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Jewish Festivals Tu B'Shevat |
Tu B'Shevat is also known as New Year for trees. On this day many people plant trees and sing all kinds of songs about them.
This is a time to plant trees as it has taken on new meaning now since Israel was being rebuilt by the early pioneers and later immigrants. Every tree planted meant a victory over desert and swampland. Today, classes of children go out to the hillsides to plant trees where land has been set aside for new forests.
Tu B'Shevat is one of four Jewish New Years; it is also known as Jewish Arbor Day. The Lord judges the world on each of the four New Years, and on Tu B'Shevat, judgment is made on the abundance of the produce of fruit trees. In Israel, children take field trips to nature reserves and plant trees. In the Diaspora, Jews stress their connection to Israel and the unity of the Jewish people.
Tu B'Shevat is modern day festival, which falls in January. In Israel, the winter is passing and it is time to plant young trees. One of the customs of Tu B'Shevat is to eat parts of 15 different fruits because the festival falls on the 15th day of the month.
