| How to Celebrate Rosh Hashanah Sep 16th 2012, 08:00 A family service at a synagogue. Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish holiday of renewal. While everyone celebrates in a slightly different way, the following are some tips for what many Jews involve in their celebration of the new year. - Reflect on your past and your future. Rosh Hashanah means "Head of the Year" in Hebrew. It is considered to be the birthday of the world and hence is the Jewish new year. Rosh Hashanah is a time to learn from your mistakes of the past year and to think about how you can improve yourself in the new year, and perhaps it is also a time to make resolutions. The following articles offer some ideas for making relevant changes in your life:
- Attend the synagogue. People often dress up for this very important Jewish holiday. White is the traditional color worn because it symbolizes new beginnings. If you don't own white, light, happy colors will do just as well. If you're a male, try to wear a kippah/yarmulke. They are Jewish head coverings that symbolize that G-d is above you.
- Listen to the shofar. This is the only commandment directly referenced in the Torah regarding the observation of the holiday. The shofar is a curved horn taken from a Kosher animal, often a ram's (the one pictured here is from a kudu). It is blown during the service by the "Ba'al Tekiah", or shofar blower. It is a symbol of spiritual awakening and reflection. As we do not know exactly how the shofar was blown in the ancient Temple, four different blasts are given to ensure that the shofar is heard properly for each new year. Try to distinguish between the four main sounds:
- Tekiah: One blast, a few seconds long, that ends abruptly.
- Shevarim: Three one-to-two-second short blasts that rapidly scoop from low to high in pitch.
- Teruah: Nine short, rapid blasts.
- Tekiah Gedolah: This is one long, continuous blast, traditionally held for nine counts, but in progressive communities it is often held as long as possible.
- Observe Tashlikh. Tashlikh ("casting off") is the process of going to a flowing body of water (in Hebrew, "Mayim Chayim") and emptying your pockets into the body of water. Although, in modern times, (because of what some people have in their pockets,) many people throw stale breadcrumbs in the water. Observed on the first day of Rosh Hashanah after the afternoon service, it is customary to use bread to symbolize this casting off of your sins.
- Eat apples dipped in honey, and Challah. Challah is a bread often eaten on Shabbat, and is round on Rosh Hashanah to symbolize the cycle of the year. Apples dipped in honey is a traditional food as well. This tradition signifies the hope for a "sweet" new year. Another common Rosh Hashanah food is the pomegranate. According to Jewish tradition, a pomegranate contains 613 seeds representing the 613 Mitzvot or commandments.
- Note that the shofar is not blown on Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath). Shabbat takes place from Friday at sundown to Saturday evening.
- All of the above steps are common practices but vary for each individual.
- Wish people "L'shanah tovah" (Good year). Be friendly!
- There are many special foods that are eaten on Rosh Hashanah. These include apple and honey for a sweet new year, carrots––the Hebrew for carrot (gezer) is similar to gzar (decree) and they symbolize the hope that good decrees will be bestowed upon us; Pomegranate––in Israel pomegranates ripen around the time of Rosh Hashanah and are eaten as a new fruit; in addition, Jews pray that they should have as many good deeds as there are seeds in a pomegranate. Other foods that are eaten include fish, beetroot, dates, leeks and gourd or squash. Some people refrain from eating pickles or anything sour.
- Some of the basic rosh hashana blessings are:
- Baruch Atah Awdoni Elohaynu, Melech HaOlam, borei, porie hagafen. for wine/grape juice
- Baruch Atah Awdoni Elohaynu, Melech HaOlam, HaMotzi Lechem meen ha aretz. for challah bread
- Baruch Atah Awdoni Elohaynu, Melech HaOlam, borei peree HaAtez. For apples and honey (or fruit)
- Baruch Atah Awdoni Elohaynu, Melech HaOlam, borei peree HaAdama. For food from the ground. (veggies)
- Baruch Atah Awdoni Elohaynu, Melech HaOlam, borei peree HaMezonot for other foods.
Edit Warnings - Honey should not be fed to children less than one year of age due to the potential for bacterial infection.
- When performing Tashlikh, do not throw trash in the water! Breadcrumbs are often used.
- Do not work. Rosh Hashanah is a time of rest and reflection.
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