Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, is here! In 2023, it falls on the night of Wednesday, October 2 through the evening of Friday, October 4. The new year is one of the most important days on the Jewish calendar, so Rosh Hashanah is a perfect time to acknowledge your Jewish friends, colleagues and classmates with a holiday greeting.
(Did the new year creep up on you? No worries! Here’s a last minute checklist to help you get ready!)
There are several different ways to wish someone a happy new year or greet someone on Rosh Hashanah. You can simply say “Happy new year,” “Happy holiday” or use one of the following:
Shana tova (Have a good year)
Shana tova is the most common greeting around the High Holidays. It directly translates to “Have a good year” in Hebrew and is akin to saying “Happy new year” around December and January.
L’shana tova (For a good year)
L’shana tova is a different (slightly fancier) way of saying shana tova. It directly translates to “for a good year” in Hebrew, so it’s can be understood as “wishing you a good year.”
Shana tovah u’metukah (Have a good and sweet year)
Shana tovah u’metukah means “have a good and sweet year” in Hebrew. You’ll notice that ‘sweetness’ is a theme of the holiday. For example, Jews traditionally dip apples in honey on Rosh Hashanah to express the wish for a sweet new year.
While eating apples and honey, or any assortment of sweet foods on Rosh Hashanah, you might hear Jewish people exclaim: “Shana tovah u’metukah!”
Chag sameach (Happy holiday)
Chag sameach means happy holiday in Hebrew. Sweet and simple.
A zis gebentsht yor (Yiddish)
“A zis gebentsht yor” means a sweet year filled with blessings in Yiddish.
Originally Published Oct 1, 2024 02:04PM EDT
