Shavuos Trivia

1-What is the name of this holiday?

 Ashkenazim call it Shavuos and Sephardim call it Shavuot.

2- Does Shavuot mean anything? ‘Shavua’ means week and ‘Shavuot’ means weeks. The holiday comes seven weeks after Passover.

3- What is the significance of Shavuos? There are two main elements to the holiday. One is it is the anniversary of standing at Mt. Sinai. Second, it is the summer harvest and first fruits are gathered. It is a season of gratitude for having enough to eat and also a season to share with those less fortunate.  

4-Why do we eat dairy foods on Shavuos? The immediate destination after leaving Mt. Sinai would have been the land of Israel (the land of milk and honey). Initially, they were going to arrive within a short span of time and some commentators associate milk and honey with being at and leaving Sinai. The debacle of the 10 spies discouraging them from entering Israel caused them to wander for 38 more years (a total of 40).

5- Do we decorate the house or Shul in any special way?  Yes. It is traditional to bring flowers and plants into homes and shuls in association with the agricultural aspect of Shavuos.

6- Is there a special Bible reading linked to Shavuot?

Yes. We read the Scroll of Ruth. Our shul will be studying Ruth in English on Saturday May 23 at 8:00p.m. (along with eating dairy refreshments).

7- Why do we recite memorial prayers in Hebrew or English (Yizkor) on Shavuot?

It is a Jewish holiday and, like Passover and Sukkot, we tend to think of loved ones on holidays. We pray that they be remembered by us, our families and God.

Our Yizkor service will be on Monday, May 25 from noon to 1:00p.m.

8-How do we greet each other on a Jewish holiday?

A Yiddish greting is ‘Gut Yontiff’ .Yontiff is Yiddish slang for Yom Tov (a Hebrew term which means ‘good day’ and nickname of holiday.

A Hebrew greeting is Chag  Sa-may-ach which means Happy Holiday!

Chag Samayach! Happy Shavuos!