by Emma Reznick
New Year Celebrations Across the World is a series of articles describing the different New Years’ histories, traditions, and changes throughout different countries and cultures. Do note that a country, region, or larger culture can have many subcultures that may celebrate differently.
History
Jewish people have long been persecuted by other cultures, leaving an impact on Jewish culture. One of these impacts was regional traditions. Because of this, the traditions for Jewish New Year—Rosh Hashanah—will differ depending on where someone is from. The Jewish calendar goes by a different system than both the traditional lunar calendar and the Gregorian calendar. Because of this, Rosh Hashanah is on a different date every year. In 2021, it is in September—specifically from sundown on the sixth to sundown on the eighth.
Tradition
Rosh Hashanah for celebrating the upcoming year, while also accounting for our actions in the previous year. At a service for Rosh Hashanah, one would hear the blast of the shofar—a ram’s horn blown like a trumpet—or rather one of the four sounds: tekiah, shevarim, teruah and tekiah gedolah. These sounds are a reminder to look inward towards oneself, and repent for the sins one had committed during the past year. Traditionally, Jews eat sweet foods to symbolize a sweet year. A common Rosh Hashanah greeting is “Shana tova” which means “have a good year,” and it can also be said through Yom Kippur, due to the belief that during this time, people’s fates are written into the Book of Life. On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, some throw bread into water, symbolically casting off their sins. This ceremony is called Tashlich.
Food
As stated before, most Rosh Hashanah foods are sweet, like challah, tzimmes, and apples with honey. Chicken and brisket are also often served at Rosh Hashanah meals. In Sephardic tradition, there are foods that represent a granting of wishes for the coming year. These include pomegranate, leeks, and pumpkins. Rosh Hashanah challah tends to be round to symbolize the never-ending cycle of life.
Sources
MJL. (2020, September 16). Rosh Hashanah faq: All about the Jewish New Year. Retrieved March 12, 2021, from https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/rosh-hashanah-faq-all-about-the-jewish-new-year/
MJL. (2020, September 09). Rosh Hashanah Traditional Foods and Recipes. Retrieved March 12, 2021, from https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/rosh-hashanah-foods/
Primary sources