Rosh Hashanah Food Customs

Symbolic Foods of the Jewish New Year

On the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah, after the holiday prayer service, we say kiddush over wine and eat a festive meal. Special Rosh Hashanah food customs have developed over the centuries. We dip a round challah into honey, and say the blessing over the bread. Next we dip a piece of apple into honey and ask for a good and sweet year. On the second day of Rosh Hashanah, we eat a new fruit we have not yet eaten that season so we can say the shehechiyanu blessing.

Although Rosh Hashanah is a day of soul-searching and repentance, it is a happy day. We believe God is merciful and will forgive our bad deeds from the previous year. And we are excited to begin a new year in which we will do more good deeds. The joy of this New Year's day is reflected in the holiday's food customs.

Honey

We eat sweet foods on Rosh Hashanah as a symbol of our wish for a sweet year. In biblical times, honey was the sweetener. Honey also represented good living and wealth. The Land of Israel is often called the land of milk and honey in the Bible.

On the first night of Rosh Hashanah, we dip challah into honey, instead of salt, and say the blessing over the challah. Then we dip an apple into honey, and we say a prayer asking God for a sweet year.

Fish

Rosh v literally means "head of the year." Just as our head (brain) directs us, Rosh HaShana directs the ensuing year. On this day, we stock up on sustenance for the year to come. In addition, it is our hope to be the head (leader) of other nations through our righteous acts. For these reasons, it has become a tradition to eat the head of a fish during the holiday meal. Fish is also eaten on this holiday because it is symbolic of fertility and abundance.

New Fruit

On the second night of Rosh Hashanah, we eat a new fruit which we have not yet eaten this season. When we eat this new fruit, we say the shehechiyanu blessing which thanks God for keeping us alive and bringing us to this season. This ritual reminds us to appreciate the fruits of the earth and being alive to enjoy them.

A pomegranate is often used as this new fruit. In the Bible, the Land of Israel is praised for its pomegranates. It is also said that this fruit contains 613 seeds just as there are 613 mitzvot. Another reason given for blessing and eating this fruit on Rosh HaShana is that we wish that our good deeds in the ensuing year will be as plentiful as the seeds of the pomegranate.

Symbolic Meaning of Traditional Rosh Hashanah Food

Round Challah
The round shape symbolizes a perfect year to come. Sometimes raisins or honey are added to make it extra sweet.
Apples and Honey
We dip the apples in honey to symbolize our wish for a sweet year to come.
Head of Fish or Gefilte ("filled") Fish
Fish is an ancient symbol of fertility and abundance. The head of fish symbolizes the head of the New Year. The head also symbolizes our hope that the Jewish people will lead other nations through their righteous acts.
Head of Lamb, Sweet Chicken or Meat Dish
Head of lamb symbolizes our hope that the Jewish people will lead other nations through their righteousness. The sweet entree symbolizes our wish for a sweet year.
Tzimmes
Tzimmes is an eastern European recipe for honey baked carrots. The Yiddish word "meren" means carrots and to increase. Carrots symbolize our hope that we increase our good deeds in the coming year. Some tzimmes recipes add prunes, sweet potatoes or even meat to the sweet carrots.
Spinach
Spinach symbolizes a green year with plenty of produce.
Rice
Rice symbolizes abundance.
Honey Cake or Teiglach (crunchy dough boiled in honey)
"This day is holy to God, your God; do not mourn and do not weep...for the joy of God is your strength." (Nechemiah 8:9-10). It is said that the Prophet Nechemiah introduced to the ancient Israelites the Persian custom of eating sweet foods to celebrate the New Year.

Sources

Faye Levy's International Jewish Cookbook, A Time Warner Company, 1991.

The Spice and Spirit of Kosher-Jewish Cooking, Lubavitch Women’s Organization, 1977.

Alphabet Soup: Jewish Family Cooking from A to Z, Schechter Day Schools, 1990.