Read your Bible with your own eyes

Dates for 2020 – Friday 29 May which starts Sunset Thursday, May 28, 2020 to Friday at Nightfall which is the beginning of Saturday May 30, 2020.

Feast of Weeks is observed on the 6th to 7th of the month Sivan in 2020. It takes place fifty days after the first day of the spring festival of Passover which is the second day of Passover. It is also the first full day that Jesus was in the grave.

What is Pentecost? Pentecost or Shavuot, the disciples were gathered together for Shavuot, which commemorates the day that the Torah was received by the Israelites during their desert wandering. It was also the second harvest. It was approximately 3,327 years ago, and is the only Jewish holiday mentioned in the Torah without a specific calendar date. Rather, it is to be celebrated 50 days after the second day of Passover. This was the Harvest Feast, or Feast of Weeks, celebrating the firstfruits of the wheat/barley harvest. Today, we celebrate what Christians call Pentecost because on that day the disciples and all people who gathered with them received the Holy Spirit.

How is Shavuot celebrated?

Shavuot is observed by abstaining from work and attending synagogue services. A few special readings are recited: a liturgical poem called Akdamut, which emphasizes the greatness of God; the Book of Ruth, because the story highlights one woman’s choice to join the Jewish people and accept the Torah; and the Ten Commandments, in honor of the revelation of the Torah. It is also customary to study Torah all night; this practice is called Tikkun Leil Shavuot. Of course, for Christians we should read Acts 2, and thank God for giving us the Holy Spirit.

What kinds of foods are eaten on Shavuot?

Traditional holiday meals on Shavuot center around dairy foods. Milk is considered to be a symbol of the Torah, which nourishes the people directly, as milk does for a baby. Popular Shavuot foods include cheesecake, blintzes, and kugels. Some Sephardic Jews make a seven-layered bread called siete cielos (seven heavens), which is supposed to represent Mt. Sinai.

What is the proper greeting for Shavuot?

The greeting for Shavuot is simply “Chag Sameach!” (Happy Holiday).