Rosh Hashana

Rosh Hashana, also known as the Jewish New Year, is one of the major Jewish holidays. Since Jews use a lunar calendar for religious purposes, the exact day that Rosh Hashana falls on in a Gregorian calendar varies from year to year. Rosh Hashana is also known as the Day of Justice, because it ushers in a period of ten days, in which Jews think about their relationship with God. One distinctive aspect of Rosh Hashana is the blowing of the shofar, or ram's horn, as proscribed in Numbers 29:1. Traditionally, Jews eat various deserts for good luck for the new year. Furthermore, Rosh Hashana is also the day that Jews commemorate the creation of the world, therefore the holiday is sometimes referred to as the Day of Remembrance.

"Rosh Hashana." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica 2007 Ultimate Reference Suite . Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2007.