Rosh Hashanah 2026: What's Open, What's Not

Rosh Hashanah 2026 begins at candle lighting on Friday, September 11 and runs through nightfall on Sunday, September 13. The two days of the holiday are September 12-13, 2026. Note the calendar quirk this year: the eve of Rosh Hashanah is a Friday, so Shabbat flows directly into the two days of Yom Tov. For anyone who keeps kosher, that means the longest restaurant blackout of the fall: from Friday afternoon September 11 until Sunday night September 13, nearly every kosher restaurant in America is dark.

This guide covers what closes, what stays open, and how to get your holiday meals sorted before the window shuts.

The Calendar Map

• Erev Rosh Hashanah: Friday, September 11. Restaurants and kosher groceries close early, typically two to three hours before sundown. This is also erev Shabbat, so the usual Friday closing rhythm applies.
• Day 1: Shabbat, September 12. Everything is closed. No takeout, no delivery.
• Day 2: Sunday, September 13. Still Yom Tov. Closed through nightfall.
• Tzom Gedaliah: Monday, September 14. A dawn-to-dusk minor fast. Some restaurants open only for the evening after the fast ends; others keep normal hours for customers who are not fasting. Call ahead.
• The week after runs normally until Yom Kippur on September 21.

What Closes

Kosher restaurants, bakeries, butchers, and markets observe both days of Yom Tov plus Shabbat. In practice:

• Sit-down dining: closed from Friday afternoon through Sunday night.
• Takeout and delivery: last orders go out Friday morning to early afternoon. Apps will show kosher restaurants as closed all weekend.
• Kosher groceries and butchers: closed the same stretch. The pre-holiday rush peaks Wednesday and Thursday, September 9-10.

What Stays Open (Before and After)

The days leading in are the busiest kosher-food days of the season. Most establishments extend hours early in the week:

• Catering and takeout menus for the holiday itself. Nearly every kosher caterer and many restaurants sell complete Rosh Hashanah packages: round challahs, brisket, tzimmes, honey cake, simanim platters. Order deadlines are typically Tuesday or Wednesday, September 8-9. Do not wait for Thursday.
• Bakeries run extended hours for round challah and honey cake through Friday morning.
• Fish counters and butchers see their heaviest traffic of the year. If you need a fish head for the simanim or a specific cut, order by mid-week.

How Restaurants Adjust

Expect three patterns during the week of September 7:

1. Extended prep hours early in the week, with expanded takeout menus built around the holiday table.
2. Early Friday closure. Even restaurants that normally serve Friday lunch may close by noon to turn the kitchen over to holiday orders.
3. Slow reopening. Some restaurants stay dark Monday for Tzom Gedaliah and reopen Tuesday. The week between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is quieter than usual, with many kitchens focused on pre-Yom Kippur catering.

Find Kosher Food by City

Holiday hours vary by community. Check current listings before you rely on a restaurant being open:

• Rosh Hashanah dining in New York
• Rosh Hashanah dining in Los Angeles
• Rosh Hashanah dining in Miami
• Rosh Hashanah dining in Chicago
• Rosh Hashanah dining in Lakewood
• Rosh Hashanah dining in Baltimore

Or browse kosher restaurants in your city and filter by what you need.

The Rest of the Fall Holidays

Rosh Hashanah opens a dense month. Yom Kippur follows on September 21, Sukkot runs September 26 to October 2, and Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah land on October 3-4. If you are planning meals or travel across the whole stretch, start with the Jewish holidays 2026 calendar and the Rosh Hashanah holiday guide.

Sending something instead of hosting? The Rosh Hashanah collection in the shop is a short list of table pieces and gifts picked by the Kosher Connect team.

Shanah tovah. May the year be sweet, and may your brisket order go in on time.