Tu BiShvat (ט״ו בִּשְׁבָט, the fifteenth of Shevat) is the Jewish new year of the trees, a day when families eat fruit, remember the land of Israel and think about growth. In 2027 it falls on Saturday, January 23. Below are its customs, the Tree of Life in Jewish tradition, and gift ideas for a Tu BiShvat table that are available to order as of October 27, 2026.
For a gift with a connection to Israel, explore our mezuzahs from Israel.
What Is Tu BiShvat?
Tu BiShvat is the fifteenth day of the month of Shevat. The Mishnah in tractate Rosh Hashanah lists four new years, and it records that Beit Hillel place the new year of the trees on the fifteenth of Shevat, which you can read at Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:1 on Sefaria. The day is also called Rosh Hashanah LaIlanot (רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לָאִילָנוֹת, the new year of the trees), the name the Magen Avraham uses.
The date matters for the laws of fruit. Ohr Somayach explains that it affects the calculation of the three years of orlah, during which a tree's fruit is forbidden, and the calculation of tithes. It also marks the season: Ohr Somayach notes that the almond tree, one of the first to blossom, shows the trees waking from the winter.
When Is Tu BiShvat 2027?
Tu BiShvat 2027 falls on Saturday, January 23, and begins at sundown on Friday, January 22. In 2026 it fell on Monday, February 2. Because it falls on Shabbat in 2027, plan any tree planting for a weekday near the date, and ask your rabbi how to observe the day itself. For dates of other major Jewish holidays, see our Jewish holiday calendar for 2026 and 2027.
Tu BiShvat Customs: The Fruits and the Seven Species
The central custom is to eat fruit. The Magen Avraham records the custom of eating many types of tree fruit and notes that it is an Ashkenazi custom, which you can read at Magen Avraham 131:16 on Sefaria. The OU's Halacha Yomis adds that some poskim say to eat especially from the species with which the land of Israel was blessed: grapes, figs, dates, olives and pomegranates.
The Torah praises the land for seven kinds of produce in Deuteronomy 8:8, called Shiv'at HaMinim (שִׁבְעַת הַמִּינִים, the Seven Species): wheat, barley, grapevines, figs, pomegranates, olives and honey, which Ohr Somayach counts as dates. Ohr Somayach says that the popular custom today is to eat from all seven, and the Jewish Virtual Library adds that dried fruit and almonds are traditionally eaten.
In Israel, planting trees on this day is a modern custom. The Jewish Virtual Library records that in 1890 Rabbi Ze'ev Yavetz took his students to plant trees in the colony of Zichron Yaakov, and Aish reports that over a million Israelis take part in tree-planting activities organized every year on Tu BiShvat.
The Tu BiShvat Seder and Its Four Cups
Some families hold a Tu BiShvat seder (סֵדֶר, order), a table ritual of fruits and wine. Aish says that the kabbalists of Tzfat compiled it in the sixteenth century, and MyJewishLearning tells how it began.
Ohr Somayach describes four cups of wine: the first white, the second mostly white with some red, the third with more red than white, and the fourth completely red. The Aish seder moves from fruits with inedible shells or peels, to fruits with inedible pits, to fruits that are completely edible. Aish also notes that the order and contents of the seder do not follow a specific Jewish law, so families keep it in their own way.
The Tree of Life in Jewish Tradition: Etz Chaim
Etz Chaim (עֵץ חַיִּים, tree of life) first appears in Genesis 2:9, as the tree of life in the middle of the Garden of Eden. Proverbs 3:18 says of wisdom, "She is a tree of life to those who grasp her," and the Talmud, in tractate Taanit 7a, applies the verse to anyone who engages in Torah for its own sake.
Many pieces of Judaica carry the tree, and it fits a doorway as well as a Tu BiShvat table.
Tree of Life Judaica: Gift Ideas for Tu BiShvat
A mezuzah (מְזוּזָה, doorpost scroll) with a tree, a pomegranate or a date palm is a gift that lasts longer than the fruit. Jewish tradition sees the mezuzah as bringing blessing and protection to a home through the mitzvah of placing it on the doorpost, and the case is how we honor it. The Tu BiShvat collection gathers pieces for the holiday. Designs that reflect the holiday's themes include:
- The Juicy Pomegranate Mezuzah ($54.95) carries a pomegranate, one of the Seven Species.
- The Date Palm Mezuzah ($64.95) carries a date palm, and the date is another of the Seven Species.
- The Tree of Life Silver Pewter Mezuzah ($49.99) is a pewter tree of life in a silver finish.
- The Extra Large Etz Chaim Gray Jerusalem Stone Mezuzah ($179.95) is a large Jerusalem stone case with a carved tree of life and the letters Chet and Yud at its base.
Our Jerusalem stone mezuzahs are made in Israel from natural stone. For the whole picture of scroll, case and mitzvah, read Mezuzah Basics. The What Is Written Inside a Mezuzah article shows what is on the parchment. Our article on why have a mezuzah explains why a Jewish home hangs one.
A tree takes years to bear fruit, and Jewish tradition calls the Torah a tree of life that nourishes a home slowly, through every season. Whether you plant a tree, share a plate of fruit or give something for the doorpost, Tu BiShvat is a gentle day to connect growth, Torah and a Jewish home. For gifts that grow with a family, see the Mezuzah Gifts and Jewish Gifts collections. A Mezuzah Store Gift Card ($36 to $1,000) lets the family choose.
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