Nice clothing and jewelry should be worn, but not the nicest clothing.
Davening/ Shofar
It’s more important to daven shachris than to daven mussaf.
If you come to shul and they’re up to mussaf, you should still daven shachris yourself unless it’s after chatzos (approximately 1250 pm in New York).
Mussaf should preferably be davened before chatzos
One has to seriously contemplate if it’s worth leaving children with goyim in order to go to Shul.
Women are allowed to eat before hearing shofar
If you’re in Shul, there’s no talking from the Bracha before shofar until after the last tekiyos.
Learning Torah is allowed but it can’t be verbalized
Tehilim can be said
Asher yatzar can be said
According to the basic Halacha, women are not required to hear the Shofar because it’s a time related mitzva. However over the years women have accepted upon themselves to hear Shofar.
Because of this, women are only required to hear thirty sounds of the shofar.
One set of tekia shvarim truah, tekiah shvarim tekiah, and tekigh truah tekjah is considered ten sounds. Three sets of each should be heard.
For those not hearing all of the Shofar in Shul, hearing the Shofar before mussaf is better than hearing the Shofar during Mussaf. However, either one is fine.
Ashkenazi women make a Bracha on Shofar. Sfardi women do not make a Bracha.
If you haven’t heard the Bracha of the shofar, (for example, you came in middle of davening) then make the Bracha, yourself right before you hear the shofar for the first time.
It’s acceptable to hear the Shofar while standing in the hallway or outside the Shul.
When hearing a private Shofar blowing, the women make the Brachos, not the man.
Candles
Because First night Yom Tov falls out on Shabbos this year, , candles are lit B’zman. Shechayanu should be said unless you have a minhag otherwise.
The Shechayanu (new) fruit is meant for the second night not the first night.
Because Rosh Hashana is one long day, there’s some doubt as to whether or not shechayanu should be said by candle lighting and kiddush on the second night. Therefore a new fruit should be on the table when lighting the candles.
It’s preferable to light candles right before Kiddush.
The new fruit should be on the table for candlelighting so that shechayanu can be said when lighting the candles.
Those making kiddush themselves should preferably say Shechayanu at kiddush and not at candlighting.
Miscellaneous
The “simanim” are meant for the first night. Some also have them on the second night.
The best “siman” for a good year is not to get angry during these days.
Custom is not to have sour/bitter foods.
As ingredients it’s fine as long as the sour/bitter taste is not discernible.
Hot/spicy foods are fine.
This year the first night of Yom Tov is on Shabbos therefore the candles are NOT lit like any other Yom Tov. They must be lit before Yom Tov.
Typo… First night Yom Tov, candles are lit like any other Yom Tov. They can be lit at anytime. As long as the fire comes from a preexisting flame.
This is true for the second night, not the first night which is Shabbos this year.
The best siman is not to get angry … exactly!!!