Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks, is celebrated every year on the sixth and seventh day of the Hebrew month Sivan (and only on the sixth day of Sivan in Israel). Consult The Jewish Holiday Guide for exact dates.

Why You Haven’t Heard About Shavuot?

Even though Shavuot is a major festival, it doesn’t win any popularity contests among holiday observances. Why is that?

· Not many of us are involved in things agrarian, so we have become deaf to the rhythm of planting and harvesting.

· Perhaps another reason for the relative obscurity of Shavuot is because this holiday has no obvious "symbols" of the day, such as the Shofar, apple and honey of Rosh Hashana, the Sukkah, Lulav and Etrog of Sukkot, or the Chanukiyah and the Dreidel, associated with Chanukah.

Another sad but true reason for Shavuot’s role as the forgotten festival may be that Shavuot falls in May/June when many are busy with graduation, finals, summer camp, and vacations plans.

But you can change all that, and become well informed about this wonderful festival. Read about Shavuot’s many names, customs, and traditions. Enrich your Jewish IQ by meeting the unique and fascinating biblical characters associated with this festival.