Shavuot (Feast of Pentecost)
. . . is also called the Festival of Weeks.
. . . is held 7 weeks after the feast of passover.
. . . is celebrated for 1-2 days in June.
. . . celebrates the Jews' belief that God gave the Ten Commandments to
Moses.
Before the festival begins, the synagogue is decorated with fruit and
flowers. It reminds people of how Mount Sinai bloomed with flowers when God came
down to give the Torah to Moses.
The festival begins with a service in the synagogue. This includes
the reading from the Scriptures about how God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. Jews
believe that this is the most important thing that ever happened to human beings because
it was God telling the people how he wanted them to live.
The Ten Commandments can be summed up like this:
1.
I am the Lord your God.
2.
You must not have any other gods but me.
3.
You must not use God's name carelessly.
4.
Remember to keep the sabbath day holy.
5.
Respect your father and your mother.
6.
You must not murder.
7.
You must not commit adultery
8.
You must not steal.
9.
You must not tell lies about other people.
10.
You must not covet.
After the synagogue service, there is a festival meal at home. Part
of the meal is two special loaves of bread. They are decorated with a ladder
pattern. This reminds Jews of how Moses climbed Mount Sinai to talk to God and was
given the Ten Commandments.