Since Rosh Hashanah is right around the corner, I wanted to share some steps I use to help prepare for the new year!
Traditional Food
When it comes to the new year, normal challah just won’t do. You can either buy or bake your own special round challah, depending on your schedule, though I recommend baking your own if you can, just because it’s a lot of fun! The round challah loaf represents a complete year, as well as the continuity of life, which is a big theme for the holiday as a whole.
A staple of Rosh Hashanah is apples and honey. Apples are symbols of health and life, and smothering slices in honey represents your wish for a “sweet” new year.
My first year of college without a car made it practically impossible for me to get my hands on honey, so I got creative. Common substitutes for honey include syrup of some kind or agave nectar.
Another food-related tradition is something called the “new fruit,” which is eaten right before a special prayer about praising new experiences. It has a lot of stipulations, but basically, it’s when you eat a seasonal fruit for the first time during the year, right before the meal. Most people eat pomegranates, but it can also include things like star fruit and durian.
Clean up your space
As the seasons change and fall settles in, I like to do a good scrub of my living space right before the new year. This means it’s time to throw out any unnecessary junk that’s been lying around for the last couple of months, and fix that lightbulb that you’ve been procrastinating getting to.
In fact, while you’re at it, you can use this as an excuse to rearrange your room. I know I always get that itch around this time, and it’s fun to start the new year off in a “new” room.
But it’s not just your physical space that can be cleared out, but your digital space as well. I’m talking about old bookmarks you don’t need anymore on your computer, apps you haven’t used in months, Spotify playlists from middle school, and so much more!
Visiting graves of loved ones
Another old Jewish custom is to visit the final resting place of friends and family before Rosh Hashanah. Many recite the Mourner’s Kaddish over a loved one’s grave and place a stone on top of their headstone.
If you don’t have time in your schedule to go right before Rosh Hashanah, it’s also totally okay to do this during the ten days of repentance instead, which is just the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Make new year’s resolutions!
As the new year approaches, it’s time to start thinking about all the goals (big or small) that you’ll set for yourself this upcoming year, and jot them down on paper or your notes app. Resolutions set the tone for the upcoming year, so I’d recommend something more positive. Personally, my top one so far is playing with my dog more often!