Judaism is known to be a religion that has countless interesting traditions and ceremonies which can intrigue even non-religious people. One of them is the popular Housewarming, and that’s exactly what we are here to talk about today.
Chances are that not many of you know what the housewarming tradition is, so we are going to start by explaining everything you need to know step by step, and then move on to the other interesting things, such as choosing the best gifts.
What is a Housewarming Tradition?
In the Jewish culture, when a family purchases a new home, or they just move into a new living area, their friends and family bring in bread and salt as a part of the housewarming ceremony and a few other gifts that don’t have to be connected with the main meaning of the tradition.
Why exactly bread and salt? We were wondering the same thing, but this is what the meaning behind all of that is.
The bread is a symbol which means that the family will never have to experience hunger during their lifetime. The salt is a symbol which means that their life should always have flavor. And the third thing that people often bring is sugar, which is something that symbolizes eternal “sweetness”. It all makes sense when you break it down this way.
Why food?
It is said that Jewish people don’t like to put priority over something crucial for the existence of a person, and that’s food. So, the first and most important gift that is brought is always food, and then if there are room and will for something else, they bring décor, jewels and all sorts of materialistic gifts.
However, bread salt and sugar is something that’s always going to be considered as most important in the Jewish Housewarming Tradition. Other types of food are also commonly used as gifts, such as wine, cakes, and nuts, so if you are ever attending such a ceremony, don’t hesitate to bring some of those, you won’t go wrong with your choice.
How to choose a gift
Because Jewish people appreciate and value even the slightest materialistic things, be sure that whatever you purchase, they’ll find out the deeper meaning of it, so you can’t really go wrong, but here are some very interesting ideas anyway.
- A jar of sweet honey
Just like sugar is something that symbolizes your wish for the family to have a sweet life, honey is the same, except it’s a lot more delicious, and people love receiving it as a gift.
- Olive Oil
We all know that the healthiest type of oil is Olive Oil, and when someone brings an entire bottle as a gift, it means that they are wishing the receiver a lot of health and well-being in the future.
- Jars of Rice
Almost every home has rice, and it’s a staple, but in the Jewish culture, gifting someone a few jars of rice means that you are wishing the love in their home to multiply, just like the rice beans.
- Wooden Décor
Any wooden décor or wooden items that you’ll purchase for the family hosting the housewarming will express your will for their home to have harmony, stability, and peace. Don’t restrict yourself to just a few items, feel free to purchase wall-art made out of wood, or any other type of kitchen supplies.
- Brooms
If you are not very familiar with the symbolic and deep meanings of the gifts in the Jewish culture, you will probably wonder why someone would gift a broom to a family that just purchased a new home.
Well, by doing something like this, you are wishing for their home to be forever clean of unwanted things, and that’s a truly amazing thing that you can wish to someone who moved to a new place.
- A Coin
Gifting someone a coin means that you wish their life to be always full of fortune, and don’t stress too much if you cannot purchase a really expensive coin, because that’s not the point of the gift. It’s more about the symbolic meaning rather than the materialistic one.
- Plants
We already told you about all of the items and foods that have a special meaning for a housewarming tradition, and the last one on the list are plants. People often gift plants because they symbolize eternal life, and by getting one you are wishing the family to always grow and be vital like a plant.
You can go for any flower or any sort of plant, and there aren’t any rules that you have to follow with this one.
- Custom Design Candles
Candles play a huge role in the Jewish culture, but you can take things to the next level and purchase candles with your custom design that you’ve made, preferably with something that will mean a lot to the family receiving the gift.
If you are wondering where you can purchase all of these cool gifts, feel free to visit Jewish Shop. Besides, gifting a candle means that you wish their life to always have light.
Traditional Gift Choices
You can never go wrong by following the Jewish traditions if you want to choose a gift, so if you are doing this for the first time, or you are unsure what to pick, go for the more traditional choices.
A basket filled with food is something pretty standard, but so is a wine-bottle, so pick either according to your budget or try to figure out what is more important to the family that’s hosting the housewarming. Either way, you cannot go wrong, because a gift comes from your heart, and they will appreciate anything that you’ll give to them.
Conclusion
The Jewish culture is full of amazing traditions, and one of the most popular ones is hosting a housewarming ceremony whenever a family moves into a new home. People often bring items and foods with special meanings to wish them a good fortune and it’s truly a heart-warming thing to see.
