The Jewish New Year, which is also known as Rosh Hashanah, typically falls between September and October each year.
In 2022, the Jewish holiday will begin at sunset today (Sunday September 25), and the celebrations will conclude on the evening of Tuesday September 27.
Rosh Hashanah is a major celebration on the Jewish calendar as most people who celebrate the faith use the new year as an opportunity to reconnect with loved ones and feast on traditional Jewish dishes and sweet treats.
The biblical name for Rosh Hashanah is Yom Teruah, which means "day of shouting or blasting", and it is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days, as specified by Leviticus 23:23–25.
But how can you wish someone a 'Happy Rosh Hashanah'?
Here's everything you need to know.
How to wish a happy Jewish new year
Image:
REX/Shutterstock)To wish someone a happy Rosh Hashanah, you say “Shanah tovah”, which means “good year” in Hebrew.
You can also say “L’shanah Tovah!” meaning “for a good year”, “A wish for the New Year and always, Shalom” or “L’shanah Tovah! Happy Rosh Hashanah!”
In most occasions, a simple “Happy Rosh Hashanah” will suffice to those who are celebrating.
If you would like to wish someone a “good and sweet year”, you can say “Shanah tovah umetukah”.
Or to wish someone a “good holiday” say “Gut yontif”.
Used for both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, “Gut yontif” means “wishing you a good holiday”.
How is Rosh Hashanah celebrated?
Image:
REX/Shutterstock)Rosh Hashanah can be celebrated many different ways, depending on your family.
The Rosh Hashanah festivities begin at nightfall the day before as families come together to enjoy a feast of homemade dishes.
The next day, families will visit the synagogue to pray and hear the sound of the shofar, which is a musical instrument traditionally made from a ram’s horn.
Families celebrating Rosh Hashanah will then tuck into a feast at lunch time with their loved ones.
In Israel, this concludes the celebrations but the Diaspora, which is a group of Jewish people living around the word, carry on the celebrations into the second day as they feast on another dinner, with lunch concluding the event on the third day.
A number of traditional foods are eaten over Rosh Hashanah, including apples dipped in honey to signify a sweet and happy new year.
Image:
Getty)Traditional dishes at Rosh Hashanah can vary between families, but other commonly eaten food items include pumpkins, beans, spinach and dates, which are all symbolic foods known as the Simanim.
Other families may also feast on round challah bread, pomegranates and fish heads.