What is Shavuot? And how is it celebrated?
Shavuot is a two-day festival that begins at sundown on the 11th June and ends at nightfall on the 13th June. It is celebrated 7 weeks after the first night of Passover, and commemorates the spring harvest and marks the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai over 3,000 years ago. Here, I will talk about how Shavuot is celebrated and what it means to me.
How Shavuot is celebrated:
Shavuot is celebrated with candle lighting in the evenings and special festive meals. It is also customary to eat dairy foods such as cheese and cheesecakes. There are several reasons why dairy is consumed on Shavuot:
- One explanation is that when the Israelites received the Torah and learned about kosher laws, they could not eat meat that had not been butchered properly, so they ate dairy until they could follow the kosher laws for meat consumption.
- Another reason is that eating dairy symbolises the promise of a “land of milk and honey.”
Additionally, many Jews go to synagogues to pray and study the Torah. Some communities stay up all night on the first night for Tikkun Leil Shavuot, a tradition that signifies readiness to receive the Torah’s teachings.
What it means to me:
Shavuot is a cherished memory of enjoying my auntie’s cheesecake and it is a special time for gathering with family and friends, attending synagogue, and enjoying dairy foods. It is about appreciating our heritage, learning, and feeling connected to our faith and community.
Chag Sameach!
