Walking into a Messianic congregation or a Jewish friend's home during the feasts, and not sure what to say? Here is every greeting you will actually hear, what it means, how to say it, and — the part nobody tells you — how to answer it.
The safe universal: “Chag sameach!” (KHAG sah-MAY-akh) — “joyous festival” — works on every feast except Yom Kippur, which is not a joyous day. On Shabbat, say “Shabbat shalom.” When in doubt, either of these received warmly beats silence.
Every week
Shabbat shalom
shah-BAHT shah-LOHM · שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם · “Sabbath peace”
Said from Friday afternoon through Saturday. To respond: simply say it back — “Shabbat shalom!” You may also hear the fuller Shabbat shalom u'mevorach, “a peaceful and blessed Sabbath.”
After Shabbat ends on Saturday night, the greeting changes to shavua tov (shah-VOO-ah TOHV) — “a good week.”
Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah (begins sunset 11 Sep 2026)
Shana tova
shah-NAH toh-VAH · שָׁנָה טוֹבָה · “a good year”
The standard greeting of the season, short for l'shana tova tikatevu — “may you be inscribed for a good year.” To respond: “Shana tova” back, or “u'metukah” (“and a sweet one”).
A note for our readers: households that keep the biblical name Yom Teruah and do not keep a new year at this season sometimes prefer “chag sameach” here. Both are understood everywhere; nobody will be offended by either. See Yom Teruah or Rosh Hashanah? for why the day has two names.
Yom Kippur (begins sunset 20 Sep 2026)
G'mar chatima tova
g'MAR khah-tee-MAH toh-VAH · גְּמַר חֲתִימָה טוֹבָה · “a good final sealing”
The traditional greeting of the ten days between the feasts, drawn from the image of the books being sealed. Often shortened to “g'mar tov.” Do not say “happy Yom Kippur” — it is a solemn fast, not a celebration. Also appropriate: tzom kal (tsohm KAHL), “an easy fast,” said to someone who will be fasting. To respond: return the same words.
Sukkot (begins sunset 25 Sep 2026)
Chag sameach
KHAG sah-MAY-akh · חַג שָׂמֵחַ · “joyous festival”
The workhorse greeting for Sukkot, Pesach and Shavuot — the three pilgrimage feasts — and used for Chanukah and Purim too. Sukkot is z'man simchateinu, the season of our gladness, so this greeting is never more at home than in a sukkah. To respond: “chag sameach” back. You may also hear the Yiddish “gut yontif.”
Everyday phrases you will hear at a congregation
Baruch HaShem
bah-ROOKH hah-SHEM · בָּרוּךְ הַשֵּׁם · “blessed be the Name”
The all-purpose “praise God” — the answer to “how are you?”, the response to good news, the seasoning of ordinary conversation. HaShem, “the Name,” is the traditional way of referring to God without pronouncing the divine Name — a practice some in our community keep and some do not. See About the Name for the whole conversation.
Shalom aleichem · Todah · B'ezrat HaShem
Shalom aleichem (shah-LOHM ah-LAY-khem) — “peace be upon you.” The response reverses it: aleichem shalom. Yeshua's own greeting to the disciples — “peace be with you” — is this greeting. Todah (toh-DAH) — thank you; todah rabah, thank you very much. B'ezrat HaShem — “with God's help,” said of any future plan.
Three quiet rules that keep a newcomer out of trouble
1. Match the day's mood. Joyful greetings for joyful days; “an easy fast” for Yom Kippur. The greeting calendar follows the feast calendar — which is why it helps to know when the feasts actually are.
2. Responding in kind is always right. Every greeting here can be answered by saying it back. Nobody is grading your Hebrew; the attempt is the honour.
3. When you don't know — ask. “What does that mean?” is a welcome question in every congregation worth attending. It is how everyone there learned it too.
Learning the language behind the greetings? Start with our guide to Messianic Bible translations or the Alef Bet workbook. Free teaching on every feast is in the Learning Hub.