What Actually Is Rosh Hashanah - By: Andrew Gibson

Celebrate rosh hashanah this year by sending out free e-cards to show your appreciation. Friends and family are often the most likely recipients of free e-cards, but you could also send one to a work colleague.

Free e-cards are gradually becoming the free, easy way of sending e-cards. Quickly, since the internet boom they are taking over the card market. There are a few main reasons for this, the main one obviously been that they are totally free.

As well as that, free e-cards are obviously environmentally friendly as no paper is ever wasted, this is because free e-cards are made on computers.

Not only that, free e-cards can be sent from just about anywhere in the world, to almost anywhere in the world. So if you leave it to late to post, you can still get your free e-card to them, as it will arrive almost instantly. As it is sent over the net.

Rosh Hashanah (translated from Hebrew to literally mean head of the year) is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days and the beginning of a new lunar year according to the Jewish calendar. It'serves as a time of reflection and prayer, remembering the year past and rejoicing over the future.

Forgiveness and acceptance of past deeds are important aspects of the renewal that this holiday signifies. It is believed that on this day God judges each person's actions of the past year. Rosh Hashanah is one of the most important and widely celebrated holidays of the Jewish calendar.

As a symbol of good fortune and sweetness, apples are dipped in honey as a precursor to the traditional meal. In the synagogue, a special instrument made out of ram's horn and called a shofar is used. According to religious lore, such a horn was used more than two thousand years ago as a call to action, even battle, and reiterates the importance of the holiday as well as suggesting that Jews recall and celebrate their roots.

Many synagogues have shofar-blowing contests. Because the horn takes a deep, sustained breath to play, the contestants begin to get slightly red in the face after ten or so seconds, assuming they make it that long. The practice lets the congregation relax after services and have a much-needed laugh.

Another interesting tradition: before dinner on the second night of Rosh Hashanah, some Jews throw breadcrumbs into a river, creek, or lake as a symbol of letting go their sins. They say a prayer and walk back home relieved of the burden of their transgressions.

There are three other Hebrew names for Rosh Hashanah:
Yom Hazikaron - Day of Remembering
Yom Hadin - Day of Judgment
Yom Hateruah - Day of (Sounding the) Teruah (the name for one of the notes played on the shofar- a reminder to hear the traditional instrument played to celebrate this holiday).

I do not know how I would live without free e-cards. Hundreds of free e-cards are sent annually, and I am not surprised one bit for their popularity.

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Author Resource : Andrew Gibson is MD of Greeting-Cards.com. It has thousands of free ecards to choose from for birthdays and all occasions. Many people now send Free e-cards(http://www.greeting-cards.com) to celebrate Rosh Hashanah and select them from http://www.Greeting-Cards.com