Sephardic Jews have a tradition that is somewhat new to Ashkenazi Jews, but becoming increasingly popular—the Rosh Hashanah Seder. In my family we’ve always had apples and honey for a sweet new year and a round challah to represent wholeness and the cycle of nature and time. The seder takes it a step … well, several steps … further, and incorporates a whole list of foods that are each an omen—a wish/prayer—for the new year. These are all based on either a visual representation of the item or a play on the name of an ingredient.

For each of these foods, we offer a specific blessing before we eat it. Experimentation has taught me that, with my family, it’s best to go through all of the blessings at once, in advance of the meal, because once these folks start eating, grabbing everyone’s attention and steering them back to ritual is like trying to herd cats. Which, if you have nineteen cats, you’ll know is impossible. If your group is of a different mindset than mine, you can say each blessing as the corresponding food is served.

The goal of these omens is for them to act as reminders. By eating all of these foods that have positive connotations, the hope is that we’ll realize that now is the time we need to be asking for these good things, because now is the time we’re being examined. It’s not only our actions that are being scrutinized, it’s also our hearts and our intentions. The omens remind us of what we should want, as well as what we need.