Tu B'Shvat is basically a new years celebration for Trees. It's also called Rosh HaShanah La'Ilanot which literally translates to 'new year for the trees'. It's a minor holiday meaning no time off school but it's super cute.
To simplify what the holiday means (because it's kinda confusing), Jewish law says that you can't eat fruit from a fruit bearing tree until it's third year of production. But how on earth do you figure out how old a fruit bearing tree is or when you can start eating the fruit? By Tu B'Shvat! (It's genius really). You can only eat fruit which ripens on or after Tu B'Shvat of the tree's third year.
To celebrate the holiday, school kids in Israel usually each plant a tree, except on the 7th year becayse that is the Sabbath year (or something). People also have a seder (ceremony) where you eat specific pieces of dried fruit and nuts with each of them having a different blessing. Dried fruit has also been on sale for the last month and with special varieties appearing like sun dried apple, peaches and pear without added sugar and candied pecans (which are honestly the greatest thing ever).
The kids at my school also put on a super cute play and had an hour of activities relating to Tu B'Shvat.
MM x
No comments:
Post a Comment