Definition of Rosh Hashanah

The celebration of Rosh Hashanah commemorates the new year for Jews. In Hebrew rosh means head and hashana means year, that is, the head of the year as its beginning. According to him calendar Hebrew, this day corresponds to the first two days of the month of Tishrei, the first month for Jews and which corresponds to the month of September or October according to the Gregorian calendar.

God's judgment

This celebration has a deep religious sense. Rosh Hashanah symbolizes God's judgment. We will all be judged by God, who will decree who will live and who will not. The Jewish people understand that God will act with mercy in the final judgment when it comes to judging each and every man. This celebration becomes an annual examination in which God evaluates the actions of the Jews, who hope to be forgiven for their possible sins. For this reasonDuring Rosh Hashanah prayers are said to God.

Rosh Hashanah Customs

This celebration is accompanied by some rituals. The most characteristic is known as Tashlij, which consists of shedding sins in a symbolic way (it is customary to throw breadcrumbs to express that sins are driven away). Another tradition is the blowing of the shofar, a horn of

animal that is blown a hundred times to gather the faithful in the synagogues and thus communicate that it is necessary to prepare and pray before the day of Rosh Hashanah.

Steps of this Rosh Hashanah celebration

From a festive point of view, the gastronomic component of this celebration is very important for the Jews. During the night they dine in family a series of food and all of them with a message associated (the relationship between food and its meaning is known as simanim). Before dinner the synagogue has been visited and then a prayer is recited to sanctify the feast.

Then those present detach themselves from the rings they can wear and wash their hands. The next step is the blessing of the table. From this point on, the food is eaten in a certain order. First, dates are taken accompanied by a piece of shilka to ward off enemies, then carty to weaken adversaries, then a tamar (a date) and a piece of kara (a pumpkin) so that God knows the merits of each one.

Among the foods with the most symbology highlights the head of an animal, representing the wish of the Jews to know and comply with what the Torah says, the text sacred to the Jewish people.

Themes on Rosh Hashanah