What is Challah?

Challah is a special braided bread eaten by most Jews on the Sabbath and holidays. According to Jewish tradition, each Sabbath and holiday meal begins with a blessing over two loaves of bread. This "lechem mishneh" (double loaf) represents the double serving of manna that fell from the heavens in honor of sabbath and holidays when the Israelites traveled through the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. The manna is a symbol of prosperity and contentment. Traditionally, each challah is constructed from six braids (12 total for the two challahs). These represent the twelve loaves of show-bread arranged weekly in the Holy Temple. This also is a sign of wealth and prosperity.

On Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) it is customary to use a round challah instead of the braided challah. On the New Year we celebrate the coronation of G-d as the King of the world. The round challah looks like a crown and is symbolic of G-d's kingship. The round challah is also symbolic of the year that goes round and round, always coming back to the same seasons.