Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A Jewish festival: Shavuot is a major Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan. It commemorates the giving of the Torah, specifically the Ten Commandments, to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The community gathers at the synagogue to celebrate Shavuot.
  • A traditional custom on Shavuot is to eat dairy foods like cheesecake.
  • Shavuot marks the conclusion of the counting of the Omer, a seven-week period after Passover.

Advanced Usage

• "The Festival of Weeks": Shavuot is also known by this name because it occurs seven weeks (a "week of weeks") after the second day of Passover.

  • Shavuot, or the Festival of Weeks, is one of the three pilgrimage festivals.

• "Yom HaBikurim": This Hebrew term, meaning "Day of the First Fruits," is another name for Shavuot, linking it to the agricultural harvest season in ancient Israel.

  • In ancient times, Shavuot was Yom HaBikurim, when the first fruits were brought to the Temple.

Variants and Related Words

• Pentecost: This Greek-derived term is used in Christian tradition for a different holiday but is sometimes used in English to refer to Shavuot, due to its timing 50 days after Passover.
  • The Jewish holiday of Shavuot is sometimes called Pentecost in historical texts.

Synonyms

• Feast of Weeks: A direct English translation of "Chag HaShavuot," another common name for the holiday.
• Festival of the Giving of the Torah: A descriptive synonym emphasizing the holiday's primary religious significance.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Receiving the Torah on Shavuot": A standard phrase describing the core event commemorated by the holiday.
  • The central theme of Shavuot is receiving the Torah at Sinai.

Noun

1. (Judaism) Jewish holy day celebrated on the sixth of Sivan to celebrate Moses receiving the Ten Commandments