The University wishes a very happy Rosh Hashanah to all students, alumni, colleagues and friends who are celebrating.
Flat lay of apples, pomegranate, honey jar with dipper, honeycomb in bowl, on blue background with leaves and flowers.
What is Rosh Hashanah?
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, meaning “head of the year” or “first of the year”. It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days.
Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the world and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates in the festival of Yom Kippur, the second of the High Holy Days in the Jewish religion.
When Is Rosh Hashanah?
The celebrations this year begin in the evening of Friday 11 September and will end in the evening of Sunday 13 September.
What are the traditions and observances?
- Shofar: Ram's horn can be blown in the synagogue to symbolise the waking of the soul and call for inner improvement.
- Symbolic foods: eaten on Rosh Hashanah traditionally include round challah bread instead of the usual plaited version, apples dipped in honey, honey cake, and other sweet foods to represent a “sweet new year”.
- Tashlikh: Breadcrumbs can be thrown in water to symbolise casting away the previous year’s mistakes.
How to wish a happy Rosh Hashanah?
- L'shanah tovah tikateivu v'teichateimu: Is a formal greeting meaning "a good year, and may you be inscribed and sealed [in the Book of Life].
- Shanah Tovah: which means "a good year".
- Shanah Tovah u'metukah: which means "for a good and sweet year".
The University wishes Shana Tovah Umetukah to all students, colleagues, alumni and friends who are celebrating.
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