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Mark your calendars for a special celebration on October 2, Rosh Hashanah! The importance of this holiday can be traced back over thousands of years to Jewish tradition. It's the Jewish New Year—a time for reflection, renewal, and resolution. Rosh Hashanah is not just a turn of the Jewish calendar; it’s considered the birthday of the world in Judaism! It's a time to indulge in sweet traditional treats that symbolize a sweet year ahead, like honey-dipped apples and round Challah bread. So, let's embrace this spiritual celebration and welcome the New Year with warmth, joy and optimism! Your journey into the New Year just got a sweet start!
<div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1313 BCE</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Rosh Hashanah Origins</div><div class='timeline-text'>Traced back to biblical times, Rosh Hashanah is first mentioned in the book of Leviticus, marking it as a "day of sounding the Shofar."</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>539 BCE</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Return from Babylonian Exile</div><div class='timeline-text'>Return of Jews from Babylonian exile marked a significant turning point in how Rosh Hashanah was celebrated, it became a time for self-examination and repentance.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>500s</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Babylonian Influence</div><div class='timeline-text'>Influences from Babylonian culture led to the adoption of the name "Rosh Hashanah," meaning "Head of the Year."</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1800s</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Spread with Jewish Diaspora</div><div class='timeline-text'>As Jewish people spread across the globe during extensive diasporas, they took their traditions, including Rosh Hashanah, with them.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1930s</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Customs and Traditions Formed</div><div class='timeline-text'>Throughout the 20th century, many traditions associated with Rosh Hashanah, including symbolic foods and customs, become solidified within Jewish communities worldwide.</div></div></div>
<div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>1</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Craft a homemade shofar</h3><p class='facts-text'>The shofar, or ram's horn, is a central part of Rosh Hashanah celebrations. The noise it creates when blown symbolizes a wake-up call to repentance. Don't have a real shofar? You can make one out of a paper towel roll and some paint!</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>2</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Bake apple-shaped challah</h3><p class='facts-text'>Give your usual challah a festive twist! Instead of the typical braid, shape your dough into an apple to represent the sweet year ahead. Consider adding raisins to the dough for a little extra sweetness.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>3</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Create a "Tashlich" ritual at home</h3><p class='facts-text'>Tashlich is the practice of casting off sins into a body of water. If you can't make it to a river or lake, bring this tradition home! Write down things you wish to let go of on bits of paper and dissolve them in a bowl of water.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>4</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Design a New Year's card</h3><p class='facts-text'>Spread the joy and optimism of Rosh Hashanah by designing a New Year's card for your friends and family. You can draw, paint or even use digital tools to create your masterpiece.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>5</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Hold a mini honey tasting</h3><p class='facts-text'>Honey is a key symbol of Rosh Hashanah, signifying hope for a sweet year ahead. Arrange a tasting session with an array of different honeys. You could even pair them with various types of apples!</p></div></div>
<div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>A</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Rosh Hashanah allows for introspection</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>Rosh Hashanah is a time for reflection and renewal. It serves as a reminder to evaluate our personal growth in the past year and set goals for the future. Whether it's through attending religious services, listening to the shofar, or participating in the Tashlich ritual, this holiday encourages us to acknowledge our shortcomings and strive to improve.</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>B</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>It encourages creativity</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>Rosh Hashanah offers ample opportunity to express creativity and engage in hands-on activities. Whether it's crafting a homemade shofar, baking apple-shaped challah or designing New Year's cards, the traditional practices of the holiday encourage not only reverence but also creativity.</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>C</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Emphasis on sweetness and hope</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>The traditional treats of Rosh Hashanah, particularly apples dipped in honey, symbolize the hope for a sweet and fruitful year ahead. This tradition, along with the warmth and joy that accompany the New Year, imbues Rosh Hashanah with a unique positivity and optimism.</p></div></div>
<div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>1</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Rosh Hashanah Literally Means 'Head [of] the Year'</h3><p class='facts-content'>The phrase Rosh Hashanah literally translates from Hebrew to mean 'head [of] the year', signifying its role as the first day of the Jewish civil calendar year.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>2</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Rosh Hashanah also Marks the Creation of the World</h3><p class='facts-content'>Jewish tradition holds that Rosh Hashanah also commemorates the creation of the world or the anniversary of Adam and Eve, and this forms a large part of the holiday's spiritual significance.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>3</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Rosh Hashanah is Part of the "Days of Awe"</h3><p class='facts-content'>Rosh Hashanah commences the "Days of Awe", a ten-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates in Yom Kippur, considered the holiest day in Judaism.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>4</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>The Shofar Blast is a Symbolic Awakening Call</h3><p class='facts-content'>The sounding of the Shofar or ram's horn is a crucial part of the Rosh Hashanah observance, acting as an alarm to wake up from spiritual slumber and recommit to the path of righteousness.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>5</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Book of Life and Rosh Hashanah</h3><p class='facts-content'>During Rosh Hashanah, Jewish tradition believes that God opens the "Book of Life" that outlines the fate of all humans for the next year. Prayers during this time often involve requests for inclusion in this divine book.</p></div></div>
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