When does Rosh Hashanah start and end?
Updated August 24, 2026 · this page carries the 2026 and 2027 dates.
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, runs two days beginning at sundown the evening before its first day — and it's a workday on every national calendar: banks, mail, the stock and bond markets, and federal offices all stay open. The lighter trading volume on the exchanges those days is tradition, not a closure.
The real closures are local. School districts with large Jewish communities — New York City the biggest — close for Rosh Hashanah (and Yom Kippur, nine days later), and many businesses in those areas shorten hours. Unlike the moon-sighted Islamic dates, the Hebrew calendar is fixed years ahead: the dates are certain, they just land in a different week each September or early October.
| Year | Begins | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Saturday, September 12, 2026 | Sunday, September 13, 2026 |
| 2027 | Saturday, October 2, 2027 | Sunday, October 3, 2027 |
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown the evening before its first day and runs two days. The dates follow the Hebrew calendar, which is fixed — they don't depend on a sighting — but they land in a different week of September or early October each year.
What's open and closed during Rosh Hashanah?
| Who | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Banks | Open — regular hours; Rosh Hashanah isn't on the Federal Reserve holiday calendar. | Federal Reserve holiday schedule Checked August 2026 |
| Mail & the Post Office | Running — normal delivery and retail hours. | USPS holiday schedule Checked August 2026 |
| The Stock Market | Open — NYSE and Nasdaq hold normal sessions on Rosh Hashanah; volume is often lighter, but nothing closes. | NYSE holiday calendar Checked August 2026 |
| The Bond Market | Open — SIFMA's calendar doesn't mark Rosh Hashanah. | SIFMA recommended holiday schedule Checked August 2026 |
| UPS | Running — normal pickup and delivery. | UPS holiday schedule Checked August 2026 |
| FedEx | Running — normal pickup and delivery. | FedEx holiday service schedule Checked August 2026 |
| Federal Offices | Open — Rosh Hashanah isn't one of the eleven federal holidays. | OPM federal holiday schedule Checked August 2026 |
| Trash Pickup | Running in most cities — collection calendars generally don't mark Rosh Hashanah. | your city or hauler's holiday schedule Checked August 2026 |
| Schools | Varies — New York City and many districts with large Jewish communities close for one or both days; most districts stay open. Check your calendar. | your school district's calendar Checked August 2026 |
Questions people ask
Is the stock market closed on Rosh Hashanah?
No — the NYSE and Nasdaq trade normal sessions on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Volume tends to run lighter as many traders take the days off, which is where the old floor saying about the High Holidays comes from, but the exchanges themselves never close for them.
When does Rosh Hashanah start?
At sundown the evening before its first calendar day, like all Jewish holidays. It then runs two days — September 12–13 in 2026 (starting sundown September 11), and October 2–3 in 2027 (starting sundown October 1). The Hebrew calendar fixes these dates years in advance.
Do schools close for Rosh Hashanah?
In districts with large Jewish communities, commonly yes — New York City public schools close for it, as do many districts in the Northeast and around major metros. Elsewhere schools stay open and excuse observant students' absences. The district calendar is the answer that counts.