So You Want to Celebrate Tu B’Shevat
This post is for people who are Jewish (including those who are ethnically so, but not raised Jewishly), converting to Judaism, seriously interested in Jewish conversion, or are Jewish-Adjacent (part of an interfaith family, etc.). It is not for gentiles who wish to “deepen their connection to Jesus” or any similar reason uninvolved with genuine interest in becoming a part of the tribe or participating with loved ones, as that is a form of cultural appropriation. Thank you for your understanding. Gentiles CAN, however, reblog!
You’ve celebrated Rosh Hashanah. You observed the Days of Awe. You fasted on Yom Kippur. You’ve rejoiced in Sukkot. Sh’mini Atzeret & Simchat Torah filled you with extra joy. The beauty of Chanukah has given you what you need to get through the long winter. You’ve started marking each month with your own Rosh Chodesh rituals. And now, a new holiday has come - it’s a new year! A new year for… trees?
Learn what Tu B’Shevat IS!
Tu B’Shevat (also spelled Tu B’Shvat, Tu BiShevat, and Tu BiShvat just to mess with tumblr tags) is the most underrated Jewish holiday
Okay, we’re done, time to celebrate
Just kidding
You might remember that I mentioned this holiday in my Rosh Hashanah post, because we Jews have four new years
There’s the New Year for Seasons, the start of a new yearly calendar, Rosh Hashanah, in early autumn
Then there’s the New Year for Kings, the start of a new liturgical year, Rosh Chodesh Nisan, in early spring
This, Tu B’Shevat, is new year for trees, typically taking places in midwinter
Then there’s Rosh Chodesh Elul, new year for animals, which occurs in late summer
Tu B’Shevat is the only one that happens in the middle of a month, rather than the start of it
Tu B’Shevat as a holiday originated in the Talmud
It marks the beginning of the agricultural cycle for tithing, aka, taxes!
Yup, this is a tax holiday
Essentially, it becomes mildly impossible to keep track of the birthdays of animals, never mind plants that don’t really have birthdays, and so you can’t really figure out the ages of trees and crops like we do people
It’s like how naturalists just say every bird is a year older on January 5th, aka national bird day
So, we mark the turning of a new year for a plant on Tu B’Shevat, and then it stays all neat and tidy
This is important in halachically-minded agriculture, because there’s a prohibition in the Torah on eating the fruit of a tree for the first three years after they are planted. Then, on the fourth year, the fruit is given away as tzedakah/tithes/taxes. Finally, after that you can eat the fruit. So, if you plant a tree on the 14th of Shevat, it is two years old the next day; if you plant it on the 16th of Shevat, it’s not two years old until the next Tu B’Shevat
Then there’s a tithing system based on a 7-year cycle
On years one, two, four, and five; a tenth of your produce is to be separated out and eaten in Jerusalem - a tithe called Maaser Sheni
On years three and six, that tenth is given to the poor instead (Maaser Ani)
On year seven, no tithes are separated, and all produce is free for anyone to take
The calculation of these years for plants is all based upon Tu B’Shevat
Why the 15th of Shevat? Well, it takes place approximately four months after Sukkot, around when the rainy season is ending in Israel, and as such, new plants are finally starting to produce fruit
Now, of course, taxing and tzedakah requirements are not really necessarily a reason to have a whole holiday, worth an entire tumblr post
Customs and traditions surrounding agriculture, trees, and eventually ecology and environmentalism grew up around the holiday
It became traditional to eat produce, especially fruit (those structures of a flowering plant which bear the seeds) on this holiday, especially as the Diaspora continued and Jewish people were farther away from the land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael) where the agricultural practices relating to Tu B’Shevat were more relevant. Fruit that is especially abundant in Israel - the Seven Species - became especially relevant as a way to tie people back to the land they were removed from
Trees are often tied to very spiritual things in the Torah and later Jewish writings, as well - the Torah itself is called a Tree of Life, there is the myth of the Garden of Eden with the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life, there are quotes everywhere comparing humans with trees, etc. Eventually, that spiritual connection turned into the Tu B’Shevat Seder
Based on the Pesach Seder by Kabbalists (Jewish Mystics), this ordered meal highlights the turn of the seasons and the nature of our environment, connecting it to food and drink and human nature
Being developed by the Kabbalists, it has always been more popular amongst Sephardic (sensu non-ashkenazic) communities; however, it has been gaining more popularity amongst Ashkenazim in recent years
In the 20th Century, Tu B’Shevat gained renewed interest as Jewish people settled in the land of Israel (both before and after it became an independent country)
It became an occasion to plant new trees, to help in the cultivation of the land
And, of course, the agricultural features of it gained new interest as suddenly the seasons were as referenced in Jewish writings again
In recent times, it has become an extremely environmentalist holiday
Given, you know, we’re all going to die
Taking care of trees, plants, and our general ecology is of vital importance
Like American Arbor Day and Earth Day, Tu B’Shevat is an occasion to pay special attention to the crisis at hand, and work in any way we can to fix it
So, Tu B’Shevat is a taxing holiday that has lead to a variety of spiritual, ecological, and agricultural traditions that makes it truly beautiful and outside the cycle of “they tried to kill us, they failed, let’s eat!” holidays that mark the rest of the winter in Judaism
We greet each other on Tu B’Shevat usually with Chag Sameach even though it isn’t a chag, Though, personally, I vote we start saying “Happy Birthday to the Trees!” instead
Host or Attend a Tu B’Shevat Seder!
