Foods
What types of foods are eaten on Shavuot?
Dairy Products
Why do we celebrate Shavuot?
We got the Torah from G-d
What is the Omer? What is the Hebrew meaning of the word?
The Omer is a “sheaf” a measurement of stalks of grain used for temple offerings
How many different names are there for Shavuot?
Five, including Shavuot
What colors are worn on Shavuot?
WHITE!
Are you allowed to cook on Shavuot?
Yes!
What are the three different pilgrimage festivals?
Shavuot, Passover, Sukkot
How many days are in the Omer?
49 days (50 counts too)
What are the biblical names for Shavuot?
“Festival of the Harvest” (Chag Ha-Katzir)
“Day of the First Fruits” (Yom Ha-Bikkruim)
“Atzeret” (conclusion of the festival)
“The season of the giving of the Torah” (Z’man Matan Torateinu)
What is something given to people or used for decorations on Shavuot?
Flowers are given or used for decoration.
Why is a specific type of food eaten on Shavuot?
On Shavuot, Jews generally eat dairy products, not meat, because they just began learning the laws of Kashrut from the Torah.
It’s said that when the Israelites first received the Torah, they realized that the meat they had prepared was not kosher. So, they chose to eat a dairy meal instead.
Another reason for the dairy menu is that Shavuot is a celebration of Torah, and Song of Solomon likens Torah to “honey and milk under your tongue.”
What is another name for Shavuot?
What is Chag Habikurim or Chag Matan Torah
When do we start counting the Omer?
After Passover.
What is traditionally read of Shavuot? (Hint: it’s a Megillah)
Book of Ruth
What did G-d emphasize when giving the Jewish people the Torah?
G-d wanted to ensure that the children would learn the Torah and observe the mitzvot. If only the elderly learned, it would soon be forgotten!
What are the top foods/desserts eaten on Shavuot?
Cheesecake, blintzes, cheese
What is activity is customary to do on Shavuot?
Staying up all night and studying Torah (eating dairy products)
When do we stop counting the Omer? When does the Omer end?
SHAVUOT!
How are Passover and Shavuot linked?
Passover marks the beginning of the barley harvest and Shavuot is the what harvest
What are the two parts of the Torah that G-d gave the Jewish people?
The oral and written Torah
What are the famous symbols of Shavuot?
The Seven Species
- two grains and five fruits
(Wheat, barley, grape, fig, pomegranates, olive, gate/honey)
What is the meaning of “Shavuot”?
Shavuot means “weeks” in Hebrew
What Hebrew month and day is Shavuot?
Sivan 6-7
Is Shavuot a mourning holiday or a happy holiday?
Shavuot is counting from a period of sadness and leads to (Shavuot) a time of joy
How many days is Shavuot and why?
Shavuot is a two day holiday (except for reform Jews or those living in Israel). This Jewish holiday, like all the others, is lunar and calculated by the moon. (Back in the times of the Torah, they couldn’t calculate the positions of the moon so they observed two days)