Tu B'Shevat: Happy Birthday Trees!

 

Tu B’Shevat is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the trees’ birthday. Tu B’Shevat originated during the first Temple (586 BCE). Each year there was a tax of one tenth of a fruit tree’s yield. Consequently to carry out the taxes; trees needed a birthday to mark the beginning and end of a year for the tree. Early winter was chosen due to the time when most of the rain had fallen, and the sap rises in the trees.

Later in the sixteenth century, Kabbalists Tu B’Shevat added more spirituality by associating the tradition with the renewal of the Tree of Life. A special Seder meal was created for Tu B’Shevat, during which we eat 4 fruits, nuts and naturally, drink wine.

This year (2021) Tu B’Shevat falls on January 28^th.

Here is a list of items needed for a Tu B’Shevat Seder:

1.     Wind/Juice – Red and White for the 4 cups of wine. You will need two separate glasses.

2.     First Fruit - Fruit that is hard on the outside and soft on the inside. Example: walnuts, coconuts or almonds, pistachio.

3.     Second Fruit - Fruit that is soft with a pit in the center. Example: olives, dates, peaches, apricots.

4.      Third Fruit - Fruit that is soft throughout and is completely edible. Example: figs, grapes, and raisins.

5.     Forth Fruit – Fruit that has a tough skin on the outside but sweet fruit within. Example: mangos, bananas, avocados

Today in Israel, Tu B’Shevat is celebrated by picnics, hiking, bonfires, and planting trees. It is a common tradition to honor the memory of a dead friend or relative by planting a tree. 

Trees are a carbon sink and central in Judaism.

For more reading on Judaism and trees Go to My Jewish Learning : What the Talmud Teaches About Trees