In Israel, Shavuot is a one-day festival with dual meaning: it celebrates the giving of the Torah at Sinai and the harvest of the first fruits. It is observed with Torah study, seating dairy foods, and agricultural festivals, making it both a deeply spiritual and earthly celebration.

When is Shavuot?

Shavuot in Israel is on the 6th of Sivan in the Hebrew calendar (usually late May or early June).

The following is the list of Shavuot from 2020 to 2049.

The History of Shavuot?

Shavuot is first mentioned in the Torah as one of the Shalosh Regalim (Three Pilgrimage Festivals), alongside Passover and Sukkot.

In biblical times, it marked the wheat harvest and the bringing of the first fruits (Bikkurim) to the Temple in Jerusalem. Farmers decorated baskets with produce and presented them with great ceremony, accompanied by music and community celebrations.

Pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem to offer the Bikkurim in the Temple. Shavuot had a dual role agricultural festival and spiritual festival.

After the destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE), agricultural offerings were no longer possible.

With the rise of the Zionist movement and the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, Shavuot regained its agricultural character.