Oct 2, 2016
Washing away sins, blowing a ram's horn and eating honey-soaked apples are important parts of the holiday.
According to theweek.co.uk, the Jewish community is preparing to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar.
Rosh Hashanah, which means "head of the year" in Hebrew, is the Jewish New Year and serves as a time of reflection and prayer to prepare for the coming year.
Two days of celebration begin on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Jewish calendar.
This year, Rosh Hashanah will begin at sundown on Sunday, October 2 and end at nightfall on Tuesday, October 4. Celebrations include a number of important customs and traditions:
Prayers and blessings are made
For devout Jews, much of the holiday is spent in prayer in the synagogue, with morning, afternoon and evening services. A special prayer book called the machzor is used throughout the period. The traditional greeting and blessing given to friends and families is Shana Tovah (a good year).
Special foods are eaten
Apples dipped in honey are a Rosh Hashanah favourite, symbolising the hope for a sweet new year
Challah bread made into a round loaf instead of the traditional plait to represent the circle of life
Pomegranates are a traditional treat as the fruit is said to have 613 seeds, corresponding with the same number of mitzvot – or commandments – in the Torah
Fish, an ancient symbol of fertility and abundance is also, is also often eaten.
Sins are washed away
Some Jewish people will go to a lake, river or sea to recite the Tashlich prayers and symbolically cast away their sins by emptying their pockets and throwing pieces of bread into the water. "We leave our old shortcomings behind us, thus starting the New Year with a clean slate," says Chabad.
The Shofar is sounded
A hollowed-out ram's horn, known as the shofar, is an ancient Jewish instrument which is played during prayers and has an important role throughout the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and the following Yom Kippur. “The blasts of the shofar are also wake-up calls," says Chabad. "Rosh Hashanah is the time to shake out of our spiritual slumber, reconnect to our source, and recommit to our divine mission in this world."
From latintimes.com we learn there are special greetings that can be either said or written in Rosh Hashanah greeting cards or notes.
Happy New Year to our fellow Jewish Latinos and Jewish friends! Here are some greetings to write on your cards for this special occasion.
L’shanah Tovah! Happy Rosh Hashanah to our fellow Jewish Latinos and our Jewish friends! On October 4, at sundown, the celebrations for the Jewish New Year, the first of the High Holy Days will begin. Rosh Hashanah is a two-day celebration, which begins on the first day of Tishrei, the first month of the civil year, and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar. Tishrei usually occurs in September-October on the Gregorian calendar.
This day is believed to be the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of humanity's role in God's world. Rosh Hashanah customs include sounding the shofar (a hollowed-out ram's horn) and eating symbolic foods such as apples dipped in honey to evoke a "sweet new year." To celebrate along with our Jewish friends, we’ve put together some greetings that would be perfect for your “Happy New Year” cards.
1) “Wishing you good health, happiness, peace and prosperity. Today and all through the year! L’shanah Tovah!”
2) “On Rosh Hashanah wishing you peace, happiness, good luck God’s blessing and success. L’shanah Tovah! Happy Rosh Hashanah!”
3) “At the New Year, with special thoughts of you, and a wish that the year ahead will be filled with peace, happiness, and good health.”
4) “On Rosh Hashanah it is written… On Yom Kippur it is sealed. May it be written and may it be sealed that you have a new year that brings fulfillment and happiness, peace and prosperity - all of life’s very best things. Have a Happy, Healthy New Year!”
5) “May this New Year be filled with health and happiness, and sweet moments for you and your family. L’shanah Tovah!”
6) “May this New Year be sweet, healthy and happy. L’shanah Tovah! Happy Rosh Hashanah!”
7) “A day of joy, a time of hope, a year of happiness. Wishing you peace at Rosh Hashanah and always.”
8) “A wish for the New Year and always. Shalom!”
9) “When you look into your heart as the New Year starts, may you discover a new sense of possibility, a new belief in the gifts you have to share, and a renewed commitment to your faith and your dreams. Happy Rosh Hashanah!”
10) “May your home light up with joy. Happy Rosh Hashanah!”
Image & License: Depositphotos_6300101_s-2015.jpg
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