumn holidays.
How are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur connected?
Rosh Hashanah opens the Ten Days of Repentance and Yom Kippur closes them. The first is the day of judgement, the second the day of forgiveness; in between, people are encouraged to reflect and to make peace with those around them.
A new year, a new connection?
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