Tu B’Shevat Date: Sunset on January 29 to sunset on January 30
Tu B’Shevat is a minor holiday in Judaism.
For Jews around the world, Tu B’Shevat is the New Year of the Trees, a starting or end point for agricultural activities involving important fruit-bearing trees. Many Jews consider this holiday to have a similar significance to the Arbor Day customs of other cultural groups. The holiday is observed every year on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat, making this a moveable holiday.
The holiday used to be known as Hamisha Asar B’Shevat until around 2000.
History of Tu B’Shevat
A reference to Tu B’Shevat is made in the Mishnah, the first significant work of Rabbinic Judaism. In the Mishnah, Tu B’Shevat is mentioned as the new year for trees and one of four new years recognized on the Jewish calendar.
The “Tu” in the name of the holiday refers to the number 15 and translates as “The 15th of Shevat.” Originally there was confusion and debate about when the holiday should be celebrated.
After many discussions, authorities deferred to the Beit Hillel, a popular Jewish school of law, declaring the holiday to fall on the 15th of Shevat.
In the 1600s, a Tu B’Shevat seder was proposed by Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed as part of the ceremonies of the holiday. The earliest texts referencing this seder (an order or sequence of actions) refer to the practice as a method to refresh the Tree of Life. The seder involved the consumption of a variety of dried fruits and nuts in a specific order that “creates a connection” to the Tree of Life, a tree said to have been planted by God in the Garden of Eden. In Israel, the practice is still in use today.
Tu B’Shevat Traditions, Customs and Activities
Many practitioners of Judaism plant trees on Tu B’Shevat as a way to help continue the cycle of life on Earth. In Israel, the Jewish National Fund organizes a massive tree-planting event on non- shmita years. (The shmita is a sabbatical year when the land must remain fallow every seventh year.)
The practice of the Tu B’Shevat seder is common in Israel and is also practiced by Jews elsewhere in the world. Many will pour the Cup of Elijah after the seder and open the door, inviting the Prophet Elijah into the home and trusting in God’s protection.
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