This declaration and its rules are mentioned in Talmud Rosh Hashannah Chapter 2, mishnah 6. I am paraphrasing from Art Scroll's Mishanh Rosh Hashannah Yad Avraham commentary:
The verse in Leviticus 23:4, that discusses the Biblical holidays says in Hebrew:
אֵלֶּה מוֹעֲדֵי יְהוָה, מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ, אֲשֶׁר-תִּקְרְאוּ אֹתָם, בְּמוֹעֲדָם
These are the appointed seasons of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their appointed season
Keep in mind, that in the Torah, words have no vowels. (In Hebrew, vowels appear, mostly, under the letters.) Therefore, the 2nd to last word, shown above, which is read "Otam" - meaning "their", could be read as "atem" - meaning "you" - in plural. This teaches that the people must also declare Rosh Hodesh - not just the Sanhedrin.
So, that explains why the people need to make any declaration. The reason they have to say it twice is because the 4th word in the above verse, מִקְרָאֵי, is written in plural form - meaning "Declarations." This teaches that the people have to declare it twice.
For more detailed information, read Talmud Rosh Hashannah page 24a.
Personally, I am curious as to how this verse applies to the declaration of Rosh Hodesh, specifically. The verse itself is an introduction to the "holidays". Shabbat is mentioned in the list, but Rosh Hodesh is not! Hmmm ....
Stay tuned. This requires a bit more research. If you find an answer, please comment!
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