Casa Hillel Guatemala C.A.

WHAT IS IT?

The fifteenth day of the month of Shevat-literally! The Hebrew letters tet and

vav equal the number 15 and are not an actual word but the sound those two

letters make when put together. Pronounced in Hebrew “Too bih-sh’vat” with

the accent on “too”. Also called Rosh Hashanah La-ilanot (New Year of the

Trees) and Chag Ha-ilanot (festival of the trees.)

QUE ES?

A los quince días del mes de Shvat, ¡literalmente! Las letras hebreas  tet y vav  son iguales al número 15  no son una palabra en sí, pero hacen  el sonido  cuando se ponen juntas. Pronunciado en hebreo "Demasiado bih-sh'vat" con el acento en "demasiado". También se llama Rosh Hashaná La-Ilanot (Año Nuevo de los Árboles) y Jag Ha-Ilanot (festival de los árboles.)

WHY IS IT?

The Talmud tells us that the fifteenth of Shevat was “the new year of/for the

trees.” It was the date for deciding when the trees in Israel were mature

enough so that their fruit could be harvested, and the annual tithe on fruit trees

could be collected. The tithe was based on the age of a tree, as was the

ability to eat of its fruit (no fruits are to be eaten in the first three years after a

tree’s planting, from Leviticus 19:23-25); so Tu B’shvat became the marker of a

tree’s “birthday.” By then the early winter rains were mostly over and the

period of budding had begun. Today, the almond trees (see photo) all over

Israel start to flower just around Tu B’shvat.

Porque los celebramos:

El Talmud nos dice que el quince de Shevat era "el año nuevo de/para

los árboles. "Era la fecha…