The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, is a major holiday with wonderful culinary traditions. It is a time to reflect upon the past year, reunite with family members and friends, and celebrate the happy year to come. It is a time both for joy and for self-reflection.
Symbols and Traditions
On this special day, there are many symbolic foods: the Challah is round, signifying the cycle of the year, while raisins in the bread symbolize joy.
Main Dishes
Fish--long a symbol of prosperity and abundance--is often prepared with a sweet sauce or stuffed with nuts and fruits. Fish also represent knowledge, because their eyes are always open and so see everything.
Sweets for the New Year
Apples and honey take starring roles, as the family dips the fruits of their labor in the sweetness of the year to come. Pomegranates are said to have 613 seeds, a number that corresponds to the number of mitzvot, or types of good deeds that Jews as a society must perform. A pomegranate on the holiday table symbolizes numerous good deeds that have been performed over the year.
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