Apples And Honey: What The Sweet Duo Means For Rosh Hashanah

In Judaism, Rosh Hashanah signifies the beginning of the Jewish New Year. During the two-day celebration which typically takes place in September or October, Jews reflect on the creation of the world, their role as the God of Israel's chosen people, and their own personal relationship with Him. Among the various symbolic actions that observant Jews complete during Rosh Hashanah is eating apples dipped in honey. This is a tasty treat anytime, but why is it significant on this autumn holiday?

Overall, enjoying honey-dipped apples is done to bring in wishes for a sweet and prosperous new year. Some may believe that the use of apples is in homage to the forbidden fruit Adam and Eve ate that is mentioned in the book of Genesis. However, the story does not specifically say that the fruit was an apple, even though this is the way the tale is often depicted in books and art. The apples signify the fact that Adonai (the name for God in Judaism) created fruit-bearing trees and, thus, food to eat during the creation of the universe as depicted in the first chapter of Genesis. Honey is mentioned several times in the Biblical Torah and Old Testament as something sweet and good and is, therefore, totally appropriate for ringing in a sweet year.

As with many specific foods associated with Jewish holidays, the apples and honey eaten during Rosh Hashanah are symbolically much deeper than being merely sweet. In his book, "1,001 Questions and Answers on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur," Rabbi Dr. Jeffrey M. Cohen suggests that honey is used during the holiday because of its connection with the manna (bread from heaven) that God gave the Israelites while they were wandering for 40 years through the desert (as outlined in the Torah), per Smithsonian Magazine. Exodus chapter 16, verse 31 states, "...[Manna] was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey." In a nutshell, honey is a symbol of God's provisions.

In addition to being a sweet fruit, apples might have been selected as a choice fruit for Rosh Hashanah because they are written with reverence in the Biblical Old Testament and Torah; they are depicted as something rare and good. In Song of Songs (also called Song of Solomon), chapter two verse three states, "Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste." While it's not specifically dictated in the Torah that Jews should enjoy the combination of apples and honey, the two have been used for thousands of years because they are considered exceptional and symbolic.

As far as the best apples to eat for Rosh Hashanah, this is subjective, but who could argue with the appropriateness of using Honeycrisps, especially now that they are finally getting cheaper? But, really, any sweet apple that you might use for baking or snacking will be delicious paired with honey.