Certain foods just go hand in hand with holiday celebrations. And while delicious, they also tend to have specific symbolism as part of honoring a specific holiday. With Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur coming up, Sphinx Date Co. takes a look at some of the most significant foods used in traditional celebrations.
Challah — No Rosh Hashanah meal is complete without this quintessential element. A braided egg bread typically served on Shabbat, the challah is generally shaped into spirals and rounds that represent community, is shared around the table and served with honey, according to Taste of Home.
Honey — Since 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, honey symbolizes the start “sweet” start of the year. In addition to being used for dipping challah and apples, honey cakes are often served during the holiday to represent the hope of a sweet and positive year ahead.
Apples — Traditionally these hardy fruits were often some of the only ones that could within stand various climates and weather conditions, so they were generally served at meals regardless of the season. Beyond that, Taste of Home notes: “There’s also a metaphorical aspect. Some fruit trees shade their produce with new leaves, but apple trees offer their fruit no such protection. Being different could make these trees vulnerable, yet they thrive regardless—a sentiment carried by the Jewish people.”
Dates — Considered to be one of the seven species of Israel, dates were often used to create the honey used in so many early celebrations and to “date.”
While food is a central part of the Rosh Hashanah celebration, Yom Kippur is known more for its lack of food, as it is “a time to reconcile with each other and God. Prayer and fasting force us to suspend our daily existence,” according to Jewish Food Experience. Upon the evening “break-fast,” a light meal including cheese blintzes, salads, bagels and fish (like herring, whitefish and lox) are often served.
Sphinx Date Co. encourages those celebrating or gifting to consider some of these traditional foods to offer a sweet start to the fresh year. In addition to many varieties of dates and local honeys, Sphinx Date Co. is stocked with delicious treats to help make any day a little sweeter!