Rosh Hashanah Versus the Secular New Year

How is the Jewish New Year Different from the Non-Religous Date?

Sep 2, 2009

Rosh Hashanah is more than a Jewish celebration of the changing of the year; It symbolizes a Jew's ongoing spiritual commitment to God, to oneself and to his community.

The difference between Rosh Hashanah and the Western New Year that begins on January 1 can be seen in the way that Jews celebrate this special holiday. On Rosh Hashanah Jews generally don’t get together to party but to reflect on the importance of the occasion. Since Jews traditionally don’t carry money on this day, going out to parties or to the bar to celebrate is usually not a consideration.

Spiritual and Historical Importance of Rosh Hashanah

Instead, most Jews gather with others in synagogue to acknowledge the spiritual and historical importance of this period. They pray and they review their individual and collective responsibilities to be better people.

Rosh Hashanah day isn’t really a culmination of the changing of the calendar, but one of several important days that acknowledge the New Year and the Jew’s responsibility to himself and to others.

For some, the secular New Year is a period of transition, but one that doesn’t really demand personal reflection. The observant Jew has no choice but to acknowledge the meaning of this day, since it is directly followed by the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. Many secular Jews attend services on this day and acknowledge its solemn meaning.

The Jewish New Year and Agricultural Harvest

Rosh Hashanah takes place not in the middle of winter, when the ground is barren and cold, but at the end of the growing season and the start of another (there are two planting seasons in Israel, the spring and the fall). Symbolically, Rosh Hashanah is a time for harvest, a time to gather what one has produced with the previous year, and to look forward to a time of bounty: the agricultural harvest season that follows directly after Yom Kippur.

Symbolism of Foods During Rosh Hashanah

The foods that are eaten during this holiday symbolize the Jew’s connection with life and community. Apples dipped in honey, and the sweet challah, which is round instead of braided, symbolize life and the wish for sweetness in the transpiring new year. A fruit that one has not eaten during the past year also symbolizes a hope for a new beginning.

In some ways, the Jewish tradition to share symbolic foods is similar to the Western tradition of sharing a potluck dinner on the evening of the secular New Year. But the Jewish New Year tradition contrasts strongly with the concept of drinking or “letting loose” to celebrate the New Year. For Jews, the New Year doesn’t really arrive until the close of Yom Kippur, when Jews have acknowledged their responsibilities to make amends for past transgressions, and the Book of Life has been sealed for another year.

The copyright of the article Rosh Hashanah Versus the Secular New Year in Jewish Practices is owned by Jan Lee. Permission to republish Rosh Hashanah Versus the Secular New Year in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.