September 16, 2023 in the World
Two shofars, symbol of the Rosh Hashanah holiday.
Copyright: Michaela Pschorr, license: Fotolia.com
The two days Jewish New Year’s feast Rosh Hashanah, which means “head of the year” in English, is observed from 16. September until 01. September 2023 and is always celebrated 163 days after Passover. According to the Jewish calendar that would be the 1st and 2nd of Tishrei. Besides a New Year’s feast, Rosh Hashanah is also the Feast of Trumpets. It is the only Jewish feast that is also in Israel celebrated for two days. Several customs for the celebration in the synagogue and at home exist. The symbolic color of Rosh Hashanah is white.
There is no unity among the Jews about the celebration of Rosh Hashanah. While orthodox and conservative Jews observe both days of the feast, Reform Jews only recognize the first day. The Samaritans celebrate Yom Teruah, their Rosh Hashanah, in spring, as it is obliged due to the Torah and the Talmud. The New Year’s feast - no matter on what date - is a reminder for the special relationship between the Israeli people and God. The Modern Hebrew New Year’s congratulation is “Shanah Tovah!” [“Happy New Year!”]
The most important custom about Rosh Hashanah is the Shofar Blowing. The shofar is a ram’s horn and the sound of its blowing is an exhortation to behave pious and morally exemplary. The believers vindicate themselves on New Year’s Day for their deeds of the passing year and renew their bound with God for the New Year. Due to the Jewish believe He is sitting on a throne, having a huge book of live with all the good and bad deeds of all people noted. Positive notes can seal people to life, bad ones to death.
Rosh Hashanah is a feast of joy and obeisance towards God. After the morning service in the synagogue there will be a huge and rich meal at home. First they wash their hands, and then they dip an apple into honey and eat it. That is symbol for “sweetness”, meaning the good times of a year. Additionally pomegranate seeds and white bread is consumed. The latter is a symbol for the circle of a year and is also dipped into honey. Sweet goes along with that, another symbol for joy. The eating of a fish or sheep’s head is supposed to show that the believer is able to control himself.
Where is Rosh Hashanah?
Worldwide
World
When is Rosh Hashanah?
Saturday, the 16th of September 2023
Only 303 days left!
More dates:
- Rosh Hashanah on Oct 03, 2024
- Rosh Hashanah on Sep 23, 2025
- Rosh Hashanah on Sep 12, 2026
Except for minor fasts, holidays begin at sundown on the first date specified and end at nightfall on the last date specified.
For example, if the dates for Rosh Hashana are listed as Sep 15-Sep 17, then the holiday begins at sundown on Sep 15 and ends at nightfall on Sep 17.
This page displays the Israel holiday schedule. The Diaspora schedule is used by Jews living outside of modern Israel.
Major holidays 2023 ✡️
Dates in bold are yom tov, so they have similar obligations and restrictions to Shabbat in the sense that normal “work” is forbidden.
