Jewish Holy Days

Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year" in hebrew, it is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of Yamim Noraim "Days of Awe", it is celebrated ten days before Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah is observed on the first two days of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. This holiday   is described in the Torah as a day of Zikhron Trua "remembrance of the blowing of the horn" Rosh Hashanah occurs 163 days after the first day of Passover. In terms of the Gregorian calendar, the earliest date that Rosh Hashanah can fall is September 5th, it happened this way in 1899 and will happen that way again in 2013. The latest date that Rosh Hashanah can occur in accordance with the Gregorian calendar is on October 5th, it happened this way in 1967 and will happen again in 2043.
Rosh Hashanah meals normally include apples and honey, to symbolize a sweet new year. Various other foods with a symbolic meaning may be served, depending on local minhag ("custom"), such as cooked tongue or other meat from the head of an animal or fish to symbolize the "head" of the year. According to the Mishnah, 10 verses (each) are said regarding kingship, remembrance, and the shofar itself, each accompanied by the blowing of the shofar. On Rosh Hashanah there are a number of additions to the regular service, one of the major differences is the extended repetition of the Amidah prayer for both Shacharit and Mussaf. The Shofar is blown during Mussaf at several intervals. In many synagogues, the children come and hear the Shofar being blown. The Alenu prayer is recited during the repetition of the Mussaf Amidah.
Hanukkah, is also known as the Festival of Lights, it is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar....