1. Ma'ariv - Evening Service

If the beginning of the Festival falls on Friday evening, an abbreviated form of the Kabbalat Shabbat is said. The evening service itself is similar to that on Friday nights, but with the Rosh Hashanah amidah prayer (see booklet on prayers for details). After the amidah, most congregations read Psalm 24 line by line before Aleinu.

After the service, people wish one another ketivah vahatimah tovah .

2. Shacharit - Morning Service

The normal festival morning service is said, with the addition of Psalm 130 preceding the Kaddish before barchu. Some congregations add piyyutim between barchu and Shema, but others disapprove of this custom. The Rosh Hashanah amidah prayer is similar to that of the previous evening, and is followed (except on Shabbat) by Avinu Malkenu. Hallel is not recited.

The main Torah reading: Genesis 21 (first day); Genesis 22 (second day).
The Maftir reading is Numbers 29:1-6 (both days).
The Haftarah reading: 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10 (first day); Jeremiah 31:1-20 (second day).

After the Torah reading, except on Shabbat, the person who blows the Shofar recites the blessing and the first major series of Shofar notes are sounded. The Sefer Torah is returned to Aron Kodesh (Ark).

3. Musaf - Additional Service

After the reader says the special leader's prayer in an undertone, the Musaf amidah is said.

- Uniquely, this contains nine blessings (for details, please see separate booklet). The three initial and three final blessings are the same as always; the three intermediate blessings are known as malchuyot, zichronot, and shofarot.
- When the reader repeats the amidah, the shofar is blown (except on Shabbat) after each of these intermediate blessings. (These are the second major series of shofar notes.) In the Sephardi and Hassidic custom, the Shofar is also blown after each of these three blessings during the silent amidah.
- After the conclusion of the amidah, at various points (customs vary), there are additional series of shofar notes, to make up the required number.

5. Minchah - Afternoon Service

This is similar to the Minchah for other festivals, but with the Rosh Hashanah amidah, as in Ma'ariv, thee previous evening.

- After the Amidah , Avinu Malkeinu is said.
- On Shabbat, the Torah is read before the amidah , but Avinu Malkeinu is not said.

6. Tashlich

After the afternoon service on the first day (but not on Shabbat), or on the second day - if the first day falls on Shabbat - it is customary to go to the river bank, or any other place where there is natural, running water and recite the Tashlich prayer.

7. Havdalah

At the conclusion of the second day, following the evening service (except on Friday night), Havdalah is said over wine, without the initial paragraph, and without blessings being said over a candle or besamim (spices), so that it comprises just the blessing over wine and the 'hamavdil' blessing.