Rosh Hashana is the Jewish equivalent of what we call New Year's Day. It is always in September or October, the date being variable because it is set according to lunar months. Jews very often send each other greetings cards to celebrate.
Rosh Hashana is a time when Jewish people ask G*d to forgive anything that they have done wrong. It is a time to make friends with someone whose friendship may have been lost due to some silly argument. It is a time to put things right that may be wrong. It is no good just being sorry for something that is wrong, it has to be put right at this time.
Rosh Hashana is a two day festival. It is a time when all Jews attend a synagogue which means that they often overflow at this time. Often they will attend several services in the two days, all of them have lots of special prayers in to ask G*d's forgiveness. On the day that is not the Shabbat the shofar is blown. Musical instruments cannot be played on the shabbat it has to be the other of the two days. Blowing the shofar is to remind Jewish people that when Abraham trusted G*d, G*d provided the ram for him to sacrifice and so save his son. It is a reminder to obey, trust and love G*d.
The shofar is a very haunting piercing sound which is played in a special sequence many times over. It is the call to repent, or ask G*d to forgive.
Not all of the celebrations are in the synagogue, many of them are in the home. On the first evening of Rosh Hashana after the blessing everybody has a piece of apple dipped in honey.The kiddush or blessing involves everybody having a glass of wine, we combined the kiddush with the apple and honey in our festival.
Yom Kippur is at the end of the festival of Rosh Hashana, it is the holiest day of the Jewish year. It is the Day of Atonement...it means being at one with G*d. This is the only time that all men wear their prayer shawls at an evening service, otherwise it is always morning services when they are worn. There are several services which Jews attend. Yom Kippur involves a twenty four hour fast, a time when nothing passes between the lips, not even a drink of water. It is a ritual to make Jews as pure and holy as possible, forsaking all comforts to make themselves as holy as possible for G*d.
