When Is the Last Time You Wished a Tree, “Happy New Year”?

Tu BiShvat, Tu BiShavat, Tu B’shevat, Tu B’Shevat, Tu Bi’Shvat, and Tu Bi Shevat are all ways to spell this holiday in the transliterated Hebrew. Tu Bishvat can be translated as Rosh Hashanah La’Ilanot and is also known as the New Year of the Trees, Birthday of the Trees, or Jewish Arbor Day. The 15th of Shevat is the midpoint between fall and spring, a time when budding begins. 

In Israel, Tu Bishvat marks the first day of spring. According to the Talmud, this was a time to tithe to the poor and to pay taxes on fruit trees. The medieval Kabbalists later reimagined the holiday as a celebration of creation and the bounty of the earth, the time of year to celebrate and honor the sacred and unique connection between humans and nature. 

In Judaism, the age of a tree is important in determining whether one can eat its fruit. The fruit from a tree cannot be eaten for the first three years, and the fourth year’s fruit is only for G-d. After the four years, one may eat the fruit. Tu Bishvat is the day that each tree ages a year for the purposes of determining if one can eat from it. 

This holiday is a minor Jewish holiday and not mentioned in the Torah. Scholars believe that this holiday started originally as an agricultural festival celebrating spring in Israel. However, after the destruction of the Second Temple in the year 70 CE, many Jews were exiled and the agricultural celebration stopped. Over time, some Jews felt a need to symbolically bind themselves to their homeland, and Tu Bishvat was a way to fill that need. 

Nowadays, Tu Bishvat is an environmental holiday. Jews consider this day a way to remind themselves of their duty to care for the natural world. Many Jews take part in a tree-planting ceremony or collect and send money to Israel to plant trees. 

A Tu Bishvat seder celebrates G-d’s gift of trees to the world. Trees anchor our soil, soak up our rain, and filter our drinking water. Trees are represented as symbols of goodness and nobility. 

When a child was born in Israel, it was customary to plant a tree in Israel—a cedar for a boy and a cypress for a girl. The children would then be responsible for their tree as they grew up. Branches from those trees were used for the poles of the wedding huppah on the day of the marriage ceremony. 

Modern Customs

Ecological organizations in Israel and the diaspora have adopted the holiday to further environmental-awareness programs. 

In keeping with the idea of Tu Bishvat marking the revival of nature, many of Israel’s major institutions chose this day for their inauguration. Hebrew University of Jerusalem laid their cornerstone on Tu Bishvat 1918; the Technion in Haifa on Tu Bishvat 1925; and the Knesset on Tu Bishvat 1949. 

In the diaspora, starting especially in North America in the 1980s, Tu Bishvat was treated as the Jewish Earth Day, with contemporary communities emphasizing actions and activism related to the environment and the natural world. 

Did you know that Tu Bishvat is the Jewish holiday that promotes the healthiest eating? 

The custom on Tu Bishvat is to eat fruits from the seven species for which the Land of Israel is praised: “A land of wheat, barley, [grape] vines, fig trees, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and date honey” (Deut. 8:8). 

A good heart must have been an important consideration of G-d, because the seven species (shivat ha’nimim) of the land of Israel foster good health. Scientists have suggested that each of these species contribute to a healthy heart, good cholesterol levels, and excellent health benefits. Mediterranean diet, anyone? 

The Israeli wine industry began 150 years ago when Baron de Rothschild sponsored the vineyards of Zichron Yaakov. Aside from enhancing the flavors of foods, moderate wine consumption has been linked to lower mortality rates and increased longevity. Wine, especially red wine, reduces plaque buildup in arteries and has cardiovascular benefits. 

The olive is the national symbol of Israel, and olive leaves are entwined around the menorah. Kings and priests were always anointed with olive oil. The menorot of the First and Second Temples were lit by olive oil. In Genesis, a dove brought an olive branch to prove the waters had receded and the world could again be inhabited by humans and animals. 

Olive oil is considered a healthy, monounsaturated fat, which lowers levels of harmful cholesterol and increases levels of beneficial cholesterol. It contains antioxidants, has antibacterial properties, and fights inflammation. As a heart-healthy fat, olive oil may decrease strokes, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s Disease. 

Pomegranates and their juice may reduce the signs of aging and may help fight hardening of the arteries, which in turn helps lessen the risk of cardiovascular disease. They are a great source of vitamins and minerals, and research has shown that they may help fight prostate and skin cancers. 

The Torah refers to the land of Israel as “the land of milk and honey.” Dates produce a type of sweetener called silan, or date honey, which is thought to be the “honey” mentioned in this phrase. Dates are full of fiber, B vitamins, and antioxidants, which support heart health and healthy cholesterol levels and lower triglyceride levels. 

Nuts are mentioned in Genesis 43:11: “Then their father Israel said to them, ‘If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds.’” Almonds and pistachios are high in protein, and they help to lower cholesterol. Research states that almonds have the most vitamin E and are beneficial for skin health. 

“A land of wheat, and barley, of vines and fig trees, and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey” Deuteronomy 8:8. Barley is among the earliest known and most nourishing grains ever cultivated. It is the first crop to ripen in the spring and was seen as a symbol of new life. Barley contains vitamins, antioxidants, and an important soluble fiber called beta-glucan. This heart healthy fiber also helps lower cholesterol levels and makes it harder for cholesterol and fat to get into the bloodstream. 

Plan ahead to celebrate Tu Bishvat next year, which will start at sunset on Wednesday, February 12, and end at nightfall on Thursday, February 13.