Western culture's influence has made the January 1 New Year (a legacy of the Roman Empire) a global phenomenon. In Jesus' time, however, the New Year was celebrated in the fall. Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew for 'head of the year') was a time of introspection when people reflected on God's creation and celebrated God's yearly renewal of life. It was also believed that the Almighty did an inventory of how each of us had acted in the past year.

Honey was used to symbolize hope for a sweet new year; a common practice was to dip apple slices in honey, and eat while offering prayers of thanksgiving and hope. As was Jesus' custom, may we too use this time to reflect on our personal lives and offer our prayers of thanksgiving and hope for God's renewal of life.