Practical Judaism * Some Laws and Customs of Rosh Hashanah
This year, that Rosh Hashanah is on Shabbos and Sunday, there are unique laws for the Holiday.
Before Shabbos-Rosh Hashanah begins on Friday evening, we light candles as every Shabbos and holiday 18 minutes before sunset. There is a special blessing for the Shabbos and Rosh Hashanah candles which can be found in the Machzor for Rosh Hashanah.
We make Kiddush and then we make a blessing over two loaves of bread, customarily round loaves for Rosh Hashanah. We dip the bread in honey. After we eat the bread we take an apple peace and dip it in honey and then recite the Brachah on the apple “Ha'eitz" and then we recite “May You give us a new good and sweet year."
We eat the head of a Ram (or a fish) the first night and also pomegranate the first night.
We don't eat any sour or bitter foods on Rosh Hashanah.
We say a lot of Tehilim every free moment.
We say additional prayers in the Grace after meals for Shabbos and Rosh Hashanah.
In the morning prayers we add to the Rosh Hashanah prayers the special additions for Shabbos.
We do not blow Shofar this year on the first day of Rosh Hashanah as it is Shabbos. We only hear the Shofar the second day (Sunday). Tashlich, a prayer at the water, is also postponed to Sunday because the first day is Shabbos.
Saturday night after the stars come out we light the Holiday candles from a pre-existing flame that we lit before Shabbos.
In Kiddush we add Havdalah as appears in the Machzor. When we say "Borei Meorei Haeish" we only look at the candles, we do not pick them up etc.
On Sunday it is very important to hear the Shofar being blown.
After Mincha we do Tashlich, a prayer at the water.
The Rebbe King Moshiach Shlita encourages everyone to go around and blow Shofar for people that did not hear it.