Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year,a fall holiday that calls for both rejoicing and serious introspection.According to Jewish tradition,Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the world and also the time of divine judgment.Rosh Hashanah is followed,ten days later,byYom Kippur.Together these two days are called the High Holidays.
What It's All About
在通往罗什哈珊和整个节日的犹太传统中，强调审判和悔改的思想，encouraging us to make amends for the wrongs we may have committed over the course of the previous year and set our ethical and spiritual path for the coming year.
In the Community
Rosh Hashanah is observed both in the community and at home.Reform Jews celebrate the holiday for one day,while Conservative and Orthodox Jews observe Rosh Hashanah for two days.Services are held in synagogues,用一种特别的礼仪来强调节日的主题。在礼拜仪式中，你听到来自肖法尔,made from a ram's horn.The call of the shofar sounds like a person or an animal wailing,and serves to remind Jews to call out to the Divine and change their lives for the better.
Many people have the tradition,在罗什哈珊的第一天下午，ofthrowing crumbsor pieces of bread in a flowing body of water.The bread represents the sins,which we (hopefully) cast away on Rosh Hashanah.This ritual is called tashlich,and comes with a short prayer.
At Home
Many people gather for large family or communal meals on Rosh Hashanah.A round challah replaces the normally braided bread,圆形象征着永恒的生命圆。The challah is traditionally dipped in honey,representing hopes for a sweet new year,and already-sweet apples are also dipped in honey for the same reason.Honey cake and apple cake are common desserts at the end of this festive meal.Sephardic families sometimes observe a seder-like ritual,with even more special foods that symbolize blessings for the new year.
