Machar: the Washington Congregation for Secular Humanistic Judaism

Tu biShevat, a winter holiday, occurs on the 15th of Shevat when there is a full moon. This is a time when we long for Spring and look for even the slightest hint of its eventual arrival. The first sign is the awakening of a few early trees -- the New Year of the Trees according to ancient Jewish lore. It gives us reason learn of the customs of our long ago ancestors and to celebrate the bounty of the earth with a Tu biShevat Seder -- a Spring party in the Winter.

Its origin lies in stories of Asherah (Astarte), wife of the god Elohim. She rules over the sea and is also goddess of fertility. Her symbol is the tree, so this is often called the New Year for Trees, and comes at the time of year when the sap begins to rise in the fruit trees to make them fertile. 

It is one of the four naturalnew years which are part of the lunar year. Nisan 1 is the new year for kings and seasonal feasts (determining the cycle of calendar festivals). Elul 1 is the new year for tithing cattle,e.g., animals born before this date cannot be offered as a tithe for animals born after it. Tishri 1 is the new year for reckoning septemial cycles and 50-year jubilees. Shvat 1 is the new year for fruit trees. The new year for trees, however, has been shifted to the 15th of the month, because of some reasoning by Rabbi Hillel, 30 BCE - 10 CE.

Tu biShevat is not in Torah. Traditionally, there is no history of worshipping or acknowledging a female deity. Perhaps some elements of ancient lore were discarded or ignored.

The Jewish National Fund took this holiday as a symbol of making the land green and fruitful, so planting trees has become an important way of marking the holiday. This is also a good holiday for conservationists, and for celebrating that part of Tikkun Olam - repairing the world.

The holiday celebration is traditionally a seder that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, wine, foods of beautiful color, but the ancient fertility story is a important here, too.