What do you do on Shavuot?

Today, we celebrate Shavuot by going to synagogue to hear the 10 Commandments, having festive meals of dairy foods, staying up all night to learn and reading the Book of Ruth. The meals and synagogue attendance are customs for any Jewish holiday.

What is the greeting for Sukkot?

Chag Sameach!
To wish someone a Happy Sukkot, simply say “Chag Sameach!” (Happy Holiday).

Who celebrates Shavuot?

Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) commemorates the revelation of the Torah on Mt. Sinai to the Jewish people, and occurs on the 50th day after the 49 days of counting the Omer. Shavuot is one of the three biblically based pilgrimage holidays known as the shalosh regalim. It is associated with the grain harvest in the Torah.

What are the symbols of Shavuot?

Symbols. An important symbol of Shavuot is the Bikkurim, or first fruits. This was a basket of gold or silver that contained the first harvest of the Seven Species crops and was carried to the Temple in Jerusalem in a procession accompanied by music.

What does the word Bikkurim mean?

Definition of bikkurim 1 : the first ripe fruits offered in thanks to God on the altar of the Temple in ancient Palestine. 2 in modern Israel : the products of the orchards and fields gathered and sold to further the Jewish National Fund.

Why do we eat cheesecake on Shavuot?

Citing the Talmud (Berachot 6b), Rabbi Sternbuch says that before the Torah was given, the Israelites were not allowed to eat dairy products, since these were considered “a part of a live animal”. Thus we eat dairy products to commemorate the fact that on Shavuot, God allowed us to eat these.

What does Chatima Tova mean?

“G’mar chatima tova” is the customary greeting on Yom Kippur. In English, it means “May you be sealed in the Book of Life.” “Our lives are in the balance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur depending on how we act,” says Rabbi Andrea London of Beth Emet synagogue in Evanston, Illinois.

How do you congratulate someone on Sukkot?

If you would like to wish someone a happy Sukkot, simply say ‘Chag Sameach’ which translates as ‘happy holidays. ‘

Why do we decorate with flowers on Shavuot?

According to ReformJudaism.org, “The custom of decorating with greens and fresh flowers on Shavuot reminds us of the spring harvest and the ancient ritual of bringing the first fruits to the Temple.