Every September, Jews everywhere start having the same group chat: ‘Wait, when are the High Holidays this year?’ Spoiler: they don’t fall on the same dates as last year. Or the year before that.
Because the Jewish calendar is lunar, the dates of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur shift each year on the secular calendar. That’s why one year you’re breaking the fast in early September, and the next you’re still dipping apples in honey well into October.
So when are the High Holidays in 2025? Let’s get into it.
When is Rosh Hashanah 2025?
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, and ends at nightfall on Wednesday, Sept. 24
Rosh Hashanah means “Head of the Year.” It is a day of celebration as well as reflection about the previous year and changes we want to make in the year ahead.
Rosh Hashanah has multiple names that invoke different components of the day:
- Yom Hadin (The Day of Judgment) — This is a time when we each stand before God as the Ultimate Judge and are called to judge our own actions as well.
- Yom Hazikaron (The Day of Remembrance) — We pray that God will “remember” us by inscribing us in the Book of Life, and we “remember” our own deeds over the past year.
- Yom Harat Olam (The Day the World Was Conceived) — Rosh Hashanah is associated with creation based on a tradition that the world was created in the month of Tishrei.
- Yom Teruah (The Day of Blasting) — The shofar is sounded at Rosh Hashanah services as a call to repentance.
For more information on Rosh Hashanah, check out Unpacked’s holiday guide to answer all your questions.
Ten days after Rosh Hashanah comes Yom Kippur. Those ten days in between, known as the “Days of Awe,” are a built-in season of reflection: a time to think about the past year, repair relationships, and set intentions for the year ahead.
When is Yom Kippur 2025?
Then comes Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, beginning at sundown on Wednesday, Oct. 1, and ending at nightfall on Thursday, Oct. 2.
Yom Kippur means “Day of Atonement.” It is the holiest and most solemn day of the Jewish year and is a fast day. According to tradition, at the end of the holiday, God “seals” our fates for the coming year (i.e., whether we will be inscribed in the Book of Life). The main themes of this day are sin, repentance (teshuvah) and atonement.
Most Jews fast on Yom Kippur for 25 hours. They spend that time repenting for their sins.
In the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Jewish people are expected to apologize to those they have wronged throughout the year and ask for forgiveness.
For more information on Yom Kippur, check out Unpacked’s holiday guide to answer all your questions.
So, whether you’re stocking up on honey, reserving your synagogue seats, or just trying to figure out when you’ll be out of office, now you know exactly when the High Holidays are landing this fall.
