tu b'shvat
Soon we will reach the Jewish festival of Tu B’Shvat (the fifteenth of Shvat), creatively named due to the fact that it falls on the fifteenth day of the lunar month of Shvat (the fifth month of the Jewish calendar). The holiday dates all the way back to the time of the Mishnah, in which it was referred to as "Rosh Hashana L’Ilanot," or "New Year for Trees." Our tradition states that much as God judges people on Rosh Hashana, determining who will live and who will die, on Tu B’Shvat Hashem determines the fate of each of the world’s trees.
In Israel, Tu B’Shvat has evolved into a festive day of tree planting. The holiday falls right around the time when trees begin to blossom in the Middle East. Children in Eretz Yisrael go out into forested areas—as well as into areas that they hope will become forested—and plant saplings. In the Diphora, however, we are usually still enduring the throes of winter (as we are now here in the Northeast). Therefore, in areas where the climate is not conducive to the planting of trees, children in Jewish schools celebrate Tu B’Shvat by eating fruits native to Israel, such as figs, dates, raisins, pomegranates, etc.
Tu B’Shvat bears many similarities to the Pesach holiday. Both celebrate spring; both symbolize new beginnings; both feature the eating of special foods; both even fall on the fifteenth of a Jewish month.
Due to these similarities, the tradition has developed of having a Tu B’Shvat Seder, which resembles the Pesach Seder. In the past, the Tu B’Shvat Seder has contained a great deal of mysticism. Modern versions have been written which emphasize the environmental and agricultural significance of the holiday.
This page was originally created by John Davis and Michael Kay, and can be found at http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/jdd16/guide/.
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