While most FTHS students are going to be relaxing away from school because of the days off, you may be wondering why we have these days off?

This week, some people in our community and many around the world are going to be taking part in one of Judaism’s holiest days, “Rosh Hashanah.” 

What is Rosh Hashanah? Rosh Hashanah directly translates to “head of the year” or “first of the year.” It is used to mark the first day of Tishrei, which is the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. Rosh Hashanah celebrates the creation of the world and the beginning of the Days of Awe. 

When is Rosh Hashanah? For the year 2024, Rosh Hashanah will be taking place on the evening of Wednesday, October 2nd through Friday, October 4th. However, Rosh Hashanah is not on the same date every year. This is because the date of the holiday corresponds to the Hebrew Calendar as opposed to the Gregorian Calendar. 

What happens on Rosh Hashanah? A famous practice of Rosh Hashanah is to blow the Shofar. The Shofar is a ritual instrument typically made from a ram’s horn. After the horn is blown several times alongside other religious services such as praying and reading from the Torah (Jewish Religious Text), those who observe go home to enjoy a festive meal which may consist of Challah to represent the circle of life and creation or dates to ward off bad energy for the start of the year. 

Sources: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/13/opinion/rosh-hashana-death.html

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Rosh-Hashana

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/rosh-hashanah-history