Rosh Hashanah: What is it and how long does it last?

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Jews from around the globe world have begun to celebrate Rosh Hashanah this evening, starting at sundown.

The holiday of Rosh Hashanah is also known as the Jewish New Year.

This day is among the holiest days in Judaism — and it begins on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, which almost always falls during the months of September or October each year.

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It also marks the start of year 5783 in the Jewish calendar. 

Meaning “head of the year” or “first of the year,” the festival is a time for reflection.

It is often celebrated with prayer, symbolic foods and the blowing of a traditional horn called a shofar (the ram’s horn). 

Pomegranate, with its many seeds, is a joyful reminder of many blessings during the Jewish New Year.  (Getty Images)

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 Yom Kippur holiday, also known as the Day of Atonement,” according to History.com.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the two “High Holy Days” in the Jewish religion.

How long does Rosh Hashanah last?

This year, the holiday begins on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, and ends on the night of Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022.

The exact date of Rosh Hashanah varies each year, since it is based on the Hebrew calendar.

Rosh Hashanah, as the new year in Judaism, can be seen as the birthday of the world — rather than the secular New Year’s of Jan. 1 that most people think of when they hear “new year.”

What are the symbolic foods of Rosh Hashanah?

The holiday’s foods include honey-dipped apples, which represent sweetness and the hope for sweetness in the year ahead.

Also, round loaves of challah (braided egg bread) honor and respect the cycle of life.

The pomegranate — with its plentiful seeds — is a joyful reminder of many blessings.

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And the head of a fish, often displayed on a platter for all to see, represents the head of or the start of a new year, according to multiple sources. 

The fish also represents fertility and abundance. 

Maureen Mackey is managing editor of lifestyle for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent on Twitter at @maurmack.