Rosh Hashanah

Yes, because you can light additional candles on Rosh Hashanah from an existing flame.

Ashkenazi Jews have a tradition of service a fish with the head on during Rosh Hashanah because 'Rosh Hashanah' literally translates as 'head of the year'.

Many Sephardi Jews will serve a dish made from cow cheek meat.

Rosh Hashana Rosh Hashana

Rosh Hashana (known as the Day of Judgment) is the day in which Hashem decides all earthly matters.

But guess what? Instead of judging the whole world Himself, Hashem allows each and every person to be the judge for themselves!

The Gemara (Shabbat, 127b) states that one who judges others favorably will in return be judged favorably by Hashem. In fact, Chazal say that Hashem judges us exactly how we judge others! For this reason, Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz states that this is the most important mitzvah to fulfill in order to have a successful Rosh Hashana.

The question is: Why does Hashem allow us to get away with sinning just because we judge others favorably when they sin?

The sefer Mitzvot HaLevavot writes that if one judges their friends favorably then they will come to fulfill all the mitzvot between man and his fellow! For example, the Chofetz Chaim writes (Hilchos Lashon Hara, chapter 3) that nearly all cases of Lashon Hara in the Torah were a direct cause of judging others unfavorably. Similarly, the Sefer HaChinuch (mitzvah 235) writes that the main purpose of this mitzvah is to create a peaceful society. Through judging others favorably one will automatically come to perform all the mitzvot between man and friend. Therefore, it could be that by creating a strong connection with others by judging them favorably, Hashem in return creates a strong connection with that person and judges him the same exact way.

I think we could learn from the following story how we should all fulfill this mitzvah...

The Gemara (Shabbat, 127b) relates the following story: A man in the north (Rabbi Akiva) hired himself out to a man in the south for 3 years. At the end of the 3 year period (Erev Yom Kippur) he requested his wages, to which the employer responded that he had no money. The worker then requested his wages in produce, land, animals, pillows, blankets...but each time the employer responded that he had none. A little later (after Sukkot) the employer came back with the wages and 3 donkeys full of foods, drinks and delicacies. After eating and drinking the employer asked the worker what he thought when all his requests were denied. The worker responded: When you denied having money, I thought you spent all your money on merchandise. Regarding your animals and land, I thought you had rented them out. For your produce, I assumed it was not tithed yet. And regarding your pillows and blankets, I thought you must have pledged all your property for the Beis Hamikdash. The employer then told him he was right on all accounts and said that since he judged favorably, Hashem should in return judge him favorably as well (see Gemara, Shabbat 127b, for 2 other interesting stories on this topic).

Now, how does one come to view other people through "pink colored glasses"?

I think were all capable of judging others favorably, even if we need to be completely unrealistic at times. We should all have the same frame of mind in which we have when we lose something for when we see others sinning...When one looks for something they lost, they first search in all the common places in which their object could be found. However, if that fails, they then start to look in more unusual places in order to find what they lost. If that fails then they'll search in extremely atypical places out of desperateness--even re-searching previously searched spots. A person will sometimes search in literally every possible place just to find a missing object. We should all have the same mind when it comes judging our friends. When you see your friend sinning, you should know that there are so many possible reasons why they may be doing it. Just like we would search out all possibilities just to find a missing object--so too we should search for all possible excuses when we see one of our friends sinning.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev was known for judging others favorably...The story is told that one Shabbat he saw one of his Jewish neighbors smoking a cigarette...So he went to his neighbor and said, "You probably started smoking because you didn't know it was Shabbat." But his neighbor replied that he knew it was Shabbat. Rabbi Levi replied, "Well then, you probably didn't know that one isn't allowed to smoke on Shabbat." But the man answered that he knew he isn't allowed to smoke on Shabbat. Trying to think positively, Rabbi Levi then said, "You probably need to smoke for your health"...But again, the man replied that he didn't need to smoke for any health reasons. So Rabbi Levi then looked up and called out to Hashem, "See how honest your people are! Even when they commit a sin, they don't compound it by lying about it!"

Summary: On Rosh Hashana, Hashem judges us exactly how we judge others. Therefore, in order to have a favorable judgment we must all judge our friends favorably. In fact, Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz states that judging others favorably is the most important mitzvah to fulfill for a successful Rosh Hashana. The greatness of judging ones friends favorably is that one will automatically come to fulfill all the mitzvot between man and his fellow (Mitzvot HaLevavot). We should all learn from Rabbi Akiva (Shabbat, 127b) and Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev how to judge others favorably. When one searches for a missing object they'll search in every place possible--Similarly, one should search for all possible excuses when they see one of their friends sinning. May we all merit a favorable judgment!

Source: http://jasonbehar.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/09/rosh_hashana.html

Rosh Hashanah is the New Year in the Hebrew calendar and the first of the ten Yamim Noraim or Days of Awe. It falls on the 1st day of the Hebrew month Tishrei, despite the fact that Tishrei is the seventh month of the calendar (the Hebrew calendar is considerably more complicated that the secular calendar), which is late summer/early autumn depending on the year (as the Hebrew calendar and secular calendars do not correspond, a Hebrew date will fall on different secular dates - and vice versa- each year).

in the prophets

Yes

The fast of Gedaliya commemorates the murder of the last governor of Judea some 2,000 years ago. It is commemorated on the first weekday after Rosh Hashana. In 2008 this will be Thursday, 2 October.

Some believe that Judaism originated with Abraham, while others say Moses, giving a range of possibilities for the country or region of origin for judaism. However scholars say that monotheistic Judaism was really introduced by King Josiah of Judah, during the Deuteronomistic reforms of the seventh century BCE.

Le shana tova tikatev vetechatem = לשנה טובה תכתב ותחתם

We have the round challa because it symbolizes having no "corners" or edges in the new year. Which means no bumps on the road or bad thing happening.

You say it exactly the same as Rosh Hashanah is in the Jewish tongue. In Spanish it would be said Año Nuevo Judío.

There's a great online Jewish radio station out of DC. They stream high holy day services from Temple Shalom in the DC area.

Temple Emanu-El Services New York City streaming live

Because of a scripture (Exodus 12:16) that is interpreted as specifically allowing work involving food.

No. The Sabbath is a weekly holiday that occurs from Friday at sunset until Saturday at sunset. Rosh Hashanah is a major holiday or festival, and occurs on the 1st day of the 7th month of the Jewish (lunar) calendar. If the 1st day of the 7th month is a Saturday, then Rosh Hashanah is also on the Sabbath.

Yes, but it's only six days, since swimming isn't permitted for Jews on four of the ten days. Those four are the two days of Rosh Hashanah, Shabbat, and Yom Kippur.

ראש השנה‎

This year's Rosh Ha'Shana (Jewish new year) took place from September 12 (Rosh Ha'shana Eve) to September 14 2007.