Lag B'Omer in United States

Many Jewish people in the United States observe Lag B’Omer, also known as Lag BaOmer, on the 18th day of the month of Iyar in the Jewish calendar. The name of this observance means refers to the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer.

Some Jewish Americans participate in bonfire festivities on Lag B'Omer. ©iStockphoto.com/andrew dean

What do people do?

Jewish communities in the United States may celebrate Lag B’Omer by having bonfires for family and friends, while some Jewish people may choose to get married on this day. This is because mourning practices that occur during the Omer period are lifted on this date.

Some Jewish boys may not have their hair cut until they are three years old, when they begin to learn the Torah. Many wait until Lag B’Omer to have the ceremony, known as Upsherin, for this occasion. Some children play with bows, which represent rainbows. Some people eat carobs on this day in memory of a story about a carob tree that miraculously grew to provide sustenance for a rabbi known as Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai (whose teacher was Rabbi Akiba) and his son Elazar.

Public life

Lag B’Omer is not a federal public holiday in the United States. Government offices, organizations, public transit services, and educational institutions operate to their usual schedules.

Background

The name of this Jewish observance refers to the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer. An “omer” refers to a sheaf of barley or wheat. In the book of Leviticus, it is written that God commanded people to make an offering of a sheaf of barley on each of the 50 days between Passover and Shavuot. The day number was announced after the evening service, and in time this ceremony came to be known as the “counting of the Omer”.

The reason why the 33rd day of this period was singled out may have something to do with an ancient pagan festival that was celebrated at the same time. Another story claims that a plague attacked Rabbi Akiba’s students in the second century CE suddenly stopped on this day. Many Jewish people also mark this date by remembering the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who was one of Rabbi Akiva's students. In any case, this observance represents a break in the season between Passover and Shavuot.

About Lag B'Omer in other countries

Lag B'Omer Observances

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• Law Day ―Tuesday, May 1, 2012
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• National Day of Prayer ―Thursday, May 3, 2012
• Rhode Island Independence Day ―Friday, May 4, 2012
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• Primary Election Day Indiana ―Tuesday, May 8, 2012
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• Mother's Day ―Sunday, May 13, 2012
• Peace Officers Memorial Day ―Tuesday, May 15, 2012
• International Day of Families ―Tuesday, May 15, 2012
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• National Defense Transportation Day ―Friday, May 18, 2012
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