Timing is everything. If you’re looking at a standard wall calendar, you might see a little box labeled "Rosh Hashanah" and think you've got it all figured out. But if you’re trying to pin down exactly when is the Feast of Trumpets 2025, it’s a bit more nuanced than just circling a date and calling it a day.
The Feast of Trumpets—or Yom Teruah, as it’s called in Hebrew—doesn't follow our familiar Gregorian calendar. It’s tied to the lunar cycle. Specifically, it kicks off on the first day of the seventh month of the biblical calendar, known as Tishrei. Because the biblical day starts at sunset, not midnight, the timing can feel a little "off" if you aren't used to it.
For 2025, the Feast of Trumpets officially begins at sundown on Monday, September 22, and ends at sundown on Tuesday, September 23. Now, here is where it gets interesting. While the biblical command in Leviticus 23:24 specifies a one-day "memorial of blowing of trumpets," most Jewish communities outside of Israel (and even many within) celebrate it for two days. This means the observance often extends through sundown on Wednesday, September 24. It's a quirk of history and lunar sightings that still dictates how millions of people schedule their lives today.
The New Moon and the 2025 Calculation
Why the confusion? It comes down to the moon.
In ancient times, the start of the month wasn't calculated by an algorithm or a smartphone app. It was determined by physical witnesses. Two people had to stand on a hilltop, spot that tiny sliver of the new moon, and rush to the Sanhedrin to testify. Once the sighting was "sanctified," signal fires were lit across the hills to tell everyone the new month had begun.
Basically, the Feast of Trumpets is the only biblical festival that falls on a New Moon.
Because nobody knew exactly when the moon would appear (it could be 29 or 30 days after the last one), this feast became known as the day "of which no man knows the day or the hour." It was a surprise. You had to be ready. Even though we use a fixed mathematical calendar today—the one popularized by Hillel II back in the 4th century—that sense of "watching and waiting" still permeates the holiday.
For when is the Feast of Trumpets 2025, the astronomical new moon is technically on September 21. However, the calendar delay ensures that the first of Tishrei aligns with the visibility of the crescent and avoids certain days of the week for logistical religious reasons (a rule called Lo Adu Rosh).
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What Actually Happens When the Shofar Blasts?
If you've never heard a shofar, it’s not exactly a "musical" experience in the way a trumpet or a violin is. It’s raw. It’s guttural. It sounds like a soul crying out.
The shofar is usually a ram’s horn, though you’ll see long, spiraling kudu horns too. On the Feast of Trumpets, there isn't just one long blast. There’s a specific pattern of sounds that have been passed down for millennia.
- Tekiah: One long, straight blast. This is the "king is coming" sound.
- Shevarim: Three medium, sobbing blasts. It sounds like someone breaking down.
- Teruah: Nine or more short, rapid-fire staccato blasts. It’s an alarm clock for the spirit.
- Tekiah Gedolah: The big one. The person blowing the horn holds their breath as long as humanly possible. It’s supposed to shatter your complacency.
Honestly, the whole point is a wake-up call. The tradition teaches that these blasts are meant to startle you out of your "spiritual sleep." We get so bogged down in emails, bills, and Netflix that we forget to check in with our own character. The shofar says: Hey. Look up. Change is coming.
The 2025 Context: Days of Awe and Repentance
You can't really talk about when is the Feast of Trumpets 2025 without mentioning what comes right after it. This day is the "head of the year," but it’s not a party in the way New Year’s Eve in Times Square is. There are no disco balls.
It marks the beginning of the "Ten Days of Awe" (Yamim Noraim).
Think of this period as a ten-day grace period. In Jewish thought, the "Books of Life and Death" are opened on the Feast of Trumpets. Your actions over the past year are weighed. But the verdict isn't sealed until Yom Kippur, ten days later. In 2025, that puts Yom Kippur at sunset on October 1.
So, from September 22 to October 1, 2025, the vibe is very reflective. People go out of their way to apologize to friends they’ve slighted. They try to make things right. It’s a heavy, beautiful, and slightly stressful week of deep soul-searching.
