This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Kids & Family

Celebrating Rosh Hashanah

Learn more about the Jewish New Year and make the holiday special with these traditional recipes.

As Sunday drew to a close, the Jewish community rang in year 5773 as part of their celebration of Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year. The festivities will continue until nightfall on Tuesday, Sept. 18.

Rosh Hashanah, which literally means “head of the year,” signals the beginning of the High Holy Days. Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, marks the end, and together they are two of the holiest days for Jews.

Like most New Year celebrations, Rosh Hashanah is a time of introspection and a time to bring about changes in the coming year. The traditional blowing of the shofar, or ram’s horn, during services on Rosh Hashanah marks a time to contemplate past mistakes and find ways to make things right.

Find out what's happening in Upper Southamptonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On this day, as on Sabbath, Jews avoid work and spend the day with family. And where there’s a family gathering, can food be far behind? It’s no surprise that after services Jewish families tuck into an elaborate spread of traditional dishes.

The day begins with eating apples dipped in honey, in hopes that the new year will also be sweet. Another tradition is to bake challah, a round-shaped bread that is a symbol of the circle of life.

Find out what's happening in Upper Southamptonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

So, it's time to get into that festive mood! Patch has come up with some great recipes that you can enjoy to and join in on the Rosh Hashanah celebration.

Newton Patch contributor Wendy Schapiro shared her family recipe for a mouth-watering, traditional meal complete with a side dish and dessert, route: {:controller=>"articles", :action=>"show", :id=>"rosh-hashanah-recipes-noodle-kugel-and-apple-crumble"} -->, and 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?