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A little reason to celebrate

Rosh Hashanah

Religious · Date set each year

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, a holiday of prayer, reflection and festive meals, marked with the sound of the shofar and sweet foods.

Rosh Hashanah falls on Saturday, October 2, 2027. That is 340 days away.

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. It begins the season of the High Holy Days in the Jewish calendar, and it is both a celebration and a serious time of reflection on the year that has passed.

The most recognizable sound of the holiday is the shofar, a horn traditionally made from a ram's horn. It is blown during synagogue services in a series of long and short blasts. Many people describe it as a wake-up call, an invitation to look honestly at their own actions and think about who they want to be in the coming year.

Food is central at home. Families often dip apple slices in honey as a wish for a sweet new year. The challah, a braided bread eaten on the Sabbath, is usually baked round for this holiday, a shape that suggests the cycle of the year. Pomegranates also appear on many tables, and some families serve honey cake.

A common greeting is "Shanah tovah," which means "a good year" in Hebrew. Some communities practice tashlich, a custom of going to flowing water and symbolically casting away one's mistakes, often by tossing small pieces of bread or simply saying prayers by a river or stream.

Observance looks different from household to household. Some people spend much of the day in synagogue, while others mark it with a family meal and a quiet moment of thought. Either way, the apples and honey tend to be on the table.

Ways to celebrate

• Share apple slices dipped in honey with family or friends.
• Learn to say the greeting "Shanah tovah" and what it means.
• Try baking or buying a round challah for a holiday meal.
• Listen to a recording of the shofar and its traditional calls.
• Write down a few hopes and intentions for the year ahead.

Dates

All national days on October 2

Also on October 2

• National Fried Scallops Day
• National Body Language Day
• National Name Your Car Day

Categories: Religious days