Missing Rosh Hashanah

New Years is fun! Woo hoo! New year on the calendar! It’s 2015! It is fun, but it doesn’t give me that magical fresh start feeling that Rosh Hashanah does.

People celebrate, they go to parties. We went to a party but didn’t stay up until midnight. Most people write up new years resolutions and now make them public via social media. The husband gets an extra day off of work. But really all that happens is that the calendar changes a little bit more than it does everyday.

Rosh Hashanah has a mystical quality to it. Its treatment as a High Holy Day makes it feel more special. The traditions that come along with it give it more “oomph”. The 10 Days of Awe that follow are an extreme version of New Year resolutions. You rethink your past year, years, entire past, and plan for the upcoming year, upcoming forever. My husband and I always have our best “serious” conversations during this time, ranging from what our future family will look like, to financial, to life long accomplishments that we want to achieve. Forget putting resolutions on Facebook to hold yourself responsible. God is listening to you during the Days of Awe, the ruler of the universe is listening to your plans and He will hold you responsible if you don’t follow through. At least that is how I feel about it.

At the end of the emotional 10 days the holiday is capped off with Yom Kippur. Your soul is cleansed as you atone for your sins. I always feel that my heart is purified and it is my responsiblity to keep it as clean as possible throughout the following year. I am empowered and ready to take on all of the new goals I have made. I imagine all of my extra baggage is disposed of and I have a shiny new piece of luggage to fill with new achievements.

The High Holy Days are extremely emotional for me, in a good way, but I don’t get these feelings during the “Gentile” New Year. Rosh Hashanah is my favorite holiday and the New Year cannot compete.