Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur 2027: The High Holy Days
Festival guide · 2027
Rosh Hashanah (ראש השנה — Head of the Year) and Yom Kippur (יום כיפור — Day of Atonement) are the two most solemn days in the Jewish calendar, separated by ten days known as the Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim). Rosh Hashanah falls on 1–2 Tishrei and Yom Kippur on 10 Tishrei.
Jewish tradition holds that on Rosh Hashanah, God inscribes each person's fate for the coming year in the Book of Life; on Yom Kippur, the book is sealed. The ten days between are a final opportunity for repentance, prayer, and good deeds.
2027 Dates
| Rosh Hashanah | Friday, October 1, 2027 |
| Yom Kippur | Sunday, October 10, 2027 |
Dates are calculated automatically and may vary by ±1 day. Always confirm with your local religious authority.
Traditions & Observance
Rosh Hashanah — The Jewish New Year
Rosh Hashanah is observed for two days (one in Israel) with synagogue services featuring the blowing of the shofar (ram's horn) — a call to spiritual awakening and repentance. Families share a festive meal with symbolic foods: apples dipped in honey (for a sweet new year), round challah, pomegranate, and fish head (to be 'at the head, not the tail').
The Ten Days of Awe
Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Jews engage in cheshbon ha-nefesh (spiritual accounting) — examining their conduct over the past year, seeking forgiveness from those they have wronged, and committing to change. Selichot (penitential prayers) are recited. Shabbat Shuva — the Shabbat of Return — falls within this period.
Yom Kippur — The Day of Atonement
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year — a 25-hour fast during which Jews abstain from food, drink, bathing, leather shoes, and marital relations. Five prayer services fill the day. The day concludes with Neilah (the closing service) and a long shofar blast, followed by breaking the fast.
Kol Nidre
The Kol Nidre service on Yom Kippur eve is among the most powerful moments in the Jewish year. The cantor chants the Kol Nidre declaration three times — an ancient Aramaic formula annulling vows made to God. The melody, dating to medieval Europe, draws even non-observant Jews to synagogue in large numbers.
Other Years
Jewish holidays begin at sundown. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur dates vary each year. Confirm with your local synagogue or rabbi.