The 15th day of the month of Shvat (which falls on Feb 11, 2017) is the cut-off date in the Hebrew calendar for calculating the age of a fruit-bearing tree.
What a blessing to live on the Land of Israel
Each tree is considered to have its “birthday” on Tu B’Shvat. This means if you planted a tree a few weeks before Tu B’Shvat, it begins its second year on Tu B’Shvat; whereas a tree planted after that time does not reach its second year until the following Tu B’Shvat.
The practical relevance of this is that during a tree’s first three years, its fruits are forbidden under the biblical injunction against eating Orlah (Leviticus 19:23). Our Galilee Green Olive Oil is made from olives that are harvested from trees that are in their fourth year or older.
Many people will plant fruit-bearing trees in the weeks before Tu B’Shvat. There are a number of other customs on the actual day of Tu B’Shvat. Learn more about the ABC’s of this special day here.
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