Apples are eaten on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, primarily to symbolize the hope for a sweet and healthy new year. This tradition often involves dipping apple slices into honey to express the wish for a good and sweet year ahead. The apple represents sweetness and healing, and is also tied to Jewish symbolism, such as the reference to the apple tree in the Song of Songs, highlighting its rarity, sweetness, and pleasant aroma. The combination of apple and honey reflects prayers for sweetness and blessings in the coming year. This custom likely dates back to the medieval period and is imbued with deeper spiritual meanings, including allusions to the Garden of Eden and the binding of Isaac, symbolizing transformation from severity to sweetness on Rosh Hashanah.