Tu B'Shevat

Tu B’Shevat, or Jewish New Year of trees is a festival when Jews often eat fruits associated with the Holy Land. Israel is not only the land of milk and honey but also of wheat, barley, figs, dates, grapes, olives and pomegranates, also known as Shivat Haminim, seven species. The 2 grains and 5 fruit are mentioned numerous times in the Torah as being special products of the Land of Israel. These species contain a holiness, which is reflected in the unique blessing recited after eating them, where we thank God for the goodness of the land.

In the 16th century in the Land of Israel, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed and his disciples created a Tu BiShvat seder that celebrated the Tree of Life which some Jews still practice today.