Rosh Hashanah: Jewish New Year
Usually in September, Jewish New Year marks the end of the Jewish calendar year. Its customs include blowing a hollow ram’s horn in the synagogue (symbolising Abraham’s sacrifice of a ram instead of his son), attending synagogue services, as well as enjoying festive meals. Symbolic foods include apples dipped in honey, hoping to evoke a sweet new year.
Rosh Hashanah also begins ten days of penitence culminating in Yom Kippur, as well as beginning the cycle of autumnal religious festivals running including Sukkot.
Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the civil year, according to the teachings of Judaism, and is the traditional anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman according to the Hebrew Bible, as well as the initiation of humanity’s role in God’s world.
The origin of the New Year is connected to the beginning of the economic year in the agricultural societies of the ancient Near East. The New Year was the beginning of the cycle of sowing, growth, and harvest; the harvest was marked by its own set of major agricultural festivals.Semitic speakers generally set the beginning of the new year in autumn, while other ancient civilizations chose spring for that purpose, such as the Persians or Greeks; the primary reason was agricultural in both cases, the time of sowing the seed and bringing in the harvest.
Destination – Israel