Tu Bishvat Platters: Celebrate The Jewish New Year For Trees

What does "Tu Bishvat" mean? 

Tu Bishvat. The 15th of Shevat. Shevat, the fifth month of the Hebrew year. The letters used to count 15 are Tet and Vav. Tet equals nine, and Vav equals six. Add them together and you have fifteen. Tet and Vav spell out “tu”. Hence, “Tu Bishvat”.

What is so significant about it?

There are four “New years” in the Jewish calendar. Each one signifies a different beginning. The main one is “Rosh Hashana”, New years day. This is the beginning of the year for seasons. Most laws pertaining to yearly changes start and finish on this day. This occurs on the first of Tishrei. The next one is our Tu Bishvat, which as we said, occurs on the fifteenth of Shevat. This is the new year’s for trees and plants, or as fondly sung in Hebrew, “Chag La’ilanot”, the festival for the trees. The next new year’s on the list is the first of Nisan. This is the new year for the Jewish nation, as the redemption took place two weeks after this. It is also the new year for Jewish kings. The last new year's is the first of Elul. This is the new year for cattle. The obligation to tithe the cattle was measured yearly on this date.

What do we do?

How do we celebrate Tu Bishvat? We get together and sample exotic fruits to commemorate and celebrate this special day. If trying a fruit for the first time in a year, the “She’hechiyanu” blessing is required. The blessing, translated, means: Blessed are you, god, our god, the king of the world, that you have let us live, kept us and brought us to this time. We make this blessing when doing many things that we haven’t done in a while or things we haven’t ever done, like buying a new suit or a new house.

Why does this mean anything to us?

Humans are compared to trees in the bible, and the torah is compared to water. Because much of our lives are comparable on a deep and meaningful level of understanding, this festival is very significant to the meaning of our lives.

Where can I purchase the right fruit?

This has been cleverly arranged by people in the Jewish community who create special fruit platters containing the right amount of fruit, cut nicely into portions, arranged beautifully and including everything you need. There are many varieties and sizes, ranging from dried fruit to fresh fruit. Some platters are also served on designer Tu Bishvat gift plates which can be used year round to serve fruits.

In conclusion:

The Jewish festivals have many enjoyable activities to help you savor the taste of Judaism- no pun intended. Enjoy your holiday, and if you’re short on time purchase a Tu Bishvat platter by contacting someone in your neighborhood.