For many people, the new year starts in January, but for the 15.8 million followers of Judaism worldwide, the new year celebration begins today at sundown.
Anne Eliades, president of the congregation at Temple Beth El in Muncie, said the 10 days of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, are also commonly referred to as the 10 Days of Awe or the 10 Days of Repentance.
"This is the time to make things right with yourself, to make things right with God and to make things right with your neighbor," she said. "If you haven't made up things right yet, this is the time to do it."
Lindsay Gross, co-president of Hillel, the Jewish student organization at Ball State University, said the group celebrates the holiday by going to temple services.
"We don't really do too much around campus to celebrate," she said. "We go to temple services and are more involved religiously at the temple."
But this year, some non-Jewish students will have the opportunity to experience aspects of Rosh Hashanah without going to the synagogue.
Tuesday evening, University Apartments is putting on "A New Year Celebration," where apartment residents will have a chance to learn about the ways different cultures celebrate the new year, including Rosh Hashana.
Sarah Needler, a community assistant for University Apartments helped organize the event. She said she has learned a lot about Rosh Hashana and hopes other students will as well.
"We hope this will aid students who are new to our country develop an understanding of the customs and traditions that they will mostly likely come into contact with at some point during their stay," she said.
Needler said what she found most interesting about Rosh Hashana was the symbolic nature of many of the rituals.
"A shofar horn is blown to awaken people to examine their past and commit to a new start," she said. "The food that is eaten for Rosh Hashana also has a particular meaning behind it. Apples and honey are common foods which are consumed during the celebration to symbolize a sweet new year."
For students who choose to celebrate Rosh Hashana, Eliades said, it is important to realize these 10 days are the most important in all of Judaism.
"The analogy is that during these 10 days, God writes your fate for the next year in his book," she said. "This is the time to make things right before he seals the book at Yom Kippur."
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