Apples and Honey: Rustic Tabletop Decor
In this post: Decorating your fall table with apples and honey and rustic table decor is the perfect way to celebrate the harvest or Rosh Hashanah dinner.⇒
One of the most wonderful customs surrounding Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is the pairing of apples and honey. The apple slices are dipped in honey and eaten to signify a wish for a sweet New Year. But I’m always struck with the happy coincidence that apples are ever-present this time of year, a time of harvest, apple picking and back-to-school rituals. So naturally my holiday tablescape is often constructed around an apple motif.
To give the sweet elixir the presentation is deserves, each place setting can be set with miniature canning jars, tied with matching ribbon and decorated with the Hebrew greeting, Shanah Tovah (good year) and the date of the new year. If you’re setting a fall harvest table instead, you can use the jars as place cards with your guests’ names printed on the labels.
Vintage transferware plates lend a celebratory elegance to the scene, which mixes rustic table decor with more refined pieces.
The floral arrangements are based around red roses, special enough for the event, yet tied with casual checked ribbon and flecked with berries and stalks to be reminiscent of a day in the country picking apples.
The wire rack centerpiece holds a round challah, another custom unique to Rosh Hashanah dinner, when challahs are baked round (rather than long and braided) to signify the cyclical nature of the year. The pomegranate represents the good deeds commanded by God, as the fruit is reputed to have 613 seeds, the same number as the total number of commandments.
The napkin rings are an easy DIY, starting with a simple silver base and looping around it burlap leaves to match the tablecloth and sweet little faux acorns. Red napkins parallel the palette of the apples.
To amplify the apples and honey, apples are scattered about the table, spilling from baskets and piled in buckets. As a balance to the bold red, white pumpkins are mixed in to foreshadow the coming season. Rattan chargers further reinforce the rustic/elegant balance.
Placed on the sideboard are creamy white pumpkin ceramic pieces and a vintage cookie jar, another nod towards the coming Fall.
The vignette at the center of the table features buckets, baskets and wire racking to display the seasonal elements. If you don’t celebrate Rosh Hashanah, this is a wonderful table setting to use for any autumn dinner with friends and family.
Now if only I had a great apple pie recipe, dinner would be complete!
(For your fall table, you can replace the apples and honey with home made applesauce.)
Apples and Honey Resource List
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What a lovely idea, I had not heard of that Jewish tradition. My fathers sister was married twice (her first husband died), both were Jewish and she followed the traditions but I don’t remember her doing this one.
Your table looks fabulous, you must have so many table settings and plenty of space to store them away :).
Lee
Ha ha, Lee, I am SO out of space! Every time I think I have it all worked out, I go out and buy something new… lol. Yes, It’s nice to have a celebratory holiday since Jewish traditions tend to focus on overcoming persecution! We joke that our holidays are always… “we were oppressed, we overcame, let’s eat!” 😉
What a lovely table! There is something so beautiful about red and how it just makes a table pop! Your reds are everywhere and look so gorgeous with your chairs too.
How fun! I learned so much about the Jewish traditions. What a joy to sit down to this table and celebrate Rosh Hashanah! I love knowing the year too – 5775!!!
Thanks Jacqueline! It’s nice to be able to share and have people appreciate your traditions… 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to comment!!
Lori the combo of red and khaki is wonderful together they really compliment each other.your roses are so fresh it’s like if I had smell a vision I would have gotten a huge breath of them.your red and white linen napkins really had me I envy you this material. always thoroughly enjoy your tables thank you for taking the time to put together well thought out tables.Susie
Susie, thank you for taking the time to appreciate the details and also to tell me about it… 🙂 It means a lot to me!
Hello there, Lory! I’ve gotten an education on top of a truckload of eye candy today!!! It’s always good to learn things about other religions and cultures. I should have majored in sociology because I really, really enjoy learning about and studying others. My downfall was that I hate to fly and travel, so…! 🙂 But thank you for the lessons. I had heard about the pomegranate seeds but didn’t know about the round challah. THAT’S why I’ve seen those in the bakery recently!
This is gorgeous! The roses are so, so pretty and work so beautifully for the occasion. I like how you slipped in a little casualness by adding the gingham ribbon. The distressed pots really look terrific, too. The ribbon and pots don’t allow the roses to get too, too serious.
The jars of honey are so sweet…literally and figuratively! What a great idea! I love the way you tied a similar ribbon on them as on the vases. Nice segue!
You paid a lot of attention to detail. It’s beautiful! Happy Fall!!!
Thanks Alicia! You always give the best comments!! 🙂
I absolutely love your table decor, and the apple and honey theme! I love apples! 🙂 I would like to invite you to share your fall themed posts at my 2014 Harvest Hop linky party. http://www.aprilshomemaking.com/2014/10/2014-harvest-hop-link-up.html
Thanks April!!
Wow Lory! The table is beautiful! I love the roses and apples together on the table with the red berries!! Great photos and I learned about your traditions! Love it all!
Thanks so much Jan! So glad I could share it with people who appreciate it… 🙂
Oh, what a gorgeous table Lory!!! Loving the combination of apples and roses! You attention to detail is amazing! Thanks so much for sharing the customs of your beautiful sacred day!
Thank you so much, Yvonne! I truly value that comment coming from you… 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog!
I came for last minute inspiration, and yes, that’s what I got! You never fail to amaze me! And I love red roses… 🙂
(I am the same woman whining before Hanukkah a couple of years ago!)
Thank you so much!
Shanah Tovah 5779!
Right back to you!! So glad people are still appreciating this table… 🙂