Ṭu bi-Shevaṭ, (Hebrew: “Fifteenth of Shevaṭ”), Jewish festival of the new year of trees, or arbor day. It occurs on Shevaṭ 15 (January or early February), after most of the annual rain in Israel has fallen and when, thereafter, the fruit of a tree is considered, for tithing, to belong to a new year. Ṭu bi-Shevaṭ is considered a minor holiday: certain penitential prayers are omitted from the liturgy, and fasting is not allowed. Among Ashkenazic Jews, fruits—traditionally, 15 different kinds—are eaten and often accompanied by the recital of psalms. Among Sephardic Jews, Ṭu bi-Shevaṭ is a significant festival, a “feast of fruits” accompanied by songs called complas. In modern Israel, the day has become popular in symbolizing the reclaiming of land from the desert for agriculture. Schoolchildren, in ceremonies, plant trees and sing songs.
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