Rosh Hashanah – A time for Hope, Blessings and, Of Course, New Year Gifts!

When you feel a slight nip in the air, sense the winds picking up speed and see shop shelves filling up with pomegranates and apples, you know it’s time for Rosh Hashanah! The Jewish New Year known as ‘Rosh Hashanah’ (meaning – Head of the year) will start this year, 2021, after sunset on Monday, September 6th and last until sunset on Wednesday, September 8th. 

A time of hope for the new year and of reflecting on the actions of the past year, Rosh Hashanah is celebrated by the Jewish community worldwide with beautiful traditions. The Shofar is blown early in the morning as one of the festival’s most important customs.

The Rosh Hashanah Meal

The Rosh Hashanah Holiday meal is traditionally eaten after sunset, by the warm glow of candlelight, lit to usher in the holiday. A fish head is placed on the table signifying the desire to be a ‘head’ and not a ‘tail’.  Round Challah (a round braided loaf of bread) forms a part of the festive meal. There are interesting connotations to the shape of the bread – some say it symbolizes the cycle of life while others call it a crown (reiterating that God is our King).

Freshly harvested fruit is a key element of Rosh Hashanah. Pomegranates, being one of the original species of the Holy Land and harvested during the time, is a key “New Fruit” at the meal signifying the hope for an abundance of good deeds in the new Jewish Year.

The most popular custom of the Rosh Hashanah meal is to eat apples dipped in honey. This is believed to set the tone for the rest of the year – that the new year be as sweet as honey.

Rosh Hashanah Gifts

The New Year is a time for all things new! People usually buy new things for their home, new clothes and jewelry for themselves and give gifts to loved ones. Jews all over the world excitedly prepare and plan thoughtful gifts for each other. To share the beauty and blessings of the holidays is important. Here are some beautiful gift ideas for Rosh Hashanah – you can get them for your home, for yourself or for family and friends!

Honey Dish

Honey Dishes feature high on the list of Rosh Hashanah Gifts for the home! Here is a hand-picked selection of sterling silver dishes from our collection:

Challah Board with Blessing

Rosh Hashanah Seder Plates

Personalized Rosh Hashanah Gifts

Personalized gifting is all the rage this year. It’s thoughtful, it’s personal and strengthens our important connections. Don’t we all love that warm fuzzy feeling when we glance at a meaningful gift given to us by someone close? An inscription makes it all the more special.

At Baltinester, we do personalized engravings on a wide variety of jewelry and Judaica. So, whether it is a blessing, a Hebrew quote, your names or a custom message, we can engrave it for you!

From all of us at Baltinester, we wish everyone a bright and happy new year – Shana Tova!