Rosh Hashanah

Rosh HaShanah, or the "Jewish New Year" as it is otherwise referred to, is the first of what are termed the High Holidays. The High Holidays are meant as a time of repentance for sins that culminates in the holiday of Yom Kippur. On the first day of the seventh month of the Hebrew calender, the Tishrei, Rosh Hashanah is celebrated for two nights, or 48 hours. In 2010, the date of the Tishrei is September 8th. When the sun sets on this date, Rosh HaShanah is then celebrated until nightfall on September 10th.

The significance of the Tishrei is that this is when God was said to have created man. Therefore, Rosh HaShanah is a celebration of all mankind. Rosh HaShanah is not the only Jewish New Year that is celebrated at any one particular time. At many points throughout the Jewish calender, there are many celebrations signifying a rebirth of sorts for Jews. Rosh HaShanah simply is symbolic of all sins being forgiven and washed away, thus allowing them to start over anew.

Rosh Hashanah is a day of rest in the Jewish faith. However, the celebration does not include the same restrictions as does the Shabbat. The tradition during Rosh HaShanah is to blow the Shofar, which is a ceremonial ram's horn that is used in synagogues for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. When the day of Rosh Hashanah arrives, piyyttims (religious poems) from the Torah are spoken in synagogues all over the world.

Regular services have many additions that are included for the Rosh Hashanah celebrations. The Amidah prayer for Mussaf and Shacharit is repeated during these services, and the Shofar is blown intermittently throughout the course of the service. The prayers and readings that are practiced during these services encourage those of the Jewish religion to repent of their sins for the previous year.

163 days after the first day of Passover, Rosh HaShanah commences. Passover celebrates the story of the Lord passing over the houses of the Hebrews who had lamb's blood spread on their front door. The lamb's blood alerted the Lord to the fact that Hebrews were dwelling at that particular location and thus were not subject to the wrath of God. The earliest date that Rosh Hashanah can fall on is September 5th while the latest date can be October 5th.

On the first day of Rosh HaShanah, the tashlikh proceedings occur in which prayers are said by water, and then they are symbolically washed away by the water that they have been "prayed into." Normally, each individual is responsible for casting their own sins away, as the practice is usually done individually away from the group's setting. Rosh HaShanah symbolizes the ultimate Day of Judgment, as Jews are encouraged to repent for their sins of the previous year.

Rosh HaShanah is also highly symbolic of the hardships and toil that Jews have had to suffer throughout the course of history. During the Rosh HaShanah rest period, Jews are encouraged to remember the people of Israel who gave up so much so the Jewish people could prosper. It is also a good time to celebrate the deep history of Israel and the hardships that the country has suffered through over the course of time.

The customary tradition for Rosh HaShanah is to have families come together and feast on various foods that signify the beginning of a "sweet" new year. On the first night, apples dipped in honey are consumed. Challah, which is also eaten on the Sabbath, is dipped in honey for consumption on the first night of Rosh HaShanah. Hallah loaves are also baked in a variety of shapes to celebrate the Jewish New Year. There is a item placed on top of the hallah that signifies a ladder. That ladder symbolizes the hopes of the family that their prayer's will find their way to heaven.

Rosh HaShanah is also viewed by Jewish people as being a Day of Remembrance. This is in respect to the story of the near sacrifice of Issac, which is said to have happened on the first day of Tishrei. What this story relates to is God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, which Abraham agrees to since it is God's command. He then goes on to build an altar as a way to show God that he believes in his word. God stopped Abraham short of sacrificing Isaac, now thoroughly convinced that Abraham was loyal and faithful. Thus, the Day of Remembrance celebration of just how strong the love for God should be.

Rosh HaShanah is widely considered one of the major holidays in the Jewish religion. It is celebrated so as to pledge faith in God and ask him for the forgiveness of sins while celebrating everything that the Jews have been afforded. It is both a day of rest and a day of jubilation, as a "New Year" begins once again.