Rosh Hashanah Round Up!

This year, the biblical holiday Rosh Hashanah falls on the evening of October 2nd and lasts through the evening of October 4th, 2016.

Rosh Hashanah is celebrated as the Jewish New Year (in honor of the Creation, it literally means: “Head of year”) and it marks the start of a ten-day period of self-examination, prayer and repentance that ends on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur are known as the Ten Days of Awe.

Rosh Hashanah is also known as the Feast of Trumpets. In the bible, it is referenced in the book of Leviticus, Chapter 23:24: “Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.‘You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.’”  (To learn more about this holiday click HERE.)

The shofar, a key instrument in the Fall holidays,  is blown as a ‘call’ to self-reflection and repentance in preparation for Yom Kippur. It is a time to ‘clear the air’ between the brethren, asking for and offering forgiveness for past offenses from each other and from God. During this time, we discuss the importance of cleansing our hearts, asking for forgiveness, forgiving others who have offended us and rejoicing that in Christ, we have forgiveness for our sins. In Him, there is no condemnation! Hallelujah!

Each year I try to have the kids do something different in regards to crafts and table settings so that it won’t become boring to them. I let them do as much as possible because they really enjoy being a part of the festivities and putting their own personal touch on them. Because we have littles, our celebrations are kept simple. The overall goal is to have a positive atmosphere which fosters a love for God’s holidays and His Word.

We usually make a banner to hang in the dining room like this one:

 

This year we plan to do these cute apple place settings:

You can find out how to make your own here:

http://www.fabdiy.com/diy-3d-paper-apple-ornament/

This honey cake looks aaa–MAAA–zing, so I going to give it a whirl in the kitchen:

 

http://dinnerinvenice.com/2012/09/13/fluffy-honey-and-orange-cake/

And after reading this post that highlights some great ‘honey-themed’ gifts, I think we may try our hand at making beeswax candles this year to bless our friends and family with.

 

http://hvgreen.blogspot.com/2012/01/meant-to-bee-using-honey-as-sweet.html

We will also prepare a special meal, bring out our shofar as part of our table centerpiece through the 10 Days of Awe and watch an educational video about the Fall Feasts. The kids favorite part is always getting to dip their apple slices in honey, mine is that they are learning about their Father and His awesome ways!

Happy Rosh Hashanah 2016!

L’Shanah Tovah!

May the Lord grant you a sweet, sweet year!