Jewish holidays have many symbols and rituals that make each festival special and unique. Rosh Hashana has many special elements that help make the start of our Jewish New Year meaningful.
We eat pomegranates as a sign of righteousness. It is said there are 613 seeds in each fruit, the same number of commandments in the Torah. We say we should be full of merits like a pomegranate.
Honey is eaten for its literal sweetness. We ask God to bestow upon us a sweet new year - and don't we want all beginnings to be sweet? An apple is a sweet fruit with symbolic properties of its own, a perfect treat to dip into the honey.
Our traditional braided challah loaves are formed into circles for Rosh Hashana. This symbolizes the cyclical nature of the year and how we are back to the beginning. We even add raisins to the dough for extra sweetness.
On the second night of Rosh Hashana, we taste a "new" fruit or one we haven't enjoyed in a long time for a literal new beginning. This year we had dried hibiscus - so fun. Some people also have the tradition of putting a fish head on the table - a literal head of the year. We just settle for fun fish plates on our table!
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter
Come link up and join...
the Good.Random.Fun. each Monday and Little Things Thursday...right here!
13 thoughts on the matter:
Beautiful photos and great explanations! Shana Tova.
...sweet traditions.
Thanks so much for sharing with us; I love learning about other traditions and religions.
Oh I do love all the traditions especially ones that involve food! And Jewish cuisine is one of my favorites!
Shelbee
www.shelbeeontheedge.com
Happy New Year Tamar!! May the year be as bountiful as that pomegranate. We also use pomegranate when we celebrate the New Year in Greece.
Everything looks so pretty!
I love this post! I learned so much - and also...the honey cookies were fantastic!
Nice pictures! We had a fish head, our friend always gives us half of hers!
thank you for sharing the traditions with us... and happy new year to a wonderful person. You see the beauty around you, lead children to knowledge, and notice important connections in life.
the pictures are gorgeous... do you submit to magazines or contests? You could.
Leeanna
So very interesting. Thanks for explaining everything, I learned a lot. Everything looks so good.
Shana Tova! Great post.
Pomegranates are so yummy, but I did not know they are the righteous fruit, with the number of seeds. Interesting!
Thanks so much for the explanations. Traditions are an awesome part of life.
My Corner of the World
Post a Comment