Holidays and Horns

Many of our New Year's Day celebrations begin with special church services, the blowing of horns and noisemakers, lots of well-wishing, and lots of football. I just enjoyed watching Penn State beat Tennessee in the Outback Bowl, as a matter of fact. :)

The New Year's Day holiday Jesus would have celebrated as He walked this earth was the Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah. It was one of the seven feasts celebrated throughout the year. The hope of each feast was actually fulfilled through Jesus' life. Rosh Hashanah was the beginning of a new religious year, and people celebrated by attending religious services, acknowledging God's sovereignty and future day of judgment. The only commandment specified of the holiday was the blowing of the shofar, the Ram's Horn, which gets its significance from the ram which God provided to Abraham, to take the place of his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. On Rosh Hashanah, the shofar was blown a minimum of one hundred times, including a series of thirty blasts indicating the hope of the Messiah's coming. I imagine that Jesus knew that hope was being fulfilled in Him, both in His lifetime, and when He comes again.

Rosh Hashanah means "Head of the Year" and is now observed for two days (in the Fall of our calendar year). It is celebrated with greeting cards and special foods. After Rosh Hashanah services, Jews say to one another, "May you be inscribed in the Book of Life". Seems a bit more significant than saying, "Happy New Year".

So, it would seem that with the all the horn-blowing and well-wishing, our New Year's Day may have been a bit similar to that which Jesus knew. 'Cept for the football.