What is the origin and history of Tu Bishvat customs and traditions / Tu B'Shevat customs and traditions ?
The origin and history of Tu Bishvat customs and traditions / Tu B'Shevat customs and traditions is rooted (pardon the pun) in the requirement of knowing the age of trees for specific Jewish religious laws ("Halakhah" in Hebrew, referring to Jewish law). Therefore, since the birthday of the tree in Judaism is celebrated on this day, the 15th day of the 11th Hebrew month of Shevat or Shvat, also known as the Jewish holiday of Tu Bishvat or Tu B'Shevat [literally, the "15th day (of the 11th Hebrew month of) Shevat" in Hebrew], not only can the age of a tree be determined using this day as a benchmark, but this day is also the dividing point between the years in which fruit has ripened. In other words, fruit which has ripened before the day of Tu Bishvat or Tu B'Shevat is considered to be from the "old" year and fruit which has ripened after the day of Tu Bishvat or Tu B'Shevat is considered to have ripened in the "new" year.
In biblical times in Israel, Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat was the day when tithes of fruit from the fruit trees were brought by each of the twelve Hebrew tribes for the Jewish priests and Levites (assistants to the priests) who did not own any land to grow food - unlike the twelve Hebrew tribes - and instead, were consecrated to serve G-d. On the day of Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat, these tithes were calculated and paid.
What are Tu Bishvat Customs and Traditions / Tu B'Shevat Customs and Traditions ?
Tu BiShvat customs / Tu B'Shevat customs are as follows:
- Tu BiShvat Custom #1 / Tu B'Shevat Custom #1 - Tree-Planting : in Israel, Tu BiShvat or Tu B'Shevat is a joyous day, a day in which people feel at one with nature. In addition, on this day, a Jewish person's relationship to nature is re-evaluated.
- Tu BiShvat Custom #2 / Tu B'Shevat Custom #2 - Swamp Drainage and the Reclamation of Land : on this day in Israel, it is customary to undertake projects related to draining swamps and reclaiming land in order to begin the process of bringing new life to the Land of Israel as well as aiding the environment.
- Tu BiShvat Custom #3 / Tu B'Shevat Custom #3 - Fifteen Fruits : on this day, it is an Israeli tradition to eat 15 different kinds of fruit to correspond to the "Tu" in Tu BiShvat or Tu B'Shevat, that is, to the number 15 which is the meaning of "Tu" in Hebrew, and the 15th day of the month of Shevat or Shvat, which is the day of the holiday.
- Tu BiShvat Custom #4 / Tu B'Shevat Custom #4 - Seder : on this day, some Jewish people hold a festive meal, known as a Seder ("order" in Hebrew, referring to the fact that the proper completion of the festive meal is based on following a specific order of events that occur during the festive meal). During the Seder, participants drink wine, eat fruits as well as foods made of wheat as a symbol of unity with nature.
What are Tu BiShevat customs / Tu B'Shevat customs in different countries ?
Since Jews have spread across the globe over thousands of years, various Tu BiShevat customs / Tu B'Shevat customs have developed in different countries.
- Tu BiShevat customs / Tu B'Shevat customs in Kabbalah - In the 16th century in Safed, Israel, Kabbalistic scholars (Jewish mystical scholars), based on the belief that the Tree of Life renews the flow of life to the universe on Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat and that by offering blessings on Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat, we can help heal the world, a festive meal known as a Seder was established for the day of Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat ("Seder" means "order" in Hebrew, referring to a specific order of prescribed events that are followed during the festive meal in order to properly conduct and complete the festive meal). By conducting a Tu BiShevat Seder / Tu B'Shevat Seder, they reasoned, we can serve many different types of fruits and so offer many blessings in order to help heal the world which will ultimately help in hastening the arrival of Moshiach (the "Messiah" in Hebrew).
- Tu BiShevat customs / Tu B'Shevat customs in Bukhara, Uzbekistan and in Kurdistan - Based on the passage in Devarim or Deuteronomy in which the seven species of Israel are listed (Deuteronomy 8:8): "It (Israel) is a land of wheat, barley, grapes, figs and pomegranates - a land of oil - olives and honey - (dates)", Bukharan Jews and Kurdistani Jews refer to the day of Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat as being the "day of eating the seven species". They thus prepare a large festive meal for Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat that consists of 30 different kinds of fruit.
- Tu BiShevat customs / Tu B'Shevat customs in India - For the holiday of Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat, also based on the passage of Deuteronomy 8:8, the custom of serving many fruits is taken to even greater lengths and fifty kinds of fruit are served at an Indian-Jewish Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat festive meal.
- Tu BiShevat customs / Tu B'Shevat customs in Morocco - In the villages of Morocco on Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat, the wealthiest member of the village invites all the Jewish people of the village to a large feast. After the feast, he then sends them home with their hats filled with different kinds of fruit.
- Tu BiShevat customs / Tu B'Shevat customs in Greece - There is a legend in Greece which states that on the day of Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat, the angels tap the head of every plant and then they command them to grow. Furthermore, another lengend of Greece is that on the day of Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat, trees embrace each other and if anyone witnesses this event, their wish will be fulfilled. In Greece, Grek-Jewish women who want to get pregnant will plant candy and raisins near trees during the evening of Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat and then they will pray to G-d to help them become fertile.
- Other International Tu BiShevat customs / Tu B'Shevat customs - In some Jewish communities on Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat, young girls who are eligible to be married, will "marry" a tree. Why? Their belief is that if the tree that they "married" buds soon after, this is a good omen and means that it is a promise that their marriage will arrive soon.
- Idea For A Tu BiShevat custom / Tu B'Shevat custom - If one has lost a loved one over the course of the past year, then the holiday of Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat can be a day when one can celebrate the concepts of rebirth and remembrance.
What are modern Tu BiShevat customs / Tu B'Shevat customs ?
Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat, otherwise known as the New Year For Trees or the New Year Of The Trees, has been taken literally by Jewish people today and it is both an ecological and environmental holiday. It is an ecological holiday in that on this day, it is a custom for each Jewish person to re-evaluate their relationship with nature, since Tu BiShevat / Tu B'Shevat is "a day of the celebration and reaffirmation of the necessity of protecting G-ds' world". It is an environmental holiday in that on this day, tree-planting, swamp drainage, and reclamation of land takes place in Israel. It is also a Tu BiShevat custom / Tu B'Shevat custom for Jewish people worldwide to either plant trees in the communities where they live and/or send donations of money to the Jewish National Fund or other Jewish organizations that support tree-planting. The Jewish National Fund is headquartered in New York City and is a charitable organization specializing in the development of Israeli land and infrastructure, especially planting trees.
History of Tu Bishvat - History of Tu B'Shevat
Tu Bishvat Customs - Tu B'Shevat Customs
Tu Bishvat Seder - Tu B'Shevat Seder
Tu Bishvat Dates - Tu B'Shevat Dates
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