Rosh Hashanah – A Sweet Celebration

Rosh Hashanah is by far one of the most important Jewish holidays.  It is when the Jewish people celebrate the new year according to the Jewish calendar.  It’s a joyous time to get together with close friends and family. One of the biblical names for Rosh Hashanah is “Yom Teruah,” which literally translates to a “day of shouting or blasting.”  This is why many people call it the Feast of Trumpets. Rosh Hashanah is the first of our High Holy Days, followed by many others.

A Bit about the Celebration

Rosh Hashanah lasts for two days, beginning on the first day of the month “Tishrei.”  In ancient times in the Near East, Rosh Hashanah marked the start of the agricultural year and the beginning of the financial year.  The holiday has since transformed into the modern day celebration. However, the old traditions still play a large role during Rosh Hashanah, and as the literal translation suggests, there is a lot of noise.

Important Traditions to Follow

One of the most important customs during Rosh Hashanah is the sounding the “shofar,” which is a horn of an animal, usually a ram. It has been thoroughly hollowed out to be able to produce the characteristic sound during these celebrations. The most interesting fact about the shofar is that every single horn is different and therefore it’s impossible to find two shofars which make the same sound. That’s why the Rosh Hashanah holiday is a fiesta of different sounds resonating across Jewish homes throughout the celebration.

What Do We Eat on Rosh Hashanah?

Another traditional custom to mark the new year is eating symbolic foods, such as apples dipped in honey.   While this might sound like too much sweetness at once, this is exactly the point – to invoke the spirit of the “sweet new year”.  

It is also common practice to eat pomegranates on Rosh Hashanah since its many seeds symbolize our hopes that we will come before G‑d with abundant merits. Of course, the pomegranates we have today generally have a bitter, pungent taste, so in light of the custom to refrain from bitter foods on Rosh Hashanah, it is not uncommon to dip the pomegranates in sugar.  Indeed, Rosh Hashanah is a happy, loud and sweet celebration!