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Rosh Hashanah – A Holiday Gem |
The Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah is observed for two days, which leaves plenty of time for the meaning of this High Holy Day to be explored. My grandmother told me every year when I was young that Rosh Hashanah is the diamond holiday (her way of explaining it to me) and that each point of the diamond means something. Now that I am a mother I believe because the rituals of Rosh Hashanah are simple, it is a great holiday for starting your own family traditions.
To begin with, the first point I was taught was that Rosh Hashanah is a day of self-reflection and asking for forgiveness. We are fortunate enough to live near a lake so in the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah, our family takes some old bread and drives or bike rides to the lake. My kids love to feed the ducks so I'm able to combine a fun activity with a little Jewish history.
I tell my kids that each time they throw some bread crumbs into the lake they should think about mistakes they've made the past year and throw them in with the crumbs. Today is the day when all errors of the past year are washed away in the body of water. By doing this, they are looking back and seeking forgiveness. When done, they have a clean slate, I tell them. It's a new beginning and hopefully they won't make the same mistakes again. While they are most interested in the flock of ducks eating the bread, I think it's slowly sinking in. And besides, since we don't go to temple, I enjoy the ritual for myself and hope my transgressions are forgiven.
Since Rosh Hashanah is always in September, I also link it with the beginning of the school year. I remind my children that they are starting a new class, with a new teacher(s) and that the new year can be whatever they want it to be. The beginning of fall is also a reminder of the change in our calendar. In fact, a fun craft to do with the kids on Rosh Hashanah is to collect leaves and make a collage. Or you can paint them and press them down on a piece of paper to make beautiful leaf designs in all the colors of fall. Most party stores sell packages of paper placemats that can be decorated with the painted leaves to make hand painted placemats for the dinner table. Have your child sign and date them and after dinner grandparents can take one or two home.
The second point is the music to our ears, the only ritual for Rosh Hashanah mentioned in the Torah - the blowing of the shofar. While usually made from a ram's horn, in our house, any horn will do. My kids love to startle everyone and blow the horn to signal the start of dinner. They make an announcement that dinner is served and then I usually hide our "shofar" so that we don't hear it the rest of the evening.
The third point is Rosh Hashanah is a day of remembrance. Before we begin eating, we go around the table and each family member shares one thing about the past year that made them happy or proud. It can be something that happened to them or something they did for someone else. It is a great time to realize how fortunate we are and also teaches us something about someone else in our family. I think the more positive things we hear about each other, the more compassionate we will be. After everyone has spoken we finally arrive at the fourth point.
Rosh Hashanah is New Year's Day according to the Jewish calendar. There's a celebration that goes along with that no matter what your religion. And when there's a celebration, there's delicious food. Lucky for us, a sweet new year is the Jewish tradition.
As is customary, my family indulges in apples dipped in honey to symbolize the wish for a sweet new year. This is how we start the meal, with everyone dipping in at the same time in hopes the entire family will have a pleasant and delightful year. My mom makes a brisket that melts in your mouth, my aunt brings a kugel with apples that is delicious, roasted chicken is on the table for those who don't eat meat and a yummy salad with cranberries, feta, cucumber and candied almonds dressed in balsamic vinaigrette rounds out the main fare. My cousin always brings a delightful broccoli and cheese casserole. And my kids help me make home-made applesauce. It's so easy. Just peel about a dozen apples and cut them into quarters. Put them in a pot with a little bit of water so they won't burn and add brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook them over a very low flame, stirring frequently, until they are very soft and mushy. Strain them and enjoy.
There is one more thing on our table: the challah. My kids love dipping it in honey but it tastes so good by itself too. It is passed from person to person, each of us taking a small piece from the whole, symbolizing the connection of our family.
Hopefully my traditions are ones you can start with your own family. Or at the very least I hope they've given you ideas on how to make Rosh Hashanah a memorable and special gathering.
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