••Rosh Hashanah••
••by Fluffy Puppy••
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is celebrated no later then September 6th because Jews follow the Lunar Calendar. The Lunar Calendar, different than the Mayan Calendar, has events falling on different days each year. On Rosh Hashanah, the traditional greeting is Shana Tova, which means ‘Have a Good Year.’ Piyyut, religious poems, are added to the regular services. Also, prayers are recited by a river, or a natural body of water, to cast away sins. Jews throw bread crumbs or pebbles, as if those are their sins.
The Shofar, a trumpet made from a ram’s horn, is blown on both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. There are four sounds the instrument makes: Tekiah, which is one long sound, Shevarim, three blows, Teruah, a series of short sounds, and Tekiah Gedolah, one very long sound.
The foods eaten during Rosh Hashanah are mostly symbolic. Apples and honey and honey cake represent a sweet New Year. Other foods, such as dates, black-eyed beans, leek, spinach and gourd, are mentioned in Talmud, the second most important text, after the Hebrew Bible. A loaf of round challah bread represents the cycle of the year.
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