You asked, we answered! Our editor Sara Himeles who recently finished her rabbinical studies answered all of your Rosh Hashanah questions. Have a question about the High Holidays? Check out our guides to Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah.

Why apples and honey / why do those represent a sweet new year?

Jews traditionally dip apples in honey on Rosh Hashanah to express the wish for a sweet new year. There are lots of sweet foods — so why this sweet food? Here are a few possible explanations.

Honey:

Apple:

What’s the vegan equivalent for the head of a fish?

Rosh Hashanah literally means “head of the year,” and some families represent this by placing a fish head on their Rosh Hashanah table. This expresses the hope that we go into the new year in a spirit of “leading” and making progress (i.e., the head) rather than “following” (i.e., the tail). Devarim (Deuteronomy) 28:13 states this idea: “And God will make you the head, not the tail.” If you’re vegan, you could use a head of cauliflower or cabbage instead.

How many different kosher shofars are available?

There are many laws regarding the physical characteristics of a shofar. Here are 2 of them:

What are the different kinds of shofar blasts?

The four sounds of the shofar are: 

3 lesser-known Rosh Hashanah practices?

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 29: Jews pray while marking Rosh Hashanah in Prospect Park during a traditional Tashlich ceremony on September 29, 2011 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Jews traditionally go to a flowing body of water and symbolically ‘throw away’ their sins by praying and tossing bread crumbs into the water. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
  1. Tashlich — in this ceremony Jews throw pieces of bread into a body of water to symbolize casting away their sins
  2. Eat a new fruit — it’s customary to eat a new, seasonal fruit (often a pomegranate) that hasn’t been tasted since the previous year
  3. Rosh Hashanah cards — sending Shana Tova cards didn’t start with Hallmark, it’s a centuries-old tradition.