Friday, August 27, 2021

Rosh Hashanah Celebrations

As the end of the summer season approaches, that means it’s time to wish your friends and family ‘Shanah Tovah!’ That’s right; it is finally time to start celebrating Rosh Hashanah with the people you love. Rosh Hashanah marks the first days of the Jewish new year. This year Rosh Hashanah comes to us quite early starting on September 6, 2021 (Labor Day!) and continues until September 8, 2021. That said, we at More Than Paper have devised a list of tips that will make your Rosh Hashanah holiday the sweetest one yet!

1.     Give thanks, reflect, and change:

Just like with the secular New Year, Rosh Hashanah is a time to reflect upon our past, be grateful for it, and plan to improve for the future. With that being said, here are some tips we have to help you make sure you follow through on these resolutions. The first suggestion we have is to take time to really reflect on the past year. Take the time to recall any instances in which you feel gratitude or that you see a need for improvement. Next, we advise that you write down your goals or resolutions so that you can refer back to them throughout the year ahead. Another tip that we have is to find someone you trust to help you keep yourself accountable as the year continues. Finally, our last tip is to make sure to give yourself some grace if you fall short of your goals. We realize it can be incredibly challenging to achieve your resolutions, so give yourself a break if you mess up. We’re all human; what matters is that you are trying!

 

2.     Listen to the Shofar for good measure:

The second tip we have to make this Rosh Hashanah one for the books is to listen to the shofar. The Shofar is a ram’s horn that is ceremonially blown during the Rosh Hashanah festivities. Listening to the Shofar is one of the many ways we are reminded to look deeper into ourselves and reflect on the past year. With many of us missing the opportunity to hear the shofar in person last year, we are guessing that finally hearing the shofar again in person will be a more emotional experience than usual. One thing the past year has taught us is to not take things for granted. Be present and soak it all in.

 

3.     Don’t be afraid to indulge in some tasty traditional foods:

One of our favorite Rosh Hashanah customs is indulging in its tasty traditional dishes! When preparing for the Rosh Hashanah holiday, make sure you don’t forget the apples and honey to ensure you and your family have the sweetest new year! Other traditional foods to consider including in your Rosh Hashanah celebrations are yummy pomegranates (did you know that there are 613 seeds in a pomegranate – the same number of commandments in the Torah – hence why it has become a traditional food) or delicious round challah (not just any challah – but a round challah to represent the idea that the year is round – or a continuous cycle). Not a traditional Jewish New Year food, but a tradition in our family, is to make and serve gefilte fish for the holiday. You can check out our posted gefilte fish recipe here.

 

4.     Make sure to wish your friends and family a “Sweet New Year”:

One way to celebrate the Rosh Hashanah holiday is to wish your friends and family ‘Shanah Tovah!’ or “Happy New Year!” Not only is this a common courtesy in the Jewish community, but it has also now become a tradition-whether that be said in person or via snail mail with a Jewish New Year greeting card. With that being said, make sure to let your friends and family know you hope they have the sweetest new year! 

 

5.     Show off your new threads:

We’re not sure if this is really a true tradition but it is always a fun unofficial part of the holiday – wearing new clothes to the synagogue for the High Holy Days and being able to check out the latest fashion trends! This year, however, many of us are just happy to be getting back to the synagogue in person – so don’t worry so much about the fashion trends this year. Just be grateful to be able to show up and be with others!


After sharing with you our tips and tricks to making your Rosh Hashanah the sweetest one yet, here is one of our most popular Jewish New Cards this year.


Send your friends and family sweet new year tidings with this “Seasons of Life” Jewish New Year card by Michele Pulver. Each set of cards is environmentally conscientious, being made with carbon-neutral cardstock. Accompanying these beautiful cards are matching self-sealing white envelopes with free printed return address that will make sending these cards to your family and friends even easier! Please visit the More Than Paper website for more information on these Seasons of Life Jewish New Year Cards or more Rosh Hashanah greeting cards.