Symbolic New Year Foods

Welcome to Rosh Hashanah simanim – eating appetizers with special symbolic value for the new year.

For easy use at your Rosh Hashanah meal, download and print.

 

Symbolic New Year Foods

 

 

Apples & Honey
A Sweet New Year

Take an apple slice, dip it in honey, and say:

יְהִי רָצוׂן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יי אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ וֶאֱ-לֹהֵי אֲבוׂתֵינוּ ‬וְאִמּוׂתֵינוּ שֶֶׁתְחַדֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ שָׁנָה טוׂבָה וּמְתוּקָּה

Yehi ratzon milefanecha, Adonai Eloheinu v’Elohei avoteinu v’imoteinu, shetechadesh aleinu shanah tovah umetukah.

Dear God, renew us for a good and sweet year.

Now eat a dripping slice of apple!

Dates (Tamar)
Hoping for an End to Hate

The word-play here is that the Hebrew word tam means “end.” The wish for the new year is that hatred in our world will end.

Say the blessing, then eat a date.

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יי אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ וֶאֱ-לֹהֵי אֲבוׂתֵינוּ ‬וְאִמּוׂתֵינוּ שֶׁיִּתָמוּ אוׂיְבֵינוּ וְשֹׂונְאֵינוּ וְכָל מְבַקְשֵׁי רָעָתֵנוּ.

Yehi ratzon milefanecha, Adonai Eloheinu v’Elohei avoteinu v’imoteinu, sheyitamu oyveinu veson’einu vechol mevakshei ra’ateinu.

Dear God, in this new year, please end all hatred.

Carrot (Gezer)
Wishing for a Good Judgment

The pun here is that gezer also means a firm decision or judgment. The wish is that we will be judged favorably in this High Holiday season.

Say the blessing, then crunch a carrot (or eat them quietly if they’re cooked).

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יי אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ וֶאֱ-לֹהֵי אֲבוׂתֵינוּ ‬וְאִמּוׂתֵינוּ .שֶׁתִגְזֹר עָלֵינוּ גְזֵרוׂת טוׂבוׂת

Yehi ratzon milefanecha, Adonai Eloheinu v’Elohei avoteinu v’imoteinu, shetigzor aleinu gezerot tovot.

Dear God, in this new year, please give us a good judgment.

Pomegranate (Rimon)
Filling up with Good Deeds

The hundreds of seeds inside a pomegranate represent the many good deeds – mitzvot – we can do to make the world better.

Say the blessing, then eat some seeds. 

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יי אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ וֶאֱ-לֹהֵי אֲבוׂתֵינוּ ‬וְאִמּוׂתֵינוּ .שֶֶׁנִּהְיֶה מְלֵאִים מִצְווׂת כְּרִמוׂן

Yehi ratzon milefanecha, Adonai Eloheinu v’Elohei avoteinu v’imoteinu, shenih’yeh melei’im mitzvot kerimon.

Dear God, in this new year, may our good deeds be as many as the seeds of a pomegranate.

“Head of the Year”

Finally, we hope that on Rosh Hashanah (“head of the year”) we will hold our heads up high and be leaders for others. Traditionally, this blessing was said with a fish head (!), but it can be said instead with another symbolic “head.”

Say the blessing, then eat a piece of a symbolic “head.”

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יי אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ וֶאֱ-לֹהֵי אֲבוׂתֵינוּ ‬וְאִמּוׂתֵינוּ .שֶֶׁנִּהְיֶה לְרֹאשׁ וְלֹא לְזָנָב

Yehi ratzon milefanecha, Adonai Eloheinu v’Elohei avoteinu v’imoteinu, shenih’yeh lerosh velo lezanav.

Dear God, in this new year, may we be like the head and not the tail.

 

If your family is inspired by the Jewish tradition of simanim (symbols) to create your own food symbolism, go for it!  

And then enjoy your holiday meal.