All of us at B & D Dental Excellence would like to wish those of the Jewish faith a happy Rosh Hashanah! We hope that you find good luck and good health going into the New Year.
For those that are unaware, Rosh Hashanah (also known as the Jewish New Year) started this past Sunday evening (September 13th) and ended nightfall on September 15th.
New Beginnings
Rosh Hashanah literally translates into “head of the year” and, as we mentioned above, is the first day of the year in the Jewish calendar. It is also the beginning of ten days of penitence that lead into Yom Kippur. Essentially this holiday marks the beginning of a period to reflect on your year and see where you could have done better.
Many people take this as an opportunity to consider self-improvements, which may include anything from changes in your oral hygiene to finally getting a cosmetic dentistry procedure you’ve long been wanting but keep putting off.
There’s Always Food!
Among the notable traditions of Rosh Hashanah is the use of shofar, or ram’s horns that are blown during prayer.
No holiday is complete without its particular food, and while Rosh Hashanah is a holiday meant for reflection and prayer, it is also a time to eat sweets. Typically these include wine, apples, honey, dates and pomegranates. While the sweets symbolize a sweet year, other not-so-sweet foods like black-eyed peas, leek, spinach, gourd, and fish heads (representing the head of the year!) are also eaten during this holiday. As a dentist, I would be remiss to not take the opportunity to mention that it is important to ensure that you are taking care of your teeth during this time, especially with the amount of sweets that are eaten during this holiday. Seemingly benign food has also been linked to tooth decay!
If you find that you maybe dipped into the honey too much and have found a cavity shoot us an e-mail, or contact us by phone at (845) 627-7645. We would be happy to bring you into the new year with a new healthier smile.
