At sundown today, the 30th of January 2018, we enter the festival of Tu Bishvat, one of the Jewish days marking the New Year.

Perhaps you are wondering 'How many New Year's days can there be?'

The Jewish New Year - expressed by the lunar calendar (e.g. we are currently in the year 5778) - officially begins in the month of Tishrei, the seventh month of the year (which falls around the end of September), with the Days of Awe, going from Rosh HaShana to Yom Kippur. However, the Mishnah - the collection of material forming the oral Jewish law - mentions other new beginnings, and one of these is the New Year for Trees, aka Tu BiShvat (meaning the 15th of the month of Shevat).

As every Jewish festival, Tu Bishvat begins at sundown of the day before: so tonight we start the counting of the new year in agriculture and nature by celebrating the symbolic birthday of every tree.

This year, Tu BiShvat is particularly meaningful for me: recently I have concluded the process of changing my last name to Lior, which is also my Hebrew name. Does this mean that I am the head of a new genealogical tree? I don't know!

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I am certainly very grateful to my parents for planting that seed many moons ago, and to the Universe, for it has been challenged yet enriched by significant persons in my life.

Tonight, 14 Shevat 5778, I wish my Lucia Lior's Tree to be blessed with strong and leafy branches, to give fruits, B'H, that will nourish those who will rest near her, and that many people will write in it their name.

So, happy birthday, dear trees!

LiOr