SUNSET WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20: Wish your neighbor L’shanah tovah: “For a good year!” It’s Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. For two days, Jews around the world attend services, seek forgiveness and joyfully enter the annual period known as the High Holy Days. Sometimes called the Days of Awe, this period culminates in Yom Kippur, the solemn Day of Atonement (which starts at sunset on Friday, September 29 this year).
Did you know? You can find biblical background on these Days of Awe in the 23rd chapter of Leviticus.
Literally “head of the year,” Rosh Hashanah was never referred to by name in the Bible. Instead, references in Leviticus were made to Yom Teruah, the day of the sounding of the shofar. There are many stories and lessons associated with the blowing of the shofar now, but the Bible does not clearly explain the symbol. In the synagogue, 100 notes are blown each day of the New Year festivities; some refer to this noise as a “call to repentance.” Traditionally, Jewish teaching associates Rosh Hashanah with the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve.
DATES, HONEY AND A ‘SWEET’ NEW YEAR
For Rosh Hashanah, honey and apples are the most famous holiday foods in the United States; other foods, including dates and pomegranates, have ancient associations with the New Year and still are enjoyed in Jewish communities around the world. The honey-and-apples symbol, often seen on holiday cards and other Rosh Hashanah media, is a reminder of the joy in welcoming a “sweet” new year.
New Year recipes: Looking to bake up something delicious this Rosh Hashanah? Try Huffington Post’s 21 recipes with honey and apples or a Rosh Hashanah honey cake, courtesy of the New York Times. For an entire menu of Rosh Hashanah recipes, check out Chabad.org, AllRecipes, Epicurious, Food Network and Martha Stewart.
Tashlikh: A lesser-known Jewish tradition related to Rosh Hashanah is tashlikh, or “casting off.” After filling their pockets—most often with small bits of bread—devotees walk to flowing water and empty their pockets, thereby symbolically “casting off” the sins of the old year.
BEGINNING THE HIGH HOLIDAYS
Sometimes referred to as “High Holidays,” or “High Holy Days,” this is Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and, often, the days in between the two holidays. One description of this period says, in essence, that G_d opens the books of judgment as the new year begins and finally, on Yom Kippur, the judgment for the year is “sealed.”
IN THE NEWS: ROSH HASHANAH 2017
What’s buzzing in news headlines this Rosh Hashanah?
- Rosh Hashanah facts every Jew should know: Chabad.org has compiled a list of 17 Rosh Hashanah facts every Jew should have (read it here).
- Traditional gift guide: Are you wanting to give a traditional gift (or a few) this Rosh Hashanah, but stumped on what to buy? The Jerusalem Post has put together a Rosh Hashanah 2017/2018 Traditional Gift Guide (check it out here).
- Christians celebrating Rosh Hashanah: According to statistics, Christians celebrating Rosh Hashanah is a growing trend. Read the story in the Times of Israel.
- A chef inspired (plus recipes): Cookbook author and food connoisseur Joan Nathan reports that experiencing Rosh Hashanah abroad is what first got her passionately interested in food. In this article, the OC Register has some of her Rosh Hashanah recipes.