A Goy’s Guide to Dressing for a Rosh Hashanah Invitation

Here’s the situation: You have been invited to celebrate Rosh Hashanah over dinner with some Jewish friends. You know it’s a celebration of the Jewish New Year, but you really have no idea what that means. What should you wear? Is it like New Year’s Eve? Should you bring horns and party hats? Well no, but if you know your way around a shofar you may get to make some noise.

First, some background is necessary. Rosh Hashanah is one of the three major Jewish holidays, and kicks off an eight day period known as the High Holidays. The observation ends with Yom Kippur, or the day of atonement. This can most accurately be described as a day of prayer and fasting. Think of it as “Jewish confession.”

Rosh Hashanah, however is quite the opposite. It is a day to celebrate the fact that everyone has survived another year on the planet, and to ask God to include all those present in the “Book of Life” for yet another year. This year’s observance will mark the start of year 5773. Typically a shofar, or ram’s horn, is blown to signify the start of the high holy day period.

As you can imagine, there is some seriousness in this celebration, which is a factor you find in most Jewish holidays. So, if you’re invited to a Rosh Hashanah gathering, what should you wear?

You can’t go wrong with a conservative dress in one color with matching shoes. It shows off your good taste and when in doubt, you can never be too dressed up for something you have never attended before. Besides, you may be meeting up with your friends after they have attended temple services, and will most likely be dressed up too.

If you have some time before the date to shop for a nice dress, you might try doing some online shopping as the fall sales start to kick in.

It’s a good idea to find out just how religious or liberal your Jewish friends are. You’re less likely to be invited in the first place if your friends are very orthodox, but every family has their own preferences.

If your friend tells you that it’s going to be an informal affair, be sure to ask just how informal. Many Jewish people will describe themselves as culturally Jewish — that is, they observe the major holidays more as a cultural tradition than as a deeply religious ceremony. It’s much like the way many people celebrate Christmas and Easter for the material aspects of the holiday rather than the spectacle.

So whether the gathering takes place around your friend’s dining room table or outside at a park picnic bench, when it doubt, dress up for the affair.

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