Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, one of the most important holidays in the Jewish calendar. The name comes from Hebrew and means “head of the year.” It usually falls in September or early October and marks the beginning of a ten-day period of reflection and prayer called the High Holy Days.

During Rosh Hashanah, Jewish families gather for special meals and attend synagogue services. They eat symbolic foods like apples dipped in honey, hoping for a sweet year ahead. Another tradition involves blowing a shofar, a ram's horn that makes a loud, piercing sound meant to wake people up spiritually and remind them to think about how they've lived during the past year.

The holiday isn't about parties or presents. Instead, it's a time for looking back honestly at the past year: where you succeeded, where you fell short, and how you treated others. Jewish tradition teaches that during these days, people should make things right with anyone they've wronged and think seriously about becoming better people in the year ahead.

The ten-day period of reflection that begins with Rosh Hashanah ends with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which is the holiest day in Judaism. Together, these holidays emphasize personal growth, accountability, and starting fresh.