Fall and a new year

Lynda from Een klein stukje van mij is hosting a super Fall give away and everybody participating is posting about Fall, Autumn. So I thought I will try also, but we don't really have Fall here! We have a dry warm season from April till October (summer) and a wet season from October till April (winter). I so miss the Autumn fall season of Holland! But than, yesterday we got a lovely surprise! It rained!! Not a few drops, no, a couple of showers! Ah the smell of rain in the earth, after a long dry hot rainless summer! So not only did we pass the September 21 date, we also had the first rain and so I can say, Fall has officially arrived here! It's still 26 degrees Celcius, but the start is there :)

We are not just celebrating the first rain this month, we also celebrate New Year coming wednesday! Our "winter" season starts with Rosh hashana, the Jewish New year. Rosh hashana means the head of the year. It's followed by Jom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the only day the Gates to heaven are opened, the day we ask forgiveness for all our sins and wrongdoings and pray to be written down in the Book of Life in the New year and the Festival of Succot, the Feast of Booths, where we build our Booth in the garden and eat in there all week. In the synagogue the prayer for rain is recited.

We celebrate at Rosh hashana with goodwishes and presents to friends
and with special foods.....

with round sweet Challabread (so the year may be round and sweet!)...

and with apple dipped in honey and pommegranate in sugar (so the year may be fruitful and sweet!).....

and with a wonderful family meal, everybody dressed in his best (often new) clothes.....

Toasting to a  wonderful new year!

Linking up to Een klein stukje van mij!