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The Jewish holiday of Lag B’Omer, or, as it is also called, the Bonfire Festival, is celebrated on the thirty-third day between Passover and Shavuot. The Omer is a mental account within the forty-nine days between the two above mentioned memorable dates. We tell you what else Lag B’Omer is known for.
When will Lag B’Omer be celebrated in 2023?
The holiday of spring – Pesach – is celebrated in late March or early April. On Shavuot, the first gifts of nature are already appearing. This means that Lag B’Omer is located in the time period somewhere in the middle between these two dates. The eve of Lag B’Omer in 2023 falls on Wednesday evening 8 May. And the celebration itself will be in full swing on Thursday, 9 May. If we take into account the Jewish chronology, then the next Lag B’Omer will come on the 18th of the month of Iyar.
Lag B’Omer in Israel is not highlighted in red on the calendar and is a working day. Like other memorable dates of the Promised Land and the Jewish people, the Bonfire Festival, if we take into account recent years, is quite widely spaced in time. For example, Lag B’Omer in 2013 began on the night of Saturday, April 27, and continued throughout the following Sunday. As you can see, the distance between Lag B’Omer 2013 and 2023 is very significant.
History of Lag B’Omer
His appearance is entangled in secrets and shrouded in various legends. According to Hebrew tradition, it was on this day between Pesach and Shavuot that the plague that raged during the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian, who lived at the turn of the first two centuries of our era, ended. The plague caused the death of 24 students of Rabbi Akiva, an outstanding and revered Jewish theologian, one of the systematizers of the oral Torah. Among the dead was Shimon Bai Yochai, one of the most famous followers of Rabbi Akiva, the founder of the Kabbalistic teachings and the author of the literary creation of the Jewish people – the book “Zohar”.
Tradition says that after the death of Shimon Bai Yochai in 160 AD, a pillar of fire rose over his body. So there was a tradition to make fires on this day. However, some researchers link the appearance of Lag B’Omer directly with the struggle of the Jews against the Romans. There were also quite a few students of Rabbi Akiva in Bar Kokhba’s volunteer army. Despite the noticeable superiority of the Romans, the warriors of Bar Kokhba, having experienced the bitterness of many losses, it was on Lag B’Omer that they inflicted a major defeat on the enemy. So the Bonfire Festival, quite possibly, is arranged in honor of the victorious marches.
The Hebrew holiday has acquired a modern sound in our days. A few years ago, in Israel, on this day, the Day of the Israel Defense Forces Reservist (Miluimnik Day) began to be celebrated. Miluim is the monthly army levy for the reservists, to which they are called up each year. By the way, representatives of the fair sex are also happy to join the reserve troops of the Israel Defense Forces. As you can see, the historical legend and the version about the army of Bor-Kokhba has been confirmed even today.
Traditions of Lag B’Omer
Historical motifs also underlie the traditions of Lag B’Omer. In memory of Rabbi Shimon and his son, who ate carob fruits during the struggle against the Romans, Jews also eat fruits from this tree on this holiday. Another treat is hard-boiled eggs dyed with onion skins. This was Shimon Bai Yochai’s favorite food. On this day, on his grave, located on Mount Meron near the city of Safed, it is customary to treat people with drinks and make fires. Recently, the suburban village, where the grave of the Hebrew theologian is located, has become a center of pilgrimage for thousands of tourists.
The holiday of Lag B’Omer is usually held in open spaces. Archery competitions are organized. The bow is like the rainbow that appears after the flood. However, since Shimon Bai Yochai did everything to prevent the flood from returning, a sports bow was made from its consequences – rainbows.
And, of course, making fires is an obligatory component of the celebration. This tradition itself also comes from ancient times.
Even on this day, it is customary to arrange weddings and arrange festive processions. For especially religious Jews, this means the end or interruption of mourning for Shimon Bai Yochai.
Lag B’Omer can also be called the day of the first haircut. Jewish boys do not have their hair cut until they are three years old. If the child’s birthday falls on days close to the holiday, then it is imperative to wait for the onset of Lag B’Omer. This haircut is called “halake”.