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Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. Translated from Hebrew, it literally means “head of the year.” The High Holidays can be spoken of with true respect for the Jewish religion. This one comes ten days before Yom Kippur, which is the day of atonement, and the second of the High Holidays.
Rosh Hashanah starts the new year for people, animals, and legal matters in the Jewish religion, according to their calendar. It also commemorates the creation of man. The Mishnah refers to Rosh Hashanah as the day of judgment. There are also verses that can be spoken about, for they are significant for this holy day. They are the verses of Sovereignty, Remembrance, and Shofar. These are classic prayers that are recited typically by the rabbi. The shofar is a horn that is blown on both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. One can speak also of the three sounds that it makes. One is a long sound, another is three broken sounds, and a third is nine short sounds. They are called Tekiah, Shevarim, and Teruah, respectively.
In terms of time, September 5th is the earliest that Rosh Hashanah can occur, according to the Gregorian calendar. This occurred in 1899 and will again occur in 2013. Rosh Hashanah occurs 163 days after Passover. Interestingly, the shofar is blown every morning of the month prior to the month of Rosh Hashanah. When speaking of these rituals and traditions, you will find that elders can give you great insight about their religion. And they will be happy to speak of it with you, if you show the interest.
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