Editing Hebrew calendar (section)

====New year====
[[File:Liten askenasisk sjofar 5380.jpg|right|thumb|A ''[[shofar]]'' made from a ram's horn is traditionally blown in observance of [[Rosh Hashanah]], the beginning of the Jewish civic year.]]

The Hebrew calendar year conventionally begins on [[Rosh Hashanah]], the first day of [[Tishrei]]. However, the Jewish calendar also defines several additional new years, used for different purposes. The use of multiple starting dates for a year is comparable to different starting dates for civil "calendar years", "tax or [[fiscal year]]s", "[[academic year]]s", and so on. The ''[[Mishnah]]'' (c. 200 CE) identifies four new-year dates:

<blockquote>The 1st of Nisan is the new year for kings and festivals. The 1st of Elul is the new year for the [[cattle tithe]], Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Shimon say on the first of Tishrei. The [[Rosh Hashanah|1st of Tishri]] is the new year for years, of the [[Shmita]] and Jubilee years, for planting and for vegetables. The 1st of [[Shevat]] is the new year for trees—so the school of Shammai, but the school of Hillel say: On the [[Tu Bishvat|15th thereof]].<ref>[[s:Translation:Mishnah/Seder Moed/Tractate Rosh Hashanah/Chapter 1/1|Rosh Hashanah 1:1]]</ref></blockquote>

Two of these dates are especially prominent:
* 1 Nisan is the ''ecclesiastical new year'', i.e. the date from which months and festivals are counted.<ref>''Hebrew-English Bible,'' {{bibleverse||Exodus|12:2|HE}} "This month [Aviv/[[Nisan]]] shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you."</ref> Thus [[Passover]] (which begins on 15 Nisan) is described in the Torah as falling "in the first month",<ref>''Hebrew-English Bible,'' {{bibleverse||Leviticus|23:5|HE}}</ref> while [[Rosh Hashana]] (which begins on 1 Tishrei) is described as falling "in the seventh month".<ref>''Hebrew-English Bible,'' {{bibleverse||Leviticus|23:24|HE}}</ref>
* 1 Tishrei is the ''civil new year'', and the date on which the year number advances. This date is known as [[Rosh Hashanah]] ({{lit|head of the year}}).  Tishrei marks the end of one ''agricultural'' year and the beginning of another,<ref>''Hebrew-English Bible,'' {{bibleverse||Exodus|23:16|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Exodus|34:22|HE}}</ref> and thus 1 Tishrei is considered the new year for most agriculture-related commandments, including [[Shmita]], Yovel, [[Maaser Rishon]], [[Maaser Sheni]], and [[Maaser Ani]].

For the dates of the Jewish New Year see [[Jewish and Israeli holidays 2000–2050]].