The challah bread, pomegranates, and apples dipped in honey, and carrot stew are popular dishes during Rosh Hashana. The celebrations begin after the evening prayer, when family and friends join in to reflect on the past and make a fresh start for the New Year. Many Jewish families gather for special meals to celebrate Rosh Hashana, which commences at nightfall the day before the actual holiday. It is also customary for some people to visit deceased loved ones at cemeteries on the eve of the holiday. It is also a time to look ahead with hope, and for personal growth and reflection. Rosh Hashana differs to the New Year in the Gregorian calendar January 1 in that Rosh Hashana is a time when God reviews and judges a person's deeds in the past year, according to Jewish belief. Some Jewish communities celebrate the event for two days, while others celebrate it for one day. It is known as the New Year in the Jewish calendar. Rosh Hashana starts on the first day of Tishrei or Tishriwhich is the seventh month in the Jewish calendar, and may last for two days.