| Pesach 🫓 | Apr 5‑6 W‑Th * Apr 7‑11 F‑Tu Apr 11‑12 Tu‑W 15-21 Nisan 5783 |
| Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread * These are the dates of observance in Israel. | |
| Shavuot ⛰️🌸 | May 25‑26 Th‑F * 6 Sivan 5783 |
| Festival of Weeks * These are the dates of observance in Israel. | |
| Tish'a B'Av ✡️ | Jul 26‑27 W‑Th 9 Av 5783 |
| The Ninth of Av | |
| Rosh Hashana 🍏🍯 | Sep 15‑17 F‑Su 1-2 Tishrei 5784 |
| The Jewish New Year | |
| Yom Kippur ✡️ | Sep 24‑25 Su‑M 10 Tishrei 5784 |
| Day of Atonement | |
| Sukkot 🌿🍋 | Sep 29‑30 F‑Sa * Oct 1‑6 Su‑F 15-21 Tishrei 5784 |
| Feast of Booths * These are the dates of observance in Israel. | |
| Shmini Atzeret ✡️ | Oct 6‑7 F‑Sa * 22 Tishrei 5784 |
| Eighth Day of Assembly | |
| Chanukah 🕎 | Dec 7‑15 Th‑F 25 Kislev - 3 Tevet 5784 |
| Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of rededication |
Minor holidays 2023 ✡️
| Tu BiShvat 🌳 | Feb 5‑6 Su‑M 15 Sh'vat 5783 |
| New Year for Trees | |
| Purim 🎭️📜 | Mar 6‑7 M‑Tu 14 Adar 5783 |
| Celebration of Jewish deliverance as told by Megilat Esther | |
| Shushan Purim 🎭️📜 | Mar 7‑8 Tu‑W 15 Adar 5783 |
| Purim celebrated in Jerusalem and walled cities | |
| Days of the Omer ㊾ | Apr 6‑May 25 Th‑Th 16 Nisan - 5 Sivan 5783 |
| 7 weeks from the second night of Pesach to the day before Shavuot | |
| Pesach Sheni ✡️ | May 4‑5 Th‑F 14 Iyyar 5783 |
| Second Passover, one month after Passover | |
| Lag BaOmer 🔥 | May 8‑9 M‑Tu 18 Iyyar 5783 |
| 33rd day of counting the Omer | |
| Tu B'Av ❤️ | Aug 1‑2 Tu‑W 15 Av 5783 |
| Minor Jewish holiday of love | |
| Rosh Hashana LaBehemot 🐑 | Aug 17‑18 Th‑F 1 Elul 5783 |
| New Year for Tithing Animals | |
| Leil Selichot 🕍 | Sep 9 Sa 23 Elul 5783 |
| Prayers for forgiveness in preparation for the High Holidays |
Minor fasts 2023 ✡️
Minor fasts begin at dawn and end at nightfall.
Tish'a B'Av begins at sundown on the first date specified and ends at nightfall on the second date specified.
| Asara B'Tevet | Jan 3 Tu 10 Tevet 5783 |
| Fast commemorating the siege of Jerusalem | |
| Ta'anit Esther | Mar 6 M 13 Adar 5783 |
| Fast of Esther | |
| Ta'anit Bechorot | Apr 5 W 14 Nisan 5783 |
| Fast of the First Born | |
| Tzom Tammuz | Jul 6 Th 17 Tamuz 5783 |
| Fast commemorating breaching of the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple | |
| Tzom Gedaliah | Sep 18 M 3 Tishrei 5784 |
| Fast of the Seventh Month | |
| Asara B'Tevet | Dec 22 F 10 Tevet 5784 |
| Fast commemorating the siege of Jerusalem |
Modern holidays 2023 🇮🇱
| Family Day 🇮🇱 | Feb 20‑21 M‑Tu 30 Sh'vat 5783 |
| Yom HaMishpacha, a day to honor the family unit, as a whole, and its centrality to our lives | |
| Yom HaAliyah 🇮🇱 | Mar 31‑Apr 1 F‑Sa 10 Nisan 5783 |
| Recognizes Aliyah, immigration to the Jewish State of Israel | |
| Yom HaShoah ✡️ | Apr 17‑18 M‑Tu 27 Nisan 5783 |
| Holocaust Memorial Day | |
| Yom HaZikaron 🇮🇱 | Apr 24‑25 M‑Tu 4 Iyyar 5783 |
| Israeli Memorial Day | |
| Yom HaAtzma'ut 🇮🇱 | Apr 25‑26 Tu‑W 5 Iyyar 5783 |
| Israeli Independence Day | |
| Herzl Day 🇮🇱 | Apr 30‑May 1 Su‑M 10 Iyyar 5783 |
