If you have Jewish friends you probably know that these days Jewish community is preparing for Rosh Hashanah. That is the name for the Jewish New Year.
Rosh Hashanah is observed for two days, which takes place on the first two days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei (usually it is sometime in September). This year Rosh Hashanah is celebrated on September 24-25. FlowersUSSR has been serving the international Jewish community for many years and is now once again getting ready to assist those who are far away from their family and dear friends but want to wish them a Happy Rosh Hashanah.
In the Jewish oral tradition, Rosh Hashanah marks the completion of the creation of the world. Rosh Hashanah literally means “head of the year”. Jewish population does not work on those days and much of their day is spent in a synagogue. One of the most important observances of Rosh Hashanah is listening to the sounds of the shofar in the synagogue. The shofar is a ram’s horn which is blown like a trumpet and symbolizes a literal and spiritual wake-up call for the people.
Similar to the U.S. tradition of making “resolutions” for the New Year, the Jewish New Year is a time for introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and making plans for the coming year.
Another popular observance during Rosh Hashanah is eating apples dipped in honey which symbolizes sweetness of the new year.
Other traditional Rosh Hashanah foods dried fruits, honey cake and pomegranate are eaten for the same reason – to bring sweetness to the coming year.
Now you might be wondering what is the custom of gift giving for Rosh Hashanah. The first thing to know about Rosh Hashanah is that gift giving is absolutely optional. You do not have to send gifts to all your Jewish friends; however, if you are invited to someone’s house for a celebration, it is a nice gesture to bring a small gift or flowers. If you are wondering what exactly is an appropriate gift for the Jewish New Year, the tips below might give you some ideas:
The most appropriate gifts to give at Rosh HaShanah are associated with the symbols of the holiday. Rosh HaShanah symbols include anything sweet to bless the recipient with a sweet new year.
- Perhaps the most common Rosh HaShanah gift given in Israel is the food gift basket. Such gift baskets often include chocolates, honey, wine and dried fruits.
If you wish to order a gift basket with a bottle of wine to be delivered to a recipient in the U.S., make sure to contact us and verify if that is possible for that specific location. This is because a florist in the U.S. must have a special alcohol license in order to deliver alcoholic products and in some places there are no florists who have one; thus making the delivery of wine impossible. As an alternative, delivering a bottle of grape juice instead is also an option. FlowersUSSR team will be happy to assist you and will let you know if delivery of wine is possible in a specific location in the U.S. - Another kind of a gift basket appropriate as a Jewish New Year gift would be a fruit basket. Make sure to include pomegranate and apples as they are associated with the New Year celebration and if possible include a jar of honey.
- Whether you are going to a Jewish New Year dinner or just want to send a gift to your dear ones, a bouquet of flowers is always a good choice. The traditional bouquets for Rosh Hashanah would be white with some blue or pink shades. Our updated catalog offers a few options of the bouquets appropriate for the Jewish New Year.
