Shavuot שבועות, the Festival of Weeks, is the second of the three major pilgrimage festivals with both biblical and agricultural significance (the other two are Passover פסח and Sukkot סוכות).
Shavuot is celebrated for two days and occurs on the 6th of the Hebrew month of Sivan סיון, which this year falls on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014 and ends at sundown on Thursday, June 5th, 2014. This holiday is the culmination of a seven-week period, counting the 49 days between the second day of Passover פסח and the first night of Shavuot שבועות.
Agriculturally, it commemorates the time when the early summer first fruits were harvested and brought to the Temple as an offering, and is known as Hag ha-Bikkurim חג הבכוריםThe Festival of the First Fruits. The bikkurim were carried in beautifully decorated baskets. Families would gather together to walk to Jerusalem and they would sing, dance and have music playing whilst they walked. Another name for the holiday is Hag Matan Torateinu חג מתן תורתינו The Festival of the Giving of Our Torah as it celebrates the giving of the Torah to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai seven weeks after their exodus from Egypt.
We celebrate the holiday by attending community all night study sessions called Tikkun תיקון. Also, it is customary to eat dairy meals during this two day holiday. Some say it is a reference to the Land of Israel, referred to in the Torah as the Land of Milk and Honey ארץ זבת חלב ודבש eretz zavat Halav u’dvash. In synagogues and Jewish communities, some decorate their house and synagogues with fruits, flowers and harvest decorations.
Sweet Cheese Kugel
Kugel is a Jewish dish similar to a casserole or pudding. The dish originated over 800 years ago in southern Germany and became a staple with Jewish families throughout Eastern Europe. This is a great Shavuot dish! Bon Appetit! בתיאבון Beteyavon!
Ingredients:
12 oz wide egg noodles
6 large eggs
1 lb sour cream (2 cups)
8 oz cottage cheese (1 cup)
8 oz cream cheese, softened (1 cup)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt
Cinnamon and sugar for dusting
oil or butter for greasing pan
Directions:
Cook egg noodles according to package - al dente. Drain and place in a big mixing bowl.
In a food processor or blender, mix together the eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, sugar, melted butter, and salt. Pour the dairy mixture over the noodles in a big mixing bowl.
Coat a 9×13 inch baking dish with oil or butter. Pour the noodle mixture into the dish.
Top casserole with sugar and cinnamon.
Bake the kugel for about 60 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking, till the center of the kugel is set and the tips of the noodles turn golden brown. Remove from the oven. Top with whipped cream if you like.
Photo Credit: sweetbeetandgreenbean via Compfight cc