| Commemorates the life and vision of Zionist leader Theodor Herzl | |
| Yom Yerushalayim 🇮🇱 | May 18‑19 Th‑F 28 Iyyar 5783 |
| Jerusalem Day | |
| Jabotinsky Day 🇮🇱 | Jul 17‑18 M‑Tu 29 Tamuz 5783 |
| Commemorates the life and vision of Zionist leader Ze'ev Jabotinsky | |
| Yom HaAliyah School Observance 🇮🇱 | Oct 22 Su 7 Cheshvan 5784 |
| Aliyah Day observed in Israeli schools | |
| Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day 🇮🇱 | Oct 25‑26 W‑Th 11 Cheshvan 5784 |
| Commemorates the life of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin | |
| Sigd ✡️ | Nov 12‑13 Su‑M 29 Cheshvan 5784 |
| Ethiopian Jewish holiday occurring 50 days after Yom Kippur | |
| Ben-Gurion Day 🇮🇱 | Nov 18‑19 Sa‑Su 6 Kislev 5784 |
| Commemorates the life and vision of Israel's first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion |
Special Shabbatot 2023 🕍
| Shabbat Shirah | Feb 3‑4 F‑Sa 13 Sh'vat 5783 |
| Shabbat of Song | |
| Shabbat Shekalim | Feb 17‑18 F‑Sa 27 Sh'vat 5783 |
| Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Adar | |
| Shabbat Zachor | Mar 3‑4 F‑Sa 11 Adar 5783 |
| Shabbat before Purim | |
| Shabbat Parah | Mar 10‑11 F‑Sa 18 Adar 5783 |
| Shabbat of the Red Heifer | |
| Shabbat HaChodesh | Mar 17‑18 F‑Sa 25 Adar 5783 |
| Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Nissan | |
| Shabbat HaGadol | Mar 31‑Apr 1 F‑Sa 10 Nisan 5783 |
| Shabbat before Pesach | |
| Shabbat Chazon | Jul 21‑22 F‑Sa 4 Av 5783 |
| Shabbat before Tish'a B'Av [Shabbat of Prophecy/Shabbat of Vision] | |
| Shabbat Nachamu | Jul 28‑29 F‑Sa 11 Av 5783 |
| Shabbat after Tish'a B'Av [Shabbat of Consolation] | |
| Shabbat Shuva | Sep 22‑23 F‑Sa 8 Tishrei 5784 |
| Shabbat that falls between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur [Shabbat of Returning] |
Rosh Chodesh 2023 🌒
| Rosh Chodesh Sh'vat | Jan 22‑23 Su‑M 1 Sh'vat 5783 |
| Start of month of Sh'vat on the Hebrew calendar | |
| Rosh Chodesh Adar | Feb 20‑22 M‑W 30 Sh'vat - 1 Adar 5783 |
| Start of month of Adar on the Hebrew calendar | |
| Rosh Chodesh Nisan | Mar 22‑23 W‑Th 1 Nisan 5783 |
| Start of month of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar | |
| Rosh Chodesh Iyyar | Apr 20‑22 Th‑Sa 30 Nisan - 1 Iyyar 5783 |
| Start of month of Iyyar on the Hebrew calendar | |
| Rosh Chodesh Sivan | May 20‑21 Sa‑Su 1 Sivan 5783 |
| Start of month of Sivan on the Hebrew calendar | |
| Rosh Chodesh Tamuz | Jun 18‑20 Su‑Tu 30 Sivan - 1 Tamuz 5783 |
| Start of month of Tamuz on the Hebrew calendar | |
| Rosh Chodesh Av | Jul 18‑19 Tu‑W 1 Av 5783 |
| Start of month of Av on the Hebrew calendar | |
| Rosh Chodesh Elul | Aug 16‑18 W‑F 30 Av - 1 Elul 5783 |
| Start of month of Elul on the Hebrew calendar | |
| Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan | Oct 14‑16 Sa‑M 30 Tishrei - 1 Cheshvan 5784 |
| Start of month of Cheshvan on the Hebrew calendar | |
| Rosh Chodesh Kislev | Nov 13‑14 M‑Tu 1 Kislev 5784 |
| Start of month of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar | |
| Rosh Chodesh Tevet | Dec 12‑13 Tu‑W 1 Tevet 5784 |
| Start of month of Tevet on the Hebrew calendar |