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Home > Blog > Holidays > Got Milk? Celebrate Shavuot
On Shavuot, we ritualize eating cheese and studying Torah. Sometimes our ancestors just get it right, and they really got this holiday right. Want to study an obscure ancient text? Shavuot. Want to eat a blintz while you study that text? Shavuot. Shavuot is a Jewish nerd’s dream holiday (just don’t forget the Lactaid pills).
Traditionally, Shavuot is a harvest festival that celebrates the receiving of Torah at Mt. Sinai. During the Biblical days of Shavuot when the Temple stood, the Israelites would bring the first fruits of their harvest as a sacrifice for God. Because this holiday is so focused on the Land of Israel, and because the Land of Israel is often described as the Land of Milk and Honey, we eat cheese on Shavuot! Why? Because it shows our dedication to God. Really. Eat the cheesecake.
On Shavuot, we also celebrate the receiving of Torah at Mt. Sinai. Our tradition believes that when we engage with Jewish text, whether it is the Torah, Mishnah, Talmud, or a really great Jewish book, it is as if we are receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai again and again. And so, throughout the night of Shavuot, Jews all over the world will stay up and study Torah until dawn. This studying symbolizes the idea that if Torah were to be passed down again today, we would be ready to receive those holy words.
So what can you do to celebrate Shavuot? Join your Washington Hebrew family at one of these events:
And here are some options for how you can celebrate on your own:
Chag Sameach!