The scene is set. You’ve organized a brilliant Jewish holiday get-together. The guests are on their way, the house is decorated, the matzo soup is cooking and the dining room is ready to be the heart of the celebration.
But you’ve forgotten something. In a very basic way, you’re going to be invigorating all of the senses of your guests – the sight, the feel, the taste – except one. The smell. Dining rooms often give off quite a simple, woody or even dusty fragrance, mostly due to the fact they are rarely used in comparison to other rooms.
Of course, a good clean is on the cards, but there are other things you can also do to ensure the aurora of your dining room is pitch perfect. Fragrances like lime, lemon, lavender, jasmine, sandalwood and more are often utilized to create a warm, welcoming aurora whenever you walk into the dining room. But which you choose will depend on what Jewish holiday you are celebrating.
Well, okay, maybe it won’t. But it’s fun to match the celebrations with the fragrances, especially if you want this occasion to be as perfect as you can make it! With this in mind, let’s look at the five biggest Jewish holidays and what fragrances will be the perfect match for each of them:
Rosh Hashanah
If you’re getting ready to celebrate Rosh Hashanah – the Jewish new year – it is likely that you’ve got a honey cake or two sitting in the oven. Honey is one of the key ingredients in this holiday, so matching the theme with some unique honey scented candles can be a great way to complement this.
Sukkot
Every member of the Jewish faith is aware of the importance of the etrog during the Sukkot holidays. This is a yellow citron fruit, meaning the fragrance to use in the dining room should undoubtedly be citrus based – with either lemon, lime or green apple as the leading scent.
Passover
While there are no specific ingredients and meals to eat on Passover, some of the most popular include coconut custard and rhubarb tart, as well as coconut macaroons. These often find their way onto the passover seder plate, so it’s a great idea to match their scents with some coconut-y fragrances. After all, the smell of coconut is scientifically proven to make us feel good and put a smile on our faces!
Yom Kippur
An essential ingredient for Yom Kippur is – like Rosh Hashana – honey, so there’s nothing stopping you going for a honey-scented dining room all over again. Apart from this, it’s a great idea to utilize more citrusy or lavender scents, as they are known to provide a welcoming, warm and clean scent that can liven up the space.
Hanukkah
Lastly, Hanukkah is the perfect time to whip out your cinnamon or walnut-scented candles. Taking place in the winter, these can provide a warm, cozy and relaxed vibe that will certainly match the festive feeling that you are going for. Just be careful, cinnamon scents are known to induce sleepiness, so don’t use so much that your guests doze off at the dinner table!