Rosh Hashana 2025 in Canada

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is celebrated across Canada with synagogue services, the sounding of the shofar, and festive meals featuring symbolic foods like apples and honey. It marks the beginning of the High Holy Days, a time of reflection, renewal, and prayers for a sweet new year.

Rosh Hashana: A Public Holiday?

Rosh Hashanah is not a public holiday in Canada. Businesses, schools, and government offices remain open, but many Jewish Canadians take time off to attend synagogue services, hear the shofar, and celebrate with family.

Rosh Hashana

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, has been celebrated in Canada for generations, brought by Jewish immigrants from Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. As Jewish communities grew in cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, synagogues became central to observing the holiday. Despite being a minority in Canada's multicultural society, Jewish Canadians maintained their traditions, gathering in synagogues for prayers and shofar blowing, which symbolizes reflection and renewal.

Over time, many workplaces and schools in Canada became more accommodating, allowing Jewish individuals to take time off for religious observance. The holiday's customs, such as eating apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year and reciting prayers for blessings, have remained unchanged. Rosh Hashanah continues to hold deep spiritual significance for Jewish Canadians, marking the beginning of the High Holy Days, a period of introspection and renewal.

Observance of Rosh Hashana in Canada

Jewish communities across Canada celebrate Rosh Hashanah with synagogue services, where prayers focus on reflection and renewal. The blowing of the shofar, a key ritual of the holiday, marks the spiritual awakening of the Jewish New Year. Many families gather for festive meals featuring symbolic foods like apples dipped in honey, pomegranates, and round challah bread, signifying hope for a sweet and prosperous year ahead. While the holiday is not a public holiday, many Jewish Canadians take time off work and school to attend services and be with family.

Tashlich, a special ritual where individuals symbolically cast away their sins by tossing bread crumbs into flowing water, is performed in many Canadian cities near lakes, rivers, and streams. Community gatherings, religious discussions, and acts of charity are also common, reinforcing the holiday's themes of reflection, repentance, and renewal. Schools and workplaces with significant Jewish populations often acknowledge the holiday, allowing flexibility for those observing it.

Rosh Hashanah is a time of personal and communal reflection, marking the beginning of the High Holy Days leading up to Yom Kippur. It is a religious holiday and a time for strengthening family and community bonds. For Jewish Canadians, it remains a meaningful celebration that connects them to their faith, traditions, and hopes for the future.

Rosh Hashana Observances