Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur

Rosh Hashanah will begin on Friday, September 15th at sundown. Rosh Hashanah means 'head of the year' or first of the year. This Jewish New Year is celebrated on the first & second days of the ten day period. Work is not allowed during this time with the exception of actions that involve getting ready for the feast, such as cooking & baking. Large family gatherings are detained with symbolic meals on Rosh Hashanah. Foods made extra sweet with honey, apples, & carrots symbolize sweetness, blessings, abundance, and the hope for a sweet year ahead. According to Jewish faith, the destiny of all mankind is recorded by God in the Book of Life on this holiday.

At the end of the 10-day period, the book is closed & sealed on Yom Kippur. Those who have made up for their sins are granted a good and happy New Year. Rosh Hashanah, the start of this symbolic time period, is significant for four different reasons: It is the Jewish New Year when cards are exchanged along with prayers and sweet foods for a sweet New Year. It is the Day of Judgement when Jewish people worldwide examine their past deeds & ask for forgiveness of their sins.

It is the Day of Remembrance when the Jewish culture reviews the history of their people & prays for Israel. It is also the Day of Shofar Blowing. This is a tradition where a Shofar, / rams horn, is blown in temple to mark the start of the Jewish High Holy Days.

Rosh Hashanah is celebrated through the first and second days because this holiday is thought to be too important to be limited to 24 hours. The two days are combined to form one day of 48 hours. Traditions contain the Shofar Blowing as mentioned above, after temple, people say to their neighbors, May you be inscribed in the Book of Life. It is also important to visit a body of water, or pond containing fish, to symbolically cast away sins. The fish depend on water to survive as the Jewish people depend on God. It is also said that a fishes eyes never close immediately as the watchful gaze of God is always upon us.

Rosh Hashanah