The Jewish New Year, which is also known as Rosh Hashanah, typically falls between September and October each year.
Rosh Hashanah is a major celebration on the Jewish calendar as most people who celebrate the faith use the new year as an opportunity to reconnect with loved ones and feast on traditional Jewish dishes and sweet treats.
The biblical name for Rosh Hashanah is Yom Teruah, which means "day of shouting or blasting" and it is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days, as specified by Leviticus 23:23–25.
But when is Rosh Hashanah 2022 and why is it celebrated? Here's everything you need to know.
When is Rosh Hashanah 2022?
Rosh Hashanah will begin at sunset on Sunday, September 25, and the celebrations will conclude on the evening of Tuesday, September 27.
The date for Rosh Hashanah changes each year as it falls on the Hebrew calendar dates of 1 and 2 Tishrei and the Jewish calendar is based on the lunar year.
Why is Rosh Hashanah celebrated?
Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish festival which celebrates the anniversary of the creation of the world.
The Jewish New Year is packed with Mitzvahs, special feasts and long-lasting traditional practices over the religious event.
The Rosh Hashanah festivities begin at nightfall the day before as families come together to enjoy a feast of homemade dishes.
The next day, families will visit the synagogue to pray and hear the sound of the shofar, which is a musical instrument traditionally made from a ram’s horn.
Families celebrating Rosh Hashanah will then tuck into a feast at lunch time with their loved ones.
In Israel, this concludes the celebrations but the Diaspora, which is a group of Jewish people living around the word, carry on the celebrations into the second day as they feast on another dinner, with lunch concluding the event the next day.
Which traditional foods are associated with Rosh Hashanah?
A number of traditional foods are associated with Rosh Hashanah.
Apple and honey are usually eaten during Rosh Hashanah to signify a sweet and happy new year.
However, other traditional foods include round challah bread, pomegranates and eating fish heads.
Traditional dishes at Rosh Hashanah can vary between families but other commonly eaten food items include pumpkins, beans, spinach and dates which are all symbolic foods known as the Simanim.
What is the greeting for Rosh Hashanah?
There are many ways to wish someone a happy Rosh Hashanah.
To wish someone a happy Rosh Hashanah, you can say “Shanah tovah”, which means “good year” in Hebrew, or you can say “L’shanah Tovah!” meaning “for a good year”.
You can also say “A wish for the New Year and always, Shalom” or a simple “Happy Rosh Hashanah” will also suffice.
