Passover, Yom Kippur, Chanukah; these are all Jewish holidays that everybody, from the Orthodox to the Reform, celebrates.

One of the more “off-the-beaten-path” holidays is Shavuot, or Shavuos (also known as Pentecost), which is one of the most important holidays on the Jewish calendar – even if you’ve never heard of it. So what is Shavuot? Let’s get into what you should know about the holiday!

Some Background

Shavuot falls seven weeks after Passover at the end of the counting of the Omer (a verbal counting of each of the 49 days between the Jewish holidays of Passover and Shavuot).

The holiday celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai as well as the grain harvest for the summer. In biblical times, Shavuot was one of three pilgrimage festivals in which all the Jewish men would go to Jerusalem and bring their first fruits as offerings to God.

Today, we celebrate Shavuot by going to synagogue to hear the 10 Commandments, having festive meals of dairy foods, staying up all night to learn and reading the Book of Ruth.

The meals and synagogue attendance are customs for any Jewish holiday. But why do we partake in the other customs and Shavuot traditions?

Custom #1: Say cheese!

A common question that comes up around this holiday is why do Jews eat dairy food on Shavuot? One of the more popular explanations is that when we received the Torah on Mount Sinai, we were pure and innocent like newborn babies are, and babies subsist on milk. Thus, we have cheesecake, blintzes, cheese and crackers, ice cream, and many other delicious dairy treats over the course of the holiday.

For some Shavuot meal ideas, one of our Jewish Agency Campus Israel Fellows serving a university in California is passionate about cooking and has a wide variety of incredible recipes you can try on his website, BreadBakeBeyond.com.

If you’re lactose intolerant, there are, thankfully, many vegan alternatives out there, so you can still celebrate with “dairy” and many recipes that are both meat-free and dairy-free to make too!

Custom #2: It’s an all-nighter

We stay up all night to learn the Torah because the day that it was supposed to be given, the Jews accidentally overslept.

Now, we show that we are making up for the mistakes of our ancestors and are excited to stay up late learning Torah. Many communities will have learn-athons that go until sunrise and then say morning prayers together.

Ruth, of the Book of Ruth, was a Moabite woman who became a Jew after the death of her husband. She stays with her mother-in-law Naomi, and later marries Boaz and becomes an ancestor of King David, from whom the Messiah will be a descendant.

Ruth is perhaps the most famous convert in all of Jewish history. Ruth’s story relates to that of the Jewish people, who wanted to be given the Torah and become servants of Hashem.

Though you may not have heard of Shavuot or celebrated it in the past, this year is a great time to start now that you know more about the holiday and its customs. Remember to pick up a cheesecake from your favorite bakery (or make your own!), put on your best clothes for synagogue, and be prepared for some eye-opening and engaging learning. And oh yeah – don’t forget the coffee. You’ll need it!

Written by Kylie Ora Lobell, Jewess in Chief at Jewess, a Jewish women’s website, as well as a freelance writer for Aish, Chabad, The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles, and The Forward.

Other Shavuot content and resources:

• Masa Israel Journey on Shavuot
  Recommendations for the best cheesecakes and cheese stores in Israel for Shavuot, as well as yummy dairy Shavuot recipes to try this holiday!
• A Jewish Agency Shlichah’s Perspective: Shavuot in the Moshav
  Yuval, a Jewish Agency Shlichah (Israeli emissary) in Arizona, shares her view on celebrating Shavuot, the Harvest Festival, on a moshav, an agricultural community, in northern Israel.
• Aish on Shavuot
  Shavuot insights on Torah, Mt Sinai, belief, laws and prayers, videos, audio lessons and recipes.
• Chabad.org Shavuot pages
  A remarkable collection of Shavuot resources in 7 languages. Including information on Shavuot traditions & customs, lessons and study materials, videos and audio classes for adults and kids, and a Synagogue Search tool (in the USA, Israel, and more countries).
• Shitim Institute Chagim Center
  A unique collection of historical and contemporary materials from Shitim’s Jewish-Zionist-Humanist archives, on Shavuot sources and philosophy, literature and poetry, songs and ceremonies.
• My Jewish Learning Shavuot archive
  A diverse and rich source on Shavuot themes, terms, traditions and theology. Including articles, recipes, quizzes, and kid activities ideas.
• URJ Shavuot Resources
  The Union for Reform Judaism Shavuot resource page. Essential information, articles, recipes and family activities.
• NJOP Shavuot
  A concise, well-organized source for Shavuot content from The National Jewish Outreach Program, including a Shavuot Prep 101, the 10 Commandments eGuide, and various short articles.