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Traditions You'll See (and Taste)
If you find yourself invited to a dinner during the Feast of Trumpets in 2025, don't expect a regular meal. Everything has a meaning.
Most people know about dipping apples in honey. It's a prayer for a "sweet year." But it goes deeper. Many families will serve a round Challah bread instead of the usual braided one. The circle represents the crown of God, or the cyclical nature of the year. No beginning, no end.
Some people also eat pomegranates because the fruit is said to have 631 seeds—the same number as the commandments (mitzvot) in the Torah. You’re basically saying, "May I be as full of good deeds as this pomegranate is full of seeds."
Then there’s Tashlich. This usually happens on the afternoon of the first day (September 23, 2025). People walk to a body of flowing water—a river, an ocean, even a creek—and empty their pockets or throw breadcrumbs into the water. It’s a physical manifestation of Micah 7:19: "You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." It’s incredibly cathartic to watch your mistakes float away with the current.
Common Misconceptions About the Date
There's a lot of noise online about the "correct" way to calculate these dates. You might run into "Karate" or "Messianic" calendars that claim the 2025 date is different because they wait for the literal sighting of the moon in Jerusalem rather than using the calculated calendar.
While that’s a fascinating deep dive into archaeology and astronomy, the vast majority of the world—and the state of Israel—will be following the September 22-23 dates.
Another big one? Thinking that Rosh Hashanah is the "Biblical" name. If you open a Bible to Leviticus or Numbers, you won't find the words "Rosh Hashanah." You’ll find Yom Teruah. The transition from "Day of Blowing" to "New Year" happened later in Jewish history, partly because the civil calendar of the time (under Babylonian influence) started in the autumn.
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Does that change the meaning? Not really. But it’s a good bit of trivia for your 2025 dinner table.
Why 2025 Feels Different
Every year has its own energy. In 2025, the Feast of Trumpets falls during a time of significant global shifts. For many, the holiday isn't just a religious obligation; it’s a mental reset button.
We live in a world that never stops screaming for our attention. Notifications. 24-hour news. The Feast of Trumpets is a forced "off" switch. For 24 to 48 hours, you stop. You listen to a horn made of bone. You eat something sweet. You look at the moon.
There's something deeply grounding about realizing that people have been doing this exact same thing for about 3,000 years. Whether it was in a desert tent, a medieval village, or a modern apartment in New York, the sound of the shofar remains the same.
Preparation for September 2025
If you're planning to observe the holiday, or even if you're just curious, don't wait until the sun starts setting on September 22. The month leading up to it, known as Elul, is traditionally a month of preparation.
People start blowing the shofar every morning (except on the Sabbath) for thirty days before the actual feast. It’s like stretching before a marathon. You don't just show up and expect to feel spiritually "connected." You have to practice.
Actionable Steps for the 2025 Season:
- Mark the Calendar: Put a block on your schedule from the evening of September 22 through September 24. Even if you aren't religious, use this as a "digital detox" window.
- Audit Your Relationships: Use the weeks leading up to the feast to identify one person you need to make amends with. The tradition says that God doesn't forgive sins committed against other people until you've asked that person for forgiveness first.
- Find a Local Service: If you want to hear the shofar, look for local synagogues or community centers. Most offer "shofar in the park" events for those who aren't members.
- The Honey Test: Buy some high-quality, local honey. It makes a difference. Try different varieties—clover, wildflower, buckwheat—as a way to appreciate the variety of "sweetness" in life.
- Reflect on the "Blast": Ask yourself: If a literal alarm went off for my life right now, what would it be waking me up to? What have I been ignoring?
The Feast of Trumpets isn't just a date on a calendar. It's an invitation. Whether you see it as a religious mandate, a cultural touchstone, or just a chance to eat some good apples, September 22, 2025, is your chance to start over. And honestly, who doesn't need a fresh start every now and then?
To make the most of this window, start your "personal inventory" in August. By the time the first sliver of the moon appears over Jerusalem in September, you'll be ready for whatever the new year brings.