Uman is preparing to celebrate Rosh Hashanah: what kind of holiday is it and how many pilgrims are expected this year

In September, Hasidim celebrate an important holiday for them, which symbolizes the beginning of the new year – Rosh Hashanah. The center of the celebration is the city of Uman in Cherkasy Oblast, because it is there that the grave of the spiritual mentor of the Hasidic movement, Tzadik Nachman, is located.

In the last year of his life, Nachman called on his followers to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with him. After his death, his disciples interpreted this as an instruction to visit their mentor’s grave every year.

During the days of celebration, Jews attend synagogue for communal prayer and blow the shofar, a Jewish ritual instrument. They believe that this sound calls them to remember their mistakes and analyze their actions, as well as to appear before God’s judgment seat and repent.

During Rosh Hashanah, there is a tradition of eating a round loaf of bread, challah. It is believed that its shape reminds us of the end of another year and symbolizes the beginning of a new cycle of life. It is important that the festive table has honey so that the year is sweet, pomegranates so that good deeds multiply, carrots so that there is abundance, and dates so that all bad things are left in the past.

This year, Hasidim will celebrate Rosh Hashanah from September 22 to 24. The first pilgrims have already arrived in Ukraine. A total of 50,000 pilgrims are expected, Suspilne reports .

The city is already preparing to welcome the Hasidim. On September 16, checkpoints will be set up in the pilgrimage area: workers will pass through with passes and police checks, and the Hasidim will pay a tourist fee.

The taxes paid by pilgrims are used to fill the budget and offset expenses. In particular, last year, during the celebration, Uman received about 17 million hryvnias in tourist fees.

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