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Rosh Hashanah is the two-day Jewish new year celebration, observed by Jewish people across the world. It 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.

What is Rosh Hashanah:

It is the first of the Jewish holidays as mentioned in the Torah meaning “head of the year”. The High Holy Days comprise of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot.  It celebrates the birth of the world and the beginning of a new year.

The Jewish New Year ushers in a sacred time of reflection, repentance, and renewal. Rosh Hashanah calls on people to pause in time and look inward, at what they have done or fallen short of in the past year and how to grow and take things forward. During these Days of Awe, people have the opportunity to ask what kind of person they want to be and how they have measured up.

The traditional holiday is observed by attending prayer services in synagogue, listening to the blowing of ‘shofar’ a traditional horn, and eating various symbolic foods.

Rosh Hashanah also marks the beginning of the 10 Days of Awe – 10 days of “introspection and repentance.” Yom Kippur, which is considered the most important holiday in Judaism, is a final day of atonement.

When is Rosh Hashanah celebrated:

In 2022, Rosh Hashanah begins on the evening of Sunday, September 25, and ends on the evening of Tuesday, September 27.

Rosh Hashanah begins on the first day of Tishrei the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year and the first month of the civil year as per the Hebrew calendar. Jews follow the Lunisolar calendar. Rosh Hashanah’s celebration date varies on an annual basis in the Gregorian calendar, usually falling at some point in September or October.

How is Rosh Hashanah celebrated:

During Rosh Hashanah, Jewish people attend services at synagogues and refrain from working. Jewish congregations recite religious poems called “Piyyutim” and prayers from the special prayer book known as Mahzor.

The best-known ritual of Rosh Hashanah is the blowing of the shofar (cleaned out ram’s horn). It is customary to blow the horn 100 times each day during the two days of Rosh Hashanah celebrations.

On the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah, as a part of the Tashlikh ritual- some Jews also pray near the natural flowing water symbolizing sending off sins with the water. Many also have the custom to throw bread or pebbles into the water, to symbolize the “casting off” of sins. 

Rosh Hashanah is preceded by the month of Elul, during which Jews are supposed to begin a self-examination and repentance, a process that culminates in the ten days of the Yamim Nora’im, the Days of Awe, beginning with Rosh Hashanah and ending with the holiday of Yom Kippur.

After religious services are over, many Jews celebrate with a festive meal and other customs. Rosh Hashanah meals usually include apples dipped in honey to symbolize a sweet new year; People also eat loaves of the traditional braided bread known as round challah.

 On Rosh Hashanah, the bread is often baked in a round shape to symbolize the circle of life and the crown of God. Many communities hold a “Rosh Hashanah seder” during which blessings are recited over a variety of symbolic dishes. The blessings have the incipit “Yehi ratzon“, meaning “May it be Thy will.”

 The Yehi Ratzon platter may include apples (dipped in honey, baked or cooked as a compote called mansanada); dates; pomegranates; black-eyed peas; pumpkin-filled pastries called rodanchas; leek fritters called keftedes de prasa; beets; and a whole fish with the head intact. It is also common among Sephardim to eat stuffed vegetables called legumbres yaprakes.

On this day, Jews greet each other by saying Shanah Tovah which translated from Hebrew means “(have a) good year”.

Yom Kippur: Final Day of atonement

Yom Kippur Day of atonement’ is considered the holiest day for the Jewish People. It occurs on the 10th day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year, and the first month of the civil year as per the Hebrew calendar. Yom Kippur is one of the components of the ‘High Holy Days’ of Jews. It is a day set aside to “afflict the soul,” to atone for the sins of the past year. 

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is the 10^th day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, and is also known as the “Sabbath of Sabbaths”. Rosh Hashanah (referred to in the Torah as Yom Teruah) is the first day of that month according to the Hebrew calendar. Yom Kippur completes the ten days of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora’im (“Days of Awe”) that commences with Rosh Hashanah. As one of the most culturally significant Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur is observed by many secular Jews who may not observe other holidays, they refrain from work, fast, and/or attend synagogue services on this day.

Yom Kippur Liturgy

The liturgy for Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah is found in the Mahzor, the High Holiday prayer book. The first communal prayer service of Yom Kippur takes place immediately before sunset on the evening of Yom Kippur. This service is called Kol Nidrei (“All Vows”). The evening of Yom Kippur is the only night of the entire Jewish calendar when a tallit (prayer shawl) is worn evening.

The manner of dress is important for entering the holiday, as it connects our outward appearance with the proper frame of mind. Traditionally Jewish people wear a tallit or a white garment for the whole of the holiday. A white robe, called a kittel, is traditionally worn by observant men over their holiday clothes. Others may choose to wear a white item of clothing or dress completely in white.

Fine white clothing is worn for two primary reasons. The first is that on Yom Kippur Jewish people consign themselves symbolically to the status of the ministering angels. Wearing fresh, white attire raises their physical and, in turn, their spiritual character to a purer state, free of sin.

Also, by wearing white, especially the Kittel, they are reminded of those who have died and, in turn, of their mortality, motivating them to greater efforts in their repentance.

Erev- Eve of the day of atonement

 Erev Yom Kippur (‘eve of the day of atonement”) is the day preceding Yom Kippur, corresponding to the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. This day is commemorated with additional morning prayers, asking others for forgiveness, giving charity, performing the kapparot ritual, and an extended afternoon prayer service.

Prayer services on Yom Kippur

The Yom Kippur prayer service includes several unique aspects. Yom Kippur has five prayer services (Ma’ariv; Shacharit; Mussaf; Mincha; and Ne’ilah, the closing prayer) The prayer services also include private and public confessions of sins (Vidui).

Most of the holiday is spent in the synagogue, in prayer. The morning prayer service is preceded by litanies and petitions of forgiveness called selichot; on Yom Kippur. The morning prayers are followed by an added prayer (Mussaf) as on all other holidays and then Mincha Afternoon Service is performed, Mincha, includes a special confessional, Viddui consisting of a short and long confession.

The service concludes with the Ne’ila (“closing”) prayer, which begins shortly before sunset when the “gates of prayer” will be closed. Yom Kippur comes to an end with a recitation of Shema Yisrael and the blowing of a tekiah gedolah, a long blast on the shofar. Tekiah gedolah is a longer version of the regular Tekiah blast which marks the conclusion of the fast.

Fasting on Yom Kippur

One of the things Yom Kippur is greatly known for is the practice of fasting for the duration of the holiday. Fasting on Yom Kippur traditionally includes abstaining from food, and drink, engaging in sexual relations, and some specific additional restrictions like washing and bathing, anointing one’s body with perfumes, and wearing leather shoes are all prohibited on Yom Kippur. The purpose of doing these is to purify the soul and ask forgiveness from God for misdeeds done in the past.

In traditional Jewish practice, children under 13 are not expected to fast. Neither are pregnant women nor anyone with a medical condition as fasting might impact their health. The idea is to not create a health danger but rather a spiritual practice.

Yom Kippur fast is generally meant to last 25-hour beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur. The first meal after Yom Kippur is often called the “break-the-fast” or “breakfast” and sometimes people send invitations to their friends for the meal. Some synagogues lay out a spread of food so that people attending the final services for Yom Kippur can eat something and mingle together after. Bagels, spreads, fruit, and traditional dishes are popular choices for breaking the fast.