Rosh Hashanah - Jewish New Year

Shana Tova! Here's to a good year!

Rosh Hashanah, literally the “head of the year”, is the Jewish New Year. This year, Rosh Hashanah began at sundown on Monday 6th September and ends at sundown on Wednesday 8th September. Some Jews only observe one day, and for them it ends at sundown on Tuesday 7th September.

In the Jewish faith, Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the universe, and is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve.

There are many traditions associated with Rosh Hashanah, including the following:

• Attending synagogue and spending time with family and friends.
• Reflecting on the year before and repenting for any wrongdoings and then reflecting on the year ahead to start afresh.
• Wearing white and new clothes, symbolizing purity.
• The sounding of the ram’s horn (shofar) on both mornings.
• Lighting candles every evening. Candles are often a symbol of remembrance.
• On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the Tashlich ceremony is performed. This involves visiting a body of fresh water to symbolically cast past sins away.
• Sweet foods are eaten, such as apples dipped in honey, honey cake, and dates, representing wishes for a sweet and pleasant year. Sour foods and nuts are avoided.

If you’d like to wish someone a Happy New Year in Hebrew, you can say ‘Shana Tova’. In Hebrew this means ‘A Good Year’.

We wish all of our Jewish residents, colleagues and friends a very Happy New Year