Shavout or the day of Pentecost is also referred to as the festival of weeks and is the second of three festivals to be celebrated following Yom Kippur.
The celebrating of Pentecost is said to honor the first fruits of the harvest. These fruits, said to be the finest of the crop, were brought to the Temple as an offering to God. Its second meaning is that of the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people.
Shavuot the day of Pentecost is celebrated forty-nine days or seven full weeks after the conclusion of Passover. The coming of the day of Pentecost is highly anticipated. Jews will count the days to remind themselves of the connection between Passover and Shavout. The difference being that Passover was said to free the Jewish people from the physical bonds while Shavout and the giving of the Torah brought spiritual and moral freedom from the idol worshippers that were the Egyptians.
Many historians point out that Shavout is referred to as the 'giving of the Torah' not the 'receiving of the Torah.' Jewish teachings say that all Jews receive the Torah every day, but Shavout marked the first occasion where the Torah was given to them.
The celebrating of Pentecost is not connected to any certain date on the calendar, Jewish or otherwise. Because of the variable time span of months, there was never any set date for the celebrating of Pentecost. This is believed by many to be God's original design and a way to remind his people that they need to be constantly aware of their holy days. The date for celebrating the Pentecost used to be determined by the moons before there were calendars. It is written that there were exactly two new moons between Passover and Shavout. The appearance of the second moon told the Jewish people when they should being Shavout. This practice died out and was replaced by the counting of the days, which is a serious undertaking for most of the Jewish religion.
As with many Jewish holidays, work is not permitted on the day of Pentecost. Prayer is an important part of the celebrating of Pentecost. One custom involves followers staying up the entire first night of Shavout and reading the Torah. The next morning the followers pray as early as possible.
Shavout is also marked by a feast. This varies by country and individual customs. The extent of the meal is personal preference but at least one course of dairy is required. This is believed to remind the Jewish people of the land of 'Milk and Honey.' The Torah also contains several dietary customs as laid down by God that need to be observed during the celebration of Pentecost.
Tradition says that the book of Ruth from the Bible is to be read before, during and after the meal. Scholars are not in agreement as to why this is but it is a widely accepted custom.
It is important to note that the celebrating of Pentecost for the Jewish people bares no resemblance or connection to the Christian Pentecost, which occurs fifty days following Easter. This seems to be the mistake that most people make and that is why it has to be stated. The reason for this is that people are not too sure what is what since it seems that many religions are the same.