Today, Mane and I spent the day preparing our Rosh Hashanah table and discussing the meaning of the holiday, which officially began last night and continues until sundown tomorrow (since the Jewish calendar begins the day at sundown). It is the Jewish New Year. It is celebrated with harvest fruits, firstfruits. The apples are dipped in honey and eaten with a prayer asking for a sweet and happy year to come.
We took a lot of time to talk about why the Jewish calendar is different from the Gregorian calendar (and what is the Gregorian calendar?!), and how time is marked by the sun, the moon & the rotation of the earth. We read about Teshuvah, and the idea that Rosh Hashanah is a time to let go of the mistakes from the past year and turn toward a fresh new year, how grace is for all people. Mane made a New Year's poster, learned a little Hebrew, and helped make the apple candle holders & the apple honey pot. When I got home from work we lit the candles, offered prayers & blessings and then dipped our apples in honey...
