Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the two Jewish High Holy Days, and the simplest way to tell them apart is by their mood and their meaning. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, a mostly joyful two-day celebration of apples dipped in honey, round challah, and the sounding of the shofar. Yom Kippur, which arrives ten days later, is the solemn Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year, observed with a full day of fasting and prayer. Rosh Hashanah opens the year and Yom Kippur seals it, and together they anchor the fall season on the Jewish calendar.
Both holidays fall in the Hebrew month of Tishrei, usually in September or early October, because Jewish holidays follow a lunisolar calendar that shifts against the Gregorian year while keeping its season. This guide walks through what each day is, how they differ, and how to greet someone during the season.
What Is Rosh Hashanah?
Rosh Hashanah, whose name means head of the year in Hebrew, is the Jewish New Year. It begins at sundown on the first day of Tishrei and is celebrated for two days, in Israel and around the world alike. Tradition marks it as the anniversary of the creation of the world and the start of a period of reflection and renewal.
The day is warm and hopeful rather than somber. Families gather for festive meals, dip apples and round challah in honey to wish one another a sweet new year, and eat symbolic foods such as pomegranates. The signature ritual is the sounding of the shofar, a hollowed ram's horn, whose blasts serve as a call to reflection and repentance. In the Torah the holiday is called Yom Teruah, the day of sounding the horn. Many communities also observe tashlich, symbolically casting off the past year's mistakes by tossing bread crumbs into flowing water. You can read more in our full guide to Rosh Hashanah.
What Is Yom Kippur?
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish year. It falls on the tenth day of Tishrei, ten days after Rosh Hashanah, and is dedicated entirely to repentance, prayer, and seeking forgiveness for the year that has passed.
The central observance is a fast that lasts about twenty-five hours, from sundown to nightfall the next day, with no food or water. Many people also refrain from work, wear white as a symbol of purity, and spend much of the day in the synagogue. The evening service opens with Kol Nidre, and the long day of prayer closes with Neilah and a single final blast of the shofar. The theme of Yom Kippur is teshuvah, a Hebrew word for repentance that literally means return. Our overview of Yom Kippur covers the services and customs in more depth.
What Is the Difference Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur?
The two holidays are deeply connected but very different in feel.
The two holidays are deeply connected but very different in feel. Rosh Hashanah opens the year with celebration and hope, while Yom Kippur closes the reflective season with solemnity and atonement. Here is how they compare:
- Meaning. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and the day of judgment; Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, when that judgment is sealed.
- When. Rosh Hashanah is the first and second of Tishrei; Yom Kippur is the tenth of Tishrei, ten days later.
- Mood. Rosh Hashanah is festive and hopeful; Yom Kippur is solemn and introspective.
- Food. Rosh Hashanah centers on festive meals with apples, honey, and round challah; Yom Kippur is a full fast day with no food or water.
- Ritual. Both feature the shofar, but Rosh Hashanah is defined by its many blasts, while Yom Kippur ends with one long final blast.
A common image ties them together: on Rosh Hashanah the year ahead is written, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed. The days in between are a chance to change the outcome through reflection and good deeds.
What Are the High Holy Days?
The High Holy Days, also called the High Holidays or in Hebrew the Yamim Noraim, meaning the Days of Awe, are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur together, along with the ten-day span that connects them. They form the most sacred stretch of the Jewish year and set its spiritual tone.
The ten days from the start of Rosh Hashanah through the end of Yom Kippur are known as the Ten Days of Repentance. Tradition holds that during this window a person can seek forgiveness, both from other people and from God, and shape the year to come. It is a season of taking stock, mending relationships, and beginning again. Both holidays sit near the top of the Jewish year's cycle, which you can explore in our overview of the major Jewish holidays.
How Do You Greet Someone on Each?
Greetings shift with the mood of each day. On and before Rosh Hashanah, the common wish is Shanah tovah, meaning good year, or the fuller Shanah tovah u'metukah, a good and sweet year, fitting for a holiday built around honey.
As Yom Kippur approaches, greetings turn toward the themes of judgment and atonement. A traditional wish is G'mar chatimah tovah, meaning may you be sealed for good in the Book of Life. Because the day involves fasting, people also say Tzom kal, an easy fast, or simply wish one another a meaningful fast. Any of these greetings is a warm, welcome way to mark the season.