When Is Rosh Hashanah 2023

Rosh Hashanah 2023 is a religious and festive time in the Jewish calendar, starting on Friday, September 15, and ending on Sunday, September 17, 2023. It is a time for family and friends to gather for meals, worship, and grow closer to God. The celebration, which translates to “head of the year” in Hebrew, takes place on the first and second days of Tishrei, the first month in the civil calendar.

1. What is Rosh Hashana?

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, falls on the first day of Tishrei, which is normally in September or October on theGregory calendar. It represents the “beginning of the year” or “head of the year.” Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the Jewish year’s High Holy Days, with Yom Kippur known as the “Day of Atonement” in Hebrew. Because of variances in the Hebrew and Western calendars, the High Holy Days usually fall in September or October.

2. When is Rosh Hashana 2023?

Rosh Hashanah in 2023 starts on Friday, September 15, and lasts until Sunday, September 17.

The Gregorian calendar’s date fluctuates every year; it typically falls in September or October.

3. Dates of Rosh Hashana.

Dates of Coming Rosh Hashana according to the years.

• September 16, 2023-September 17, 2023 (starts the evening of September 15 and lasts one or two days, depending on your practice)
• October 3, 2024-October 4, 2024 (starts the evening of October 2 and lasts one or two days, depending on your practice)
• September 23, 2025-September 24, 2025 (starts the evening of September 22 and lasts one or two days, depending on your practice)

4. How is it Celebrated?

Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish holiday observed by going to synagogue, not working, and refraining from using technology, driving, or writing. Candles can be lit at home by families. The blowing of the Shofar during prayer session is a distinctive feature.

During Rosh Hashanah, people participate in a ceremony called tashlich, which involves washing their sins away by throwing bread crumbs into a river or ocean. However, people have started using stones, bird seeds, or oats instead to avoid harming local wildlife. Additionally, on the second night, a new fruit like a pomegranate is consumed as a sign of the new year.

5. Traditions of Rosh Hashana.

There are some traditions of this festival which are:

1. Candle lighting:

For the duration of Rosh Hashanah, it is usual for the women or girls to light candles in the home to welcome the occasion. When the candles are lit, blessings are said.

2. Festive Meals:

Rosh Hashanah is a holiday celebrated with various customs and foods. Challah bread, a round loaf with honey, symbolizes the seasons and life cycle. Apples dipped in honey symbolize a sweet, enjoyable year, without bitter, sour, or tart foods like horseradish or vinegar. Pomegranate, with its numerous seeds, represents a productive and abundant life.

The Tashlich ceremony involves throwing bread crumbs on water to represent casting away wrongdoings. A prayer for this ceremony can be found in the Machzor prayer book. Rosh Hashanah encourages self-reflection to identify areas where one has “missed the mark” in the past year. This involves evaluating personal aspects of life, both positive and negative, to decide on future actions and improvements to achieve success in the new year.

3. Prayers and Blessings:

A blessing called Kiddush (meaning sanctification) is performed before the meal in addition to the blessings pronounced during candle lighting each evening. One blessing is pronounced over the wine, and another over the bread.

6. Awe For Ten Days.

The 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Yippur, known as the “10 Days of Awe” or “10 Days of Repentance,” are significant for spiritual enrichment. It encourages introspection, prayer, charitable deeds, acts of kindness, forgiveness, and reconciliation. It is believed that actions during this time can transform God’s judgments into blessings.

7. Why follows Yom Kippur by 10 days?

Yom Kippur, the holiest of all Jewish holy holidays, marks the conclusion of the High Holy Days.

It is also referred regarded as the Day of Atonement on Yom Kippur. It is a somberer holiday that is frequently observed through fasting.