Tu BiShvat: the New Year for Trees ט״ו בִּשְׁבָט
Tu BiShvat, the 15th of Shevat (January or February), is the “New Year for Trees”. In Jewish law it is the date from which the age of fruit trees is counted; today it is celebrated by eating fruit, especially the species of the land of Israel, and by planting trees.
New Year for Trees · Tu B’Shevat · ט״ו בשבט · 15 Shevat
What is Tu BiShvat?
The Mishna lists four new years; the 15th of Shevat is the new year for trees. By this time most of the winter rains in the land of Israel have fallen and the sap begins to rise. The date matters for tithes and for orlah, the rule that fruit of a tree’s first three years is not eaten.
The kabbalists of Safed in the 16th century gave the day a spiritual meaning with the Tu BiShvat seder, a meal of fruits and wine. In modern Israel it also became a day of tree planting and of care for the land.
How Tu BiShvat is observed
How it is marked
- Eat fruits – especially those of the seven species (grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, dates) – and if possible a new fruit, over which the Shehecheyanu blessing is said.
- Many hold a Tu BiShvat seder: four cups of wine moving from white to red, fruits with inedible shells, with inedible pits and fully edible fruits, with readings from Torah and Zohar.
- Tachanun is not said. Tu BiShvat is not a Yom Tov; work is permitted.
Sephardi and Ashkenazi customs
- The Tu BiShvat seder comes from the Sephardi kabbalistic tradition (Pri Etz Hadar) and is widely kept by Sephardi and Mizrahi families, who in Ladino call the day Las Frutas.
- Many Ashkenazim eat carob (bokser) and pray for a beautiful etrog for the coming Sukkot.
Tu BiShvat dates 2025–2028
Dates follow the Diaspora schedule. Jewish days begin at sundown: a holiday starts in the evening before its first day and ends at nightfall.
| Year | Begins | Ends | Hebrew date | In Israel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sundown, Wednesday, February 12, 2025 | Nightfall, Thursday, February 13, 2025 | 15 Sh'vat 5785 | Same |
| 2026 | Sundown, Sunday, February 1, 2026 | Nightfall, Monday, February 2, 2026 | 15 Sh'vat 5786 | Same |
| 2027 | Sundown, Friday, January 22, 2027 | Nightfall, Saturday, January 23, 2027 | 15 Sh'vat 5787 | Same |
| 2028 | Sundown, Friday, February 11, 2028 | Nightfall, Saturday, February 12, 2028 | 15 Sh'vat 5788 | Same |
Israel and the Diaspora
Tu BiShvat falls on the same day in Israel and the Diaspora.
Candle-lighting times
Candle-lighting and havdalah times for Shabbat and Yom Tov in 94 cities, computed for your location: Shabbat & holiday candle-lighting times
Greetings
- Chag Sameach (חג שמח) – A happy Tu BiShvat.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Tu BiShvat in 2027?
- In 2027, Tu BiShvat falls on Saturday, January 23, 2027 and begins at sundown the evening before (Friday, January 22, 2027).
- Why is Tu BiShvat in winter?
- The date follows the climate of the land of Israel, where most of the rain has fallen by mid-Shevat and the first trees, like the almond, begin to blossom.
- What are the seven species?
- Wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates (Deuteronomy 8:8) – the produce for which the land of Israel is praised.
- Is Tu BiShvat a holiday with work restrictions?
- No. It is a joyful day without the restrictions of Yom Tov; only Tachanun and fasting are omitted.
- Which blessings are said over fruit?
- Borei pri ha’etz over tree fruit, borei pri ha’adamah over produce of the ground, and Shehecheyanu over a fruit eaten for the first time this season.
Sources
- Mishna Rosh Hashanah 1:1
The 15th of Shevat is the new year for trees (according to Beit Hillel).
- Deuteronomy 8:8
אֶרֶץ חִטָּה וּשְׂעֹרָה וְגֶפֶן וּתְאֵנָה וְרִמּוֹן אֶרֶץ־זֵית שֶׁמֶן וּדְבָשׁ
The seven species of the land of Israel – wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.
- Leviticus 19:23
וְכִי־תָבֹאוּ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ וּנְטַעְתֶּם כָּל־עֵץ מַאֲכָל וַעֲרַלְתֶּם עָרְלָתוֹ אֶת־פִּרְיוֹ שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים יִהְיֶה לָכֶם עֲרֵלִים לֹא יֵאָכֵל
The laws of orlah – the age of a fruit tree is counted from Tu BiShvat.
Hebrew verses: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) via the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. The explanations on this page are our own, not translations.
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For learning and general information only. Customs differ between communities; for halachic questions ask your rabbi.