Description

Shavuot marks Moses receiving the Torah (five books of Moses) on Mount Sinai. For this reason, it is customary to stay up all night to study and pray with a dawn morning service that will reach its climax at sunrise. Religious Jerusalemites flock to the wall at 4am to be present for the morning service there. It is customary to eat dairy foods at Shavuot (cheesecake and blintzes being very popular). This is because the book of Moses (Torah) is compared to milk, as something that gives life and nourishment. Shavuot is also a harvest festival and is celebrated by decorating homes and synagogues with flowers.