What is the traditional name for the Jewish New Year?

The traditional Jewish New Year is called Rosh Hashanah. The Hebrew name means “head of the year,” and the holiday begins on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar.

Rosh Hashanah is both a new-year observance and a solemn period associated with divine judgment. It begins the Ten Days of Repentance, which conclude with Yom Kippur. Many Jewish communities hold extended synagogue services and hear the sound of the shofar, a ram’s horn.

Common foods include apples dipped in honey, symbolizing hopes for a sweet year. Round challah is also widely associated with the holiday, with its shape often interpreted as suggesting the cycle of the year.

A frequent confusion is treating Rosh Hashanah as the only Jewish new year. The Mishnah identifies multiple new-year dates for different purposes, including the first of Nisan for kings and festivals. Rosh Hashanah is the best-known civil and religious new year in Jewish practice.