So what is this thing about honey on Rosh Hashanah anyhow?

Recently I was in our local Whole Foods store thinking I would pick up some of their bulk honey when I ventured a little further around the corner and discovered oodles and oodles of jars containing different honey varieties – honey from clover, from raspberry flowers, from blueberry blossoms and on and on … what I triumph I thought!!  How fun will it be to taste all of these varieties with my pre-school children and their family this week when we go apple-picking!  So, why my exuberance?  Why is honey so central to a Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year, lit. head of the year) celebration?   Well for sure it is sweet and symbolizes our desire for a sweet New Year,  In fact on Rosh Hashanah, it is traditional to dip an apple slice or a piece of the egg bread, Challah, in some honey and recite:

“May it be Your will to renew us for a year that is good and sweet.”

So why not sugar or chocolate or ginger snaps or …?  My guess is that honey traditionally refers to honey extracted from dates, a prevalent, Biblical, and indigenous food in the Land of Israel.  Therefore, we can imagine that date honey has a certain elevated status.  When Jews in the Diaspora were wishing to eat customary food, they found it necessary to substitute another desirous sweet honey, bee honey!!

May yours be a sweet and fulfilling New Year!

Try this recipe for an astounding and unusual Ashkenazi (Jews from Eastern Europe) sweet for Rosh Hashanah: Teiglach!!!  My mother would actually make them and send them to me when I was in college, such a dedicated parent!!