Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Jewish New Year, is a two-day holiday which began this year Sunday and ends Tuesday. It marks the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days.

The holiday is an occasion for reflection and is often marked by prayer, symbolic foods, and the blowing of a traditional horn called a shofar. This year’s Rosh Hashanah marks the start of year 5783 in the Hebrew calendar.

Here’s what you need to know about Rosh Hashanah.

1. Rosh Hashanah has been celebrated for thousand years

The holiday has its roots in the Talmud, which says that the world was created on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. Jewish people celebrate Rosh Hashanah on the first and second days of Tishrei. This usually falls in September or October in the Gregorian calendar.

According to National Geographic, the earliest mention of Rosh Hashanah by name is found in the Mishnah, a Jewish legal text dated to 200 C.E.

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2. People reflect on the coming year

“Rosh Hashanah” means “head of the year” in Hebrew. The two-day holiday is considered a time to reflect on the coming year. It is also referred to as the “day of judgment.”

There are 14.8 million Jewish people around the world. People usually celebrate Rosh Hashanah by attending synagogue. Families also light candles at home and recite prayers.

3. Eat sweets on this holiday

Rosh Hashanah is often celebrated with apples dipped in honey, which symbolize the hope of a sweet year to come. Challah bread, baked in round loaves and dipped in honey, is also popular.

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4. The Shofar is blown

One of the most distinctive elements of Rosh Hashanah is the blowing of the Shofar’s horn, also known as a ram’s horn. The horn is typically blown in the morning of both days of Rosh Hashanah.

5. Rosh Hashanah kicks off the High Holy Days

Rosh Hashanah kicks off the High Holy Days, also known as the Ten Days of Penitence. It ends with Yom Kippur, which is considered the most sacred of Jewish religious holidays. While Rosh Hashanah is a joyous holiday, Yom Kippur is a more somber holiday.