Last Updated on January 3, 2024 by Sarah McCubbin
Celebrating Rosh Hashanah for kids is a beautiful way to introduce them to both Jewish culture and truths from the Torah at the same time. I love the way Jewish holidays point us to the Father and to Jesus at the same time. Below are some simple ways to celebrate Rosh Hashana. Pick the ones that work for you…and leave the rest!
Table of Contents
1. Look Up the Dates For Rosh Hashanah 2024
Rosh Hashana 2024 is the first of the Fall Festivals on the Jewish calendar. In 2023, it is celebrated from Wednesday, October 2 to Friday, October 4.
All of the Jewish holidays for the current and futures years can be found on HERE!
2. Read the Biblical Account of Rosh Hashanah
Of course when you are celebrating Rosh Hashana for kids, you want them to know what the Bible actually says about it. According to the Biblical account of the Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah, God commanded the Jewish people to remember this day by blowing trumpets and by keeping the sabbath as a day of rest.
Leviticus 23:23-25 " Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a [a]rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord.’” Numbers 29:1 "Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets."
Temple sacrifices, which are no longer practiced after the temple was destroyed, are described in Numbers 28 & 29.
The only record of Rosh Hashana being celebrated in the Bible is recorded in Ezra 3:1-6 and Nehemiah 7:73-8:13.
3. Assemble a Rosh Hashanah Lapbook & Activity Pack!
If you have children that enjoy cutting and pasting, you will want to use the next activity pack. Use simple file folders to create a unique lapbook that your child will enjoy. This mini-lapbook covers the key elements of Rosh Hashanah as well as many common traditions practiced today. You can keep their hands busy while you talk about the different symbolism in this holiday.
Celebrate other Jewish Holidays with Your Kids Too!
Passover Activity Book and Lapbook
Yom Kippur Activity Book and Lapbook
Note: One of the side benefits of celebrating holidays with kids is the chance to use them to teach social skills! If you are celebrating Rosh Hashanah for kids and with kids, you will definitely want to check this out!
13 Ways To Teach Holiday Social Skills for Kids and Teens
4. Read Rosh Hashanah Books for Kids With Your Family!
Here are a few fun ones. I love the book, The Feasts of the Lord listed below. It is a wealth of information about all of the Biblical holidays! While not an actual children’s book, it has pictures and details about the history and traditions of each of the holidays making it easy to learn in bite size pieces.
5. Greet Your Friends & Family with a Happy New Year
Most of us love the refreshing start of the New Year. We make resolutions and we have parties. When we start new things, we experience that same feeling! Whether its a challenge…reboot or something else, we love NEW!
- A 30 Day Challenge
- Back to School
- Fitness Bootcamp
- or any number of other “fresh start opportunities.”
In Hebrew, Shanah Tovah means “A Good Year.” Of course Rosh Hashanah is in September…but it is the beginning of the Jewish New Year.
Whether your family is Jewish or not…one way to celebrate Rosh Hashanah for kids is to greet people with Shanah Tovah!
6. Listen to a Ram’s Horn Being Blown!
One easy way to celebrate Rosh Hashanah for kids is to listen to a ram’s horn being blown. It remind’s us to wake up and pay attention to what God is doing.
Listen to the Ram’s Horn HERE!
The Bible does not specify which kind of horn should be used during Rosh Hashanah but Rabbinic tradition always uses a ram’s horn. It is a symbol of God’s deliverance remembered from the time God provided a ram in the thicket to deliver Isaac from being sacrificed by Abraham.
7. Celebrate With Hebrew Worship Songs
The beautify of the Jewish Feasts is that they all point to Jesus. They point to Him as our deliverer…our living hope. They point to our need to repent and Jesus’s sacrifice that would bring us life. As a follower of Jesus, one way we can celebrate is through song. I love music that combines English and Hebrew lyrics and points to the character and nature of the Lord.
Here Is My Favorites Playlist!
8. Make Challah Bread
In Jewish culture, bread is a symbol of life, community and the very basics of survival.
Challah Bread is a braided full of symbolism on many levels. It is a yeast bread (as opposed to unlevened bread). Over and over during the Torah and the Bible as a whole, bread is referenced. In fact, Jesus is called the “Bread of Life.”
Challah bread during Rosh Hashana is usually round and often speckled with raisins. The round shape does not have an end which symbolizes the heartfelt desire for a year full of blessing that does not end.
Raisins obviously come from grapes which are the fruit of the vine which are often equated to the Jewish people. The round challah is also a symbol of the globe and the round challah a reminder that God sustains the world. It is also expressing a desire that He bless the Jewish people with life and prosperity.
As part of your Rosh Hashanah for kids meal, be sure to say the traditional blessing over the bread.
Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha'aretz. "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has brought forth bread from the earth."
9. Celebrate Rosh Hashanah For Kids….With More FOOD!
The food served at Rosh Hashana and most of other Jewish holidays are full of rich symbolism. They are usually physical pictures of spiritual truths (or desires).
Here are traditional symbolic foods eaten on Rosh Hashanah
- Apples and Honey
- New Fruit
- Challah
- Honey Cake
- Couscous with seven vegetables
- Leeks, chard or spinach
- Dates
- Fish
10. Learn About Yom Kippur Too….
What? You said 10 Tips to learn about Rosh Hashana! Well…here is the thing. Rosh Hashanah, the “Feast of Trumpets” is celebrated for 2 days at the beginning of the week and then a week later Yom Kippur, “The Day of Atonement” is celebrated. They are 2 separate festivals but they are intertwined because of what they mean.
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish Year. It is time to repent and ask for forgiveness from God and from other people. The week begins with a celebration of the New Year with Rosh Hashanah and ends with repentence and a renewed focus on God. I love the combination of celebration and dependence is wrapped into one week.
Sarah McCubbin and her husband and 9 kids live in Ohio. She loves talking about all kinds of education topics and is passionate about helping families find the best education options in each season! Socially awkward growing up, she loves to help families teach life skills, social skills and leadership.
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