Next up on the Jewish holiday docket is Shavuot, which is a two-day holiday that’s all about Torah, harvest, and — what else — cheesecake.
Shavuot was originally an ancient harvest festival celebrating the grain crop. In Hebrew, Shavuot means “weeks” and the holiday is celebrated seven weeks after Passover begins. But today, Shavuot is mostly recognized as the anniversary of the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. Read more about the basics here.
So how do you celebrate this holiday with the kids? Some ideas:
1. Dairy Party
The reasons are not entirely known or agreed upon, but it’s customary to eat dairy on Shavuot. Blintzes are especially festive, as when you put two together on a plate, they look like the two tablets that Moses received at Mt. Sinai! We’ve got a recipe for traditional blintzes with cream cheese filling and strawberry rhubarb blintzes with a sweet and sour fruit filling.
You could also go in the cheesecake direction (a mighty fine direction, indeed). Check out this recipe for traditional cheesecake, and then follow it up with these cheesecake variations, which included vegan lemon cheesecake and lavender cheesecake with shortbread-almond crust. Or, if you’d like to really double down, this double layer cheesecake is twice as nice.
2. Edible Crafts
If your kids like to play with their food, these Mt. Sinai Muffins might be just the thing for you. Made to resemble Mt. Sinai with a pair of tablets sticking out on top, you can’t deny these treats look just as cute as they are delicious. Decorate with some LEGO people and you’ve got a whole biblical scene on your hands.
3. Make it Meaningful
As Shavuot is the holiday in which we receive the 10 commandments, check out these 10 ways to make the holiday of Shavuot more meaningful (and fun!) for your family!
We also recommend you check out this article on Shavuot values for preschoolers. It shares some great ideas for incorporating relatable values like charity, friendship, and compassion into your celebration of Shavuot.