Seders are probably the biggest ritual thing associated with Tu B’Shevat
It is based on the Pesach Seder, so if you recognize similarities that’s why!
The seder is organized around a Haggadah. a book that explains what to do when, what everything symbolizes, and provides passages from Jewish texts or things to think about
You can find Haggadot (plural of Haggadah) for free on a lot of different websites. You can also buy one, but you know, if you can get it for free…
Here is a Haggadah by the Reconstructionist Movement: https://www.ritualwell.org/ritual/seder-tu-bishevat. It emphasizes songs and the symbology of the different fruit
This is a family-focused Haggadah: http://hazon.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/FamilySeder.pdf. It’s what you’d expect a family-focused one to be - lots of pictures, very easy to understand, and interactive
Here is a very environmentally-focused Haggadah: https://hazon.org/jewish-food-movement/holidays/tu-bshvat/
This Haggadah focuses on community-sustainable agriculture: http://beta.hazon.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Long-Island-CSA-Fair-Trade-Tu-bshvat-Seder-20071.pdf?_ga=2.105003523.1671689386.1504024470-1166144685.1502208503
And here is the text of the first Haggadah published: http://opensiddur.org/haggadot/tu-bishvat-seder/pri-etz-hadar/
If this is your first time leading, though, I recommend using this article: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/a-tu-bishvat-seder/. It is an extremely simplistic seder outline that gets down the important points, without overwhelming you with choice
I recommend attending a seder that someone else leads, but it’s still not the most common of Jewish practices, esp. in more Ashkie-centric communities. So, feel free to try it out on your own! It’s definitely more low-key than the Pesach seder.
Read through the Haggadah you choose (or the one the host chose) before you host/attend the seder
You need to be familiar with how the seder flows!
Also you need to know the fruits and beverages to get!
Be sure to indicate your own dietary needs, or ask your guests if they have any allergies and so forth, so you can have alternatives (many fruits are common allergens, esp. pitted fruits, which are a main feature of the seder)
The first fruit is usually one that’s hard on the outside and soft on the inside, like walnuts, coconuts, and almonds. The second is one that’s soft on the outside and hard on the inside - ie, they have a pit - so something like an olive, date, peach, or apricot. The third fruit is one that is soft throughout, like figs, grapes, and raisins. The fourth fruit is one has a tough skin but sweet fruit within like mangos, bananas, avocados, and sabra.
Keep in mind it’s customary to eat not just the 7 species of Israel - 7 crops staple to ancient Israeli diets, Wheat Barley Figs Pomegranates Dates Olives and Grapes - but 15 kinds of fruit overall (because it’s the Fifteenth of Shevat). So feel free to add in more fruit to your seder than just the required symbolic four!
There are four cups of wine too (like the Pesach seder) - All red, Mostly red with a little white, Mostly white with a little red, and All white. These symbolize the four seasons. Feel free to use grape juice if you don’t drink alcohol
Finally, there is an actual meal towards the end of the seder. It’s traditional to eat a dairy (ie, vegetarian) meal, and feel free to go full vegan if that floats your boat
Eat a new fruit
It’s traditional to eat tons of fruit on Tu B’shevat, and some have taken the tradition of eating a new fruit on Rosh Hashanah and applied it to this holiday for semi-obvious reasons
Here is my recommendation list. It includes the 7 species and other fruit that have held special importance for Jewish people, as well as fruits that fulfill the requirements of the seder meal
Wheat (usually from a pastry)
Barley
Olive
Date
Grape
Fig
Pomegranate
Citron (yes, you can eat the citron/etrog as preserves & sugar slices)
Apple
Walnut
Chestnuts
Almonds
Hazelnuts
Carobs
Pears
Medlar
Quince
Hackberry
Jujube
Pistachio
Cherry
Nishpolas
Lupine
Coconut
Peach
Apricot
Raisin
Mango
Banana
Avocado
Orange
Persimmon
Strawberry
Blueberry
Blackberry
Raspberry
Also consider buying produce that’s in season, or if nothing else local - be environmental about your Tu B’Shevat!
That should give you tons of things - old and new - to choose from. And feel free to try any sort of fruit (plant that holds seeds - so some “vegetables” count too, like corn and tomatoes) you want!
Plant a new tree
This is a major custom in Israel, due to modern-day Israeli agriculture
It’s a long story but basically Years of Israel not being cultivated well -> It’s a desert where it used to be the fertile crescent -> people live there and want to eat food they grow -> active efforts to recultivate the area
Planting a tree in Israel helps in making the land much more habitable in general
But planting a tree has spread as a custom outside Israel!
It’s act that represents hope - hope for our personal future, and the future of our planet
Even in ancient Israel, planting trees was about hope. When a boy was born, a cedar tree was planted; when a girl was born, a cypress was planted. These trees were then cut when they were adults and used for their wedding canopy (chuppah)
It’s a way to give back to the future - the trees you plant today will be there for our loved ones tomorrow
People often plant trees in their yards or in community gardens. Make sure the soil is soft enough for the seed to survive, though - look into tree planting in your area at this time of year
Many also will start to grow houseplants - and you can do that inside! One common custom is to plant parsley so that it will sprout in time for Pesach, where it’s an important feature of the Pesach seder
Feel free to also get that houseplant you’ve been putting off buying
Participate in a community garden activity, or volunteer with a group to help prune trees to keep them healthy in your area
There are a lot of ways to help trees grow! Be creative!
Collect money for trees in Eretz Yisrael
Lots of people, in lieu of planting their own tree, will donate tzedakah (… I’ll explain in a later post but basically jewish-charity-except-it-isn’t-optional) for the express purpose of planting trees in Israel
Do research into an organization to give to, but traditionally the Jewish National Fund has been the main organization responsible for planting trees in the land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael): https://www.jnf.org/
You can also go around and collect more money yourself for trees in Israel - oftentimes individuals, especially kids, will take up collections and send them to various groups, to donate more money than they can do alone
Feel free to do donation posts, collections with Tzedaka boxes/cardboard boxes/etc. at your school or neighborhood, or even try to get a larger thing going
Donate to an environmentalist charity
There are a lot of other opportunities for tzedakah besides getting trees planted in Israel
You can donate to Hazon, a Jewish environmental organization: http://www.hazon.org/
There’s also the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life: http://www.coejl.org/
There is also the Jewish Fair Trade Project: https://equalexchange.coop/jewish
And Aytzim, the Ecological Judaism Organization: http://aytzim.org/
Of course, you can donate to different non-Jewish groups as well, such as the EPA, the Defenders of Wildlife, Marine Conservation Institute, Union of Concerned Scientists, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, Rainforest Alliance, Earthjustice, and more
It’s good to do work and to take direct action, but oftentimes money is what it really takes to cause major change on wide levels - after all, we know in Judaism that tzedakah, or the giving of money to those who need it, is of vital importance, and can’t be replaced with acts of loving-kindness
Go out into nature
It might be cold (for most of us), it might be snowy, but that’s exactly why it’s good to take a walk in the woods
Tu B’Shevat is mainly based on the climate and the resulting agriculture of Israel, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate trees in our own neighborhoods
Remind yourself that they aren’t dead - just napping! - and soon it will be a new season, and growth will be returning around us
You might even be able to see some of the earliest buds on the branches depending on where you are!
Walking through a forest in winter is super eerie, too - take a buddy, and go exploring (safely!)
Appreciate the nature we have around us - it’s just as beautiful in the winter, even though it’s not as green
Study up on Environmentalism
Our planet is in crisis!!!!
There aren’t really traditional texts for Tu B’Shevat, but you can take the time to both study Jewish writings on Environmentalism, and the latest research on environmental crises on the planet
There are a lot of resources out there - start slowly, and don’t overwhelm yourself
It’s important to make sure to not get too bogged down, as this isn’t the most cheerful of subjects
Here are some great Sefaria sheets on the environment to get you started:
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/114041?lang=bi
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/114043?lang=bi
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/114145?lang=bi
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/113878?lang=bi
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/113918?lang=bi
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/113843?lang=bi
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/96524?lang=bi
We have a responsibility to take care of our home. Use this Jewish holiday, and our Jewish values, to dive in.
You are not Alone!!!!
A lot of Tu B’Shevat customs are new to everyone, not just converts/people reconnecting with their heritage/etc. Invite friends to partake with you!!!
Host a Tu B’Shevat seder and invite friends over, or find one with you! Reach out to your local community!
Feel free to talk to friends online about Jewish environmentalism, or share some texts you found inspiring or thought-provoking with them to discuss
Spend the day with people, or just nature. A tree can be a good friend too
Don’t just listen to me
I am just a biologist sitting in the middle of apartment listings grumbling about people not being forthcoming in whether or not they allow pet birds
I have one perspective and my own limited knowledge. Talk to other people! Get their input!
Learn from all the movements, cultures, and customs of Judaism. They all have something to say about this holiday.
Read, engage, and do NOT be afraid to ask questions!
GOOD LUCK, and chag sameach!!! Happy birthday trees!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!חג שמח
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