This is a scheduled post because I am really a figment of your imagination right now. Today, I will be celebrating the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana with my family. No doubt, at one point today, we will be eating some round challah with raisins and dippng apples into honey for a sweet New Year. This is a photo of NHL from last year as we celebrated with my parents.

Along with these traditions, we also hope to have some pomegranate. Here is an explanation from Ariela Pelaia’s About.com guide of Rosh HaShanah Food Customs – Symbolic Foods of the Jewish New Year:

New Fruit

On the second night of Rosh Hashanah, we eat a "new fruit" – meaning, a fruit that has recently come into season but that we have not yet had the opportunity to eat. When we eat this new fruit, we say the shehechiyanu blessing thanking God for keeping us alive and bringing us to this season. This ritual reminds us to appreciate the fruits of the earth and being alive to enjoy them.

A pomegranate is often used as this new fruit. In the Bible, the Land of Israel is praised for its pomegranates. It is also said that this fruit contains 613 seeds just as there are 613 mitzvot. Another reason given for blessing and eating pomegranate on Rosh HaShanah is that we wish that our good deeds in the ensuing year will be as plentiful as the seeds of the pomegranate.

Ariela’s also writes on her blog called Baking and Books which is on hiatus right now. Always love her holiday inspired recipes.

So my questions to you this week is inspired by Rosh Hashanah:

If you were to pick a "new fruit" to try, which would you select? Have you ever tried pomegranates and did you like them?

To all of those celebrating Rosh Hashanah I wish you and your family a Happy and Sweet New Year.

Be sure to enter for a chance to win with my two giveaways –>  the What Are the Odds? kids music CD (ends 9/12) and Seventh Generation Back to School Kit (ends 9/16).

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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha #116