Beginnings of a Rosh Hashana Menu

Wherever I go lately, everyone's talking about her Yom Tov Rosh Hashana menu. It's getting annoying. I'm still working on putting out the Rosh Hashana issue of Voices Magazine, so I don't have time to think of anything.

But I am feeling bad that I'm not yet in the holiday spirit at all, so I pulled out last year's menu. Somewhere I have to add in food for another day (this year, we've got three days of praying and feasting in a row), and I've gotta make some adjustments, but at least, I can use the menu below as a basis of my Rosh Hashana.

I hope it helps you too. Make any changes you like, and perhaps write to me and I can use your suggestions.

Non-Traditional Traditions

As you'll notice, my family adds its own simanim (symbols of a new year) in addition to the traditional ones we eat at our Yom Tov meal at our best friends' home.

Some of the traditional simanim are honey for a sweet new year; rubia (fenugreek) so that our merits will yirbu (increase); silka (beets) so that our enemies will be siluk (removed), etc.

Our family has always had fun with simanim. That itself is a siman (symbol) of a fun new year. As a small child, my daughter, had a favorite doll named Honey Bee. She loved Honey Bee so much, I made matching clothing for the little doll and my living doll. When Honey Bee was finally loved to pieces, my daughter still could not "part" with her, so we used Honey Bee's head on the Rosh Hashana table as a siman. May we be like the head and not the tail.

FIRST NIGHT

Apple dipped in honey for a sweet New Year
Carrot sticks – gezer – that Hashem should change any evil decree against us
Pomegranate - rimon – that our lives should be filled with as many mitzvot as a promegranate
Chicken soup with kreplach - may our pockets always be filled
Roast Beef – so that any accusers who beef against us should be roasted
Rice with vegetables – including pilpel – so that we should be good in gemora
Zucchini - kishuim – so that children should also kiss your Ema (mother)
Apple crunch – so that our lives will be sweet and our enemies will be crunched
Creamsicles – so the coming year will always be soft and yummy

FIRST DAY

Chulent – so that the Jewish people will get along like all the mix of a chulent
Chicken – so that our enemies will be chicken
Dates - tamar – so that all singles should have dates

Broccoli souffle – that our mazel (luck) will flower like a broccoli
Cole Slaw – so their souls should be merry like Ol' King Cole
Chocolate Chip Bar Teddy Bear Head – so we can be the head and not the tail

SECOND NIGHT

Soup with kneidlach (matza balls) if it’s hot -so that life may always be light and fluffly
Turkey (called Hodu in Hebrew) – Hodu L’Hashem ki tov - Praise Hashem who is good.
Butternut squash – our enemies should be squashed
Mushroom Onion Crepes – that our descendents should mushroom
Cranberry-Apple crunch – ditto above
Rice with vegetables – ditto above

Peanut Butter Squares – so that we can devour Jimmy Carter’s memory (leftovers)

SECOND DAY

Gefilte Fish – so that the swimming pool’s filter will always work
Leftover Turkey – so that we'll do so many mitzvot, we will have leftovers
More leftovers

[I still have to come out with a menu for Shabbat day. Maybe you'll help me out. :) )
May Hashem bless us all with a healthy, happy new year.
May everyone be matzliach in everything he does,
and may he try to do everything well. Peace and good news for all Am Yisrael.