01/02/2026
Happy Tree New Year!
Today we commemorate Tu B’Shvat, the 15th day of the Hebrew/ Lunar month of Shvat.
Now I don’t know about you but celebrating trees seems so Spring-y to me and celebrating them at all can seem, well, a little weird. But there’s a lot you can glean from this Winter festival.
New buds begin to form around this time of year. And with Israel’s rainy season coming to an end, the heaviest storms have probably passed.
While storms can batter and bruise the rain they bring is desperately needed. There is no vegetation, no growth, no future really, without rain. After days of downpours, when the fields turn jewel green, the plants begin to bear fruit, and new life blossoms before our eyes, growth becomes easy to spot and hard to ignore. It is an ethereal site to behold.
Celebrating the trees, in addition to reminding us how deeply connected we are to the earth and nature, speaks to renewal, rebirth, and possibility. Tu B’Shvat reminds us that there is potential even when we’ve yet to experience it, that our roots, no matter how messy or wild, are the foundation of our existence, and that upward growth is possible.
So why did I choose this picture? It's not the prettiest of trees and once upon a time it was more beautiful than the stump it was turned into. I chose this tree-with-a-face not only for proximity (it’s outside my front door) but also because it's quite the fighter. A few years ago someone saw fit to cut it down, leaving children and adults alike saddened by an untimely loss. Since that time however, it has grown taller and leaves are growing from the “eyes” and “mouth.” Aesthetically pleasing it’s not, but it hasn’t given up and remains solidly planted, beginning anew.
Whether you celebrate Tu B’Shvat or just like pretty flowers, take a page out of the “tree handbook.” Stand firm, take in some water, flourish where you can, grow in spite of it all, coexist, and strike a healthy balance of give and take.
Enjoy the trees and growth wherever you are.
