ROSH HASHANAH
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means the "head of the year." It is also called the Feast of the Trumpets, Yom Ha-Zikkaron (The Day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). The latter two is how it is referred to in the bible.
Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. The Jewish New Year is a time for personal introspection and prayer, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year. Rosh Hashanah is part of a process of spiritual growth. The Hebrew month preceding it, Elul, is a time for charity, tzedakah.
The blowing of a ram's horn (a shofar) proclaims Rosh Hashanah, and calls the Jews to religious services. A total of 100 notes are sounded each day. No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah. The day is observed by wishing each other well and sending cards, people let friends know what happened in the past year and what plans lie ahead. Many empty their pockets into a river, symbolically casting off sins. The common greeting at this time is L'shanah tovah ("for a good year").
Traditional Jewish foods accompany Rosh Hashanah. Typically, a blessing is said over two loaves of bread, known as challah. The round shape serves as a symbolic reminder of the kingship of God. Challah also stands for the circle of life, and the hope that our lives endure without end. A common practice is to eat apples dipped in honey, to symbolize a sweet year to come. Some Jews also present fruit baskets covered to hide the contents, symbolizing that no one can know what the new year will bring. Sephardic (Middle-Eastern) Jews serve a whole fish as a wish for prosperity, fertility, and good luck for the coming year.