Tu Bishvat

Tu Bishvat, also known as Arbor Day or the Jewish New Year of Trees, is celebrated on the fifteenth of Shevat. It happens on Shevat 15 (January or early February), after the majority of Israel’s annual precipitation has fallen, and when the fruit of a tree is then considered, for tithe purposes, to belong to a new year. The liturgy excludes some penitential prayers, which is regarded as a minor holiday, and fasting is not permitted. Fruits, usually 15 different kinds, are consumed by Ashkenazic Jews together with psalm recitation quite frequently. Among us Sephardic Jews, it is a prominent holiday and a “feast of fruits” accompanied by complex melodies.

Traditions

The Jewish holiday occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat. It is also called “Rosh HaShanah La’Ilanot” (Hebrew: ראש השנה לאילנות‎). Literally translated as “New Year of the Trees.” Similar to Arbor Day, in contemporary Israel, the day is celebrated as an ecological awareness day, and trees are planted in celebration.

The first tree to bloom in Israel is the almond tree. It is said that the almond tree will be the first tree that the Messiah will see when he rides his donkey into Jerusalem. Hence, the prominence of almonds and almond-related products on the table for this holiday.

One custom is to eat a new fruit on this day. You can also eat from the Seven Species (shivat haminim) described in the Bible. They symbolize abundancy in the land of Israel. The Shivat Haminim are: wheat, barley, grapes (vines), figs, pomegranates, olives and dates (honey).