Rosh Hashanah 2024: When does it begin, what is it and how long does it last?

Beginning at sunset on Wednesday, Jews around the world will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, marking the start of the Jewish New Year.

When is Rosh Hashanah?

Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset on Wednesday and ends at sunset on Friday.

It marks the beginning of the Jewish High Holidays, a ten-day season that ends with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

This day is one of the holiest days in Judaism – and it begins on the first day of Tishri, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, which almost always falls in September or October each year.

It also marks the beginning of the year 5785 in the Jewish calendar.

What is Rosh Hashanah?

Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year” or “first of the year.” The festival is a time for reflection.

It is often celebrated with prayers, symbolic food and the blowing of a traditional horn called a shofar (ram's horn).

Rosh Hashanah “commemorates the creation of the world and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a ten-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates in the holiday of Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement,” according to History.com.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the two “High Holidays” of the Jewish religion.

What are the symbolic foods of Rosh Hashanah?

The holiday's foods include apples dipped in honey, symbolizing sweetness and the hope of sweetness in the coming year.

Round loaves of challah (braided egg bread) also honor and respect the circle of life.

The pomegranate, with its many seeds, is a joyful reminder of many blessings during the Jewish New Year. (Getty Images)

The pomegranate – with its numerous seeds – is a joyful reminder of many blessings.

And the head of a fish, often displayed on a platter for all to see, represents the head or beginning of a new year, according to several sources.

The fish also represents fertility and abundance.

This year emotions are higher than ever

This year, emotions will be extraordinarily strong for many, considering that the midpoint of the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is October 7th – the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and the still – ongoing war in Gaza.

For Jews in the US – the world's second largest Jewish community after Israel – the last 12 months have been challenging in many ways related to October 7th. Palestinian protests. Jews mourned Israelis killed or taken hostage by Hamas; Many also mourn the tens of thousands of Palestinians who were subsequently killed during the Israeli military offensive in Gaza.

Many Jewish communities in the United States are planning special services to mark the anniversary of October 7th.

A striking example is New York City, where Jews who oppose Zionism and support pro-Palestinian causes gather for an evening service as Rosh Hashanah begins on Wednesday.

The service will be led by Rabbi Andy Kahn, executive director of the American Council for Judaism – an 82-year-old organization that focuses on Judaism as a religion rather than a nationality.

“I felt that a big part of my calling was to create spaces for people who want to live a Jewish life but don’t identify with Zionism,” Kahn said. “I know many people – Jews, non-Jews, Palestinians – who want the liberation of Palestinians and are not anti-Semitic.”

When is Yom Kippur?

This year, Yom Kippur will be observed from around sunset on Friday, October 11th until after dark on Saturday, October 12th.

The Associated Press and FOX News contributed to this report.