Rosh Hashanah, The Jewish New Year, and Shana Tova Food Gift Baskets

This is the season where words like Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year, High Holy Days, apples and honey, and shofar are bandied about with wild abandon. We thought it would be nice if someone could explain what's going on in a concise and coherent manner.

The holiday does, in fact, go by many names. The day has Biblical origin, and there it is referred to as the Day of Blowing the Horn. Alternatively, the Bible calls it the Day of Remembrance for the Blowing of the Horn. It is only later in history that the name Rosh Hashanah, Hebrew for "First of the Year," came into use.

The Biblical term for it reflects the positive commandment to sound the shofar on the holiday. The shofar is a hollowed-out ram's horn and carries religious and cultural significance. The more commonly known title of Rosh Hashanah emphasizes the day's standing as the beginning of the Jewish year. Though there are three other Jewish New Years at various times throughout the Hebrew calendar year, Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish calendar year.

Rosh Hashanah also begins a time period collectively known as the Yamim Nora'im, or Days of Awe. This time marks the yearly judgment by God and culminates with the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). The judgment begins on Rosh Hashanah and is more or less finalized by Yom Kippur. Thus, some of the customs of Rosh Hashanah reflect the somber undertones.

Two customs emphasizing the judgment are the apple in honey and Shana Tova greetings. The apple in honey is actually only one of several traditional foods eaten on these auspicious days. The overarching principle of all these customary foods is to remind people to beseech God for a good judgement. Apples in honey are a sweet delicacy, indicative of a sweet judgement.

Shana Tova greetings follow similar logic, but are more outward looking. Before the festival and on the festival, Jewish people around the world greet each other with blessings for a positive judgment and a sweet year. Whatever language the blessing is said in, it bears the same intent.

Another form of Shana Tova greetings involves food gift baskets. Though there is no real basis in tradition for exchanging kosher gift baskets during this season, it can still be a worthwhile endeavor. The exchange sincerely reflects wishes for a good year while serving to cement relationships between friends and loved ones. 

The Sweet Shoppe provides beautiful gift baskets for every occasion and carries a full line of Shana Tova gifts. Call today and arrange for a gift basket delivery to a friend or  loved one!

Enjoy a Jewish Wedding with The Sweet Shoppe!

Feast for the King and Queen

Wedding season is in full swing. The combination of balmy weather and blooming foliage creates the perfect ambiance for a host of nuptials.

We at The Sweet Shoppe have worked long and hard to prepare the greatest line of food gift baskets and gifts for celebrating these momentous occasions.

As each guest arrives at the wedding, a tuxedo-clad waiter pours her a glass of champagne. The bottle, of course, is elegantly dressed in one of our tuxedo or wedding dress bottle covers. At many Jewish weddings, a small basket of our personalized yarmulkas is available for male guests.

After much ado, the traditional marriage ceremony—the chupah—begins. The groom and bride are led down the aisle to the strains of wedding marches or violin concertos. The ceremony proceeds and reaches its poignant conclusion, the breaking of the glass in remembrance of the Temple. Keep the moment safe by enclosing the glass goblet in our specially made glass-breaking pouch.

The celebratory meal begins and guests are greeted by well bedecked tables laden with luscious food and aged wine. Good cheer ensues, followed by fast-paced dancing, loud toasts, and numerous hugs.

The bride and groom extricate themselves from the crowd of well-wishers and depart for the night's lodging. Whether they are off to their newly furnished apartment or a luxurious hotel, they will appreciate being greeted by a thoughtfully placed gift basket filled with champagne, pastries, and snacks. The Sweet Shoppe has an extensive choice of welcome bags and baskets that are perfectly suited for this momentous occasion.

As the next morning dawns, the happy couple can be surprised with a specially prepared breakfast feast with all their favorite foods. The basket we offer includes gift basket delivery by hand to any location in the Tri-state area. The newlyweds will be pleased to have delicious kosher food to start off their first full day as a married couple!

As time goes by, the newly wedded couple will find themselves writing thank you cards to friends and relatives who generously gave of their time and money for the momentous event. This is a great time to remember the particularly important people involved in the wedding. Parents deserve a special thank you. The maid of honor, the best man, bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girl, and ring bearer have to be recognized too. The Sweet Shoppe has created a variety of food gift baskets and bags for this purpose. Check out these and our other choices at our website http://www.thesweetshoppe.com/.

Welcome to Our Blog!

Hello and welcome to The Sweet Shoppe Kosher Gift Baskets Blog! We sell unique, strictly kosher gift baskets for every type of occasion.  We focus a lot on seasons: Rosh Hashana, Holidays/Chanukah, and Purim.

We offer 10% of the order as a referral fee to the event planner. We'd also like to see an increase in corporate clients ordering the everyday gifts they may need from us all year round.