Today we're gonna party like it's 5770

Today we're gonna party like it's 5770 - which it is, according to the Jewish calendar. That's right. It's Rosh Hashanah (which literally translates into "head of the year") the Jewish new year and start of the High Holy days.

I know, according to your mcblackberry it's 2009 but the Jewish calendar started a couple thousand years before the CE, so the year count is a little higher. The calendar also has a different start date and subsequently a different new year.

To celebrate the new year, Jews (like myself) get together, go to temple, eat apples and honey (to symbolize a sweet new year) and round challah (round to symbolize a year), say L'Shana Tova (translates to "for a good year") and blow the Shofar.

Blow the what?! The Shofar, a special rams horn which was originally sounded off to let people back in the day (before Outlook reminders) know that it was the new year.



Wow. Talk about lungs.

Rosh Hashanah, like Passover , lasts for two days so that there was time to celebrate even if you weren't first to hear the Shofar.

The purpose of Rosh Hashanah is to celebrate the start of a new year, but its not all fun and games. From now until Yom Kippur (the day of atonement) Jews have to reflect upon their lives, seek forgiveness from those they may have hurt, and forgive those who have wronged them in an effort to start with a clean slate and be a better person in the coming year.

I see myself as more conceptual than religious (I don't go to temple regularly, I don't keep kosher and I have a tattoo), I believe it is the meaning behind the religious practice that is important - not the practice itself.

I try to use Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur as an opportunity to look at my life and my choices and make sure that I am doing everything I can do to be the best person I can be, not only for the people around me, but for myself. Yeah, I make a new year's resolution in January - usually something along the lines of becoming less fat - but this is different, more of a reflection of what you have done than a resolution of what you are going to do.

I challenge anyone reading this, Jewish or not, to think for a few minutes about the last year of your life, the kind of person you have been, and the kind of person you would like to be.

And then go celebrate :)

Jews eat Chinese food (on Christmas) to keep "kosher"

One of the main reasons that Jews eat Chinese food on Christmas Eve (and Christmas Day. For me it's Christmas Eve because I'm a mutt, and celebrate Christmas Day with my dad's side) is because it's usually the only thing open (and it's quite delicious. I've gone to fishy feasts on Christmas Eve, and while the food was lovely, I would take Buddha's Delight over Scungilli sala any day, I don't eat legs).

Jews and and Chinese are the largest non-Christian immigrant groups the in US, thus leaving Chinese restaurants open when most others are not, and giving Jews a place to eat on Christmas.

There is another reason why Jews have a love affair with Chinese food, which dates back to the early 1900's when there were a large number of Jews and Chinese migrating into New York City. Jewish immigrants felt safe eating in Chinese restaurants where meat and dairy are rarely mixed.

Most Chinese restaurants were not kosher and often used non-kosher ingredients like piggy and fish in shells (bleh), but the Jewish immigrants were willing to turn a blind eye because they were chopped up in tiny pieces and stir fried. According to David Siegel, if they couldn't tell what it was, it was ok to eat.

So this Christmas, give thanks for Chinese restaurants, Ralpie does. After all, what would "A Christmas Story" be without a little bit of MSG?