What does 'Rosh Hashanah' mean in Hebrew?

“Rosh Hashanah” means “head of the year” in Hebrew.

The name is written ראש השנה: rosh means “head” and ha-shanah means “the year.” It is the name used for the Jewish New Year, which begins on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. The phrase is therefore a literal description of the holiday’s place at the head or beginning of the year.

A frequent source of confusion is that Rosh Hashanah falls in the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar when the months are counted from Nisan. Jewish tradition uses more than one way to reckon a year, and Tishrei’s new moon marks the beginning of the civil or religious year associated with Rosh Hashanah.

The holiday is also known as a day of judgment and remembrance in Jewish tradition. It begins the Ten Days of Repentance, a period of introspection that culminates in Yom Kippur. Customs include hearing the shofar, eating symbolic foods, and exchanging wishes for a good year.