Thanksgiving: Sukkot and Shavuot’s secular connection

While it’s very easy to make parallels between Thanksgiving and Sukkot, the origins of Shavuot also make the spring holiday of the Torah a harvest holiday: this can be kept in mind during the celebrations of Thanksgiving.

Sukkot falls in the autumn, and celebrates the gathering of crops. Some historians have claimed  that the Puritans based the Thanksgiving celebrations on the Sukkot celebrations of the Torah. However, the second harvest festival, Shavuot, should not be ignored. Shavuot’s original name was Hag HaKatzir. It was the beginning of the harvest season and can in fact be translated as the harvest holiday. Another name for Shavuot is Hag HaBikurim—the holiday of the first fruits -- for the sacrifices of fruits which were offered at the temple.

In Israel it is possible to get a whole turkey to go along with the veggies. You just need to order it at the local butcher or grocery store ahead of time. You will not find pumpkin however. Most Israelis substitute a yam which is called "da'lat" for the pumpkin and many do not even know that they are not the same thing. Shmuel and I make sure to have different fruits and vegetables on our Thanksgiving table to keep these Jewish connections in mind. My favorite green bean dish (made by my aunt) is here with a few Israeli twists:

Tammy’s Green Beans

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

12 oz green beans

1 cup of squared yam

Topping

3 T rice wine vinegar

1 T canola oil

2 t. soy sauce

1 clove garlic

1 t. honey

1 T minced ginger

1 T chives (opt)

1/8 t. red pepper (like

cayenne or paprika)

3 T sesame seeds

Mix topping ingredients and add to lightly steamed

veggies. Add sesame seeds. Toss to coat.

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