On the first night of Rosh Hashanah we eat foods which have various symbolic meanings.

What is the source of this custom?

It is based on a Talmudic teaching:

"Abaye taught - 'Now that you have said that an omen is significant, at the beginning of the year each person should accustom himself to eat gourds, fenugreek, leeks, beets and dates .' " (These symbolize sweetness, increase [of observance], destruction of enemies, etc...)

So, so why an apple? Actually we eat apple dipped in honey. At the festive meal we take a piece of apple and dip it into honey as a token of the wish for a sweet year, adding the blessing: "May it be your will, Lord our God and God of our fathers, to renew us a good and sweet year." It works.

A favorite symbolic food is the fish which symbolizes the blessing of many children. The following prayer is added to the regular blessings on the food: "May it be your will, Lord and God of our fathers, that we be fruitful and multiply like fish." If the head, in particular, is eaten, then the following prayer is added: "May it be your will... that we be as the head and not as the tail."

Other symbolic foods eaten, whose Hebrew names have dual meanings of significance, include carrots, cabbage, and the pomegranate.