How to Decorate Your Home for Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashana—or Jewish New Year—is a two-day celebration that occurs in late summer or early fall. In 2022, Rosh Hashana starts on Sunday, September 25, and ends on Tuesday, September 27. It’s celebrated on Tishri's first and second days and precedes ten days of penitence that come before Yom Kippur. While this holiday is a time of solemn introspection, it’s also a celebration of the coming year.
One way to mark the occasion is with home décor. Keep reading for some Rosh Hashanah decorating ideas that are easy to do, along with menu ideas and fashion tips so that you and your home are dressed for the holiday:
Home Décor in Rosh Hashanah Hues
An easy way to decorate for Rosh Hashanah is to adjust your home’s color palette. If you have neutral furniture, then you have an ideal foundation that’s adaptable to any holiday. Look for cozy throw blankets, decorative pillows, and wall decorations in colors that represent the season and the meaning of the holiday.
White is the main color for Rosh Hashanah décor and fashion, as it represents purity and new beginnings. However, you can incorporate other colors into your home and wardrobe for the holiday, such as green and virtually any earth tone. Try combining browns, greens, and white throughout your home for a fresh and rustic look.
You can decorate each room for the holiday, and even subtle touches can make a difference. For example, a decorative floral arrangement in the kitchen with green and white botanicals can suffice. Or you can change your kitchen linens to suit your Rosh Hashana color scheme.
Fill seagrass baskets with monogrammed bath towels and luxury toiletries to update the bathroom; another option is to alternate green towels and white towels on a wood wall shelf. Small touches such as green and white candles can impart a luxe touch to the space.
In the bedroom, you can change your duvet cover to one in a holiday color or print. Duvet covers in white, green, and brown tones are a classically stylish option. A grouping of throw pillows on the bed and a matching blanket can pull the look together for a professionally designed appearance. Natural-fiber baskets and laundry hampers placed around the room can help you cut clutter while adding a nature-inspired ambiance.
Decorating Your Rosh Hashanah Table
The dining room is a focal point for Rosh Hashanah. Start with a crisp white tablecloth over your dining table, then add a neutral-toned plaid table runner for an elegantly layered look. Placemats can be a natural fiber, or you can opt for crisp white linen, which is also an excellent option when it comes to cloth napkins.
You can coordinate green charger plates with fine white porcelain dinnerware with a table centerpiece featuring white flowers and green foliage. Opt for sparkling crystal stemware and highly polished silver or gold-tone flatware to impart special occasion flair to your holiday table.
Ideas for Your Rosh Hashanah Menu
You can incorporate some traditional Rosh Hashanah foods into your holiday meal. Apples, pomegranates, and honey are three, which you can also add to the décor. For example, you could decorate with apple-shaped candleholders and white candles or with a wicker basket of fresh apples. Or opt for a honeybee theme with bee-and-hive-patterned dinnerware and work yellow into your color palette.
When it comes to food, start with an appetizer that’s light, fresh, and pleasing to the eye. One option is a marble cheese board layered with cheese and apples and accompanied by a sampling of gourmet honey. You can serve fresh pomegranate seeds in a faceted crystal dish as part of a fruit course or with dessert.
Fish and couscous are a popular part of the main meal, along with veggies such as spinach and chard. Sweet potato dishes and beets are also enjoyed for Rosh Hashana. To emphasize the vibrant natural colors of these foods, serve them on white dinnerware. Some styles of white dinnerware have patterned borders or gold rims for an upscale touch.
What to Wear for Rosh Hashanah
Now that you have some decorating ideas for Rosh Hashana, let’s talk a little about holiday fashion. While it’s imperative to be comfortable, you also want to be appropriately dressed. Fit-and-flare dresses in a holiday color—such as white or green—are one option that you can dress up with a women’s cardigan sweater or dress down with a jean jacket. Sheath dresses are another option, or you can opt for a dressy blouse and twill pants in a pleated or flat-front style, depending on your style preference.
Incorporate these Rosh Hashana decorating and fashion ideas into your own holiday celebration or adapt them to fit your needs. After the holiday, you don’t have to pack everything away. Many of the décor pieces and outfits that work for Rosh Hashana can be displayed and worn throughout the year.