The Festival of Weeks — occurring fifty days after Passover on the sixth of Sivan, Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, the harvest of the first fruits in ancient Israel, and the spiritual completion of the Exodus. It is one of the three ancient pilgrimage festivals and a holiday of profound spiritual significance.
If Passover celebrates physical freedom from Egypt, Shavuot celebrates the spiritual purpose of that freedom — the receiving of the Torah, which gave the Jewish people its moral and spiritual framework. The Torah was given