In all the Rosh Hashanah hullabaloo (great word), there’s one thing we haven’t talked about at all. And that’s the matter of what the heck to do if you’re not hosting, but rather guest-ing. Because believe it or not, guest-ing can actually be a lot more stressful. Particularly if you’re visiting the home of a significant other’s parents (I am frequently receiving end of frantic DMs related to precisely this scenario) or you’ve just never observed the holiday before.
Well, friends, that’s what this post is all about: lovely Rosh Hashanah hostess gifts that are as sophisticated as they are thoughtful. You certainly don’t have to stick to my list; this is really intended to serve as a jumping-off point for other similarly wonderful ideas. And frankly, you can absolutely treat Rosh Hashanah hostess gifts the same way you’d treat any other hostess gifts. There’s just one exception here: food gifts. If your host keeps kosher, you’ll probably want to play it safe and stay away from food altogether—and in fact, if you’re not sure whether your host keeps kosher, it’s better to be safe than sorry. (You’ll notice there’s some cute foodie finds on my list; that’s because we are “kosher style,” not kosher, and these things would all be welcome in our home.)
Other than that, just have fun with these gifts! I personally added quite a few honey-themed things, but truly, anything goes—there are no super special guidelines to keep in mind (besides the one I mentioned above). In any event, as always, the best gift you can bring is a respect for the traditions of the home that you’re about to enter. The High Holidays are an incredibly important, somewhat solemn-but-also-celebratory, undeniably weighty occasion for Jewish people around the world.
I hope these finds are helpful or inspiring to you, and I hope you have a wonderful, lovely, sweet new year—wherever and with whomever you spend it.
THE JEWISH COOKBOOK
HONEY & CORNBREAD COOKIES ICE CREAM
KOSHER WINE
WILLIAMS SONOMA OVEN MITT
HONEYCOMB CHEESE KNIVES SET
9-PIECE RAW HONEY FLIGHT
JO MALONE POMEGRANATE NOIR CANDLE
GOLD HONEY DIPPER
CHOCOLATE BEES
FANCY TRUFFLE HONEY
A BOUQUET OF FRESH FLOWERS
DEAN & DELUCA COOKBOOK
SAVANNAH BEE COMPANY HONEY FLUTE
Thank you for much needed help!