Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, starts at sundown Wednesday

Sundown on Wednesday, Oct. 2, marks the start of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah.

The holiday is the start of the Jewish New Year, celebrating God’s creation of humankind. Rosh Hashanah is a major religious holiday, known as the start of the high holidays in Judaism. It ends with Yom Kippur 10 days later.

During the two days, people typically spend time with family, attend Rosh Hashanah services, and eat special meals that include symbolic foods such as round challah bread, apples and honey that represent hopes for a “sweet” new year.

Notable during the holiday is also the blowing of the shofar, a ram’s horn, during services.

Rosh Hashanah lasts two days, ending at sundown on Friday in 2024.

The holiday falls sometime between September and October each year, as it is based on the Jewish calendar, which follows the cycles of the moon and sun.