Today and tomorrow are Rosh Chodesh, the start of a new month in the Jewish calendar. In Hebrew, Rosh means head, and Chodesh means month. So, much like how Rosh Hashanah means the head of the year, Rosh Chodesh means the head of the month.
We observe Rosh Chodesh during the new moon phase of the lunar calendar. In other words, the new moon marks the beginning of each month in the Jewish calendar.
Prior to the development of a fixed Jewish calendar, the Jewish people relied on the Sanhedrin (a religious court) to declare holy days, festivals, and the beginning of each new month. The Sanhedrin would declare the new month when they received word from two reliable witnesses that they had observed the new moon. The declaration was communicated throughout ancient Israel by signal fires lit on hilltops across the countryside.
In modern days, we have a fixed calendar and therefore have plenty of advanced notice for the beginning of the new month. Which is a good thing, because we added the practice of announcing the upcoming new month in synagogue on the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh. During the Torah service, right before we return the Torah to the ark, we recite Birkat HaChodesh, a prayer that announces which day(s) of the upcoming week is Rosh Chodesh, tells us which month is upcoming, and expresses our hopes and wishes for the month ahead. Also, the tune used for the prayer often gives us a clue as to any upcoming holidays celebrated within the month ahead.
We are told that back in biblical times, the Israelite women refused to participate in the creation and worship of the golden calf, and as a result, God awarded all women Rosh Chodesh as a holiday. To observe this holiday, women should refrain from housework on Rosh Chodesh. In many communities, women will gather in Rosh Chodesh groups to study, pray, and work on communal projects that the group has planned.
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