Rosh Hashanah 2024: When is the Jewish festival and how to wish someone happy new year in Hebrew
Jewish communities across Greater Manchester will be celebrating the high holidays throughout this month, starting with Rosh Hashanah this week.
The Jewish new year will begin on the evening of Wednesday, October 2. The festival is followed by fast days, including Yom Kippur which starts on October 11, and further festivities throughout the Jewish month of Tishrei.
Families and friends come together to celebrate at this time of year, and many congregate in synagogues to hear the blowing of the shofar – a musical horn. Certain foods are also traditionally consumed to mark the occasion.
Here is everything you need to know about Rosh Hashanah and the Jewish high holidays.
When is Rosh Hashanah and the rest of the high holidays?
Several festivals and fast days are observed throughout the holy month of Tishrei, starting with Rosh Hashanah which literally means 'head of the year'.
According to the Hebrew calendar, which is based on both the moon and the sun, each new day starts at sundown and this new year will be number 5785. The Rosh Hashanah celebration, which lasts two days, starts at sundown on Wednesday, October 2, and ends at nightfall on Friday, October 4.
Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, involves a 25-hour fast, starting this year at sundown on Friday, October 11 until nightfall on Saturday, October 12. Sukkot, a seven-day harvest holiday which commemorates the years that the Jews spent in the desert, then starts on October 16 which is immediately followed by Simchat Torah on October 24.
How do Jewish people celebrate Rosh Hashanah and the high holidays
Families and friends typically come together to celebrate with a meal on both nights which is preceded by a ceremony involving prayers and special foods. Apples are dipped in honey to mark a sweet and fruitful new year while pomegranates, honey cake and round challah bread are also consumed.
The first day of Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of ten holy days known as the high holidays - or the high holy days - which is a time of repentance for Jews. Throughout this time of year, many congregate in synagogues to worship, particularly on Rosh Hashanah and on the tenth day – the fast of Yom Kippur.
In synagogue, the blowing of the shofar - a ram's horn - must be heard by congregants at the new year service as well as at the end of Yom Kippur. During Sukkot, all meals are eaten in an open air hut to commemorate the years the Jewish people spent in the desert, while at Simchat Torah, the new annual cycle of bible readings is celebrated.
How do you wish someone Happy New Year?
At Rosh Hashanah, Jewish people say 'shanah tova', which means 'good year', or 'shanah tovah u'metukah', which is Hebrew for 'a good and sweet new year'. On Yom Kippur, the most common greeting is 'g'mar chatima tova' which means 'a good final sealing', while in the days before, some Jewish people say 'tzom kal', which means 'easy fast'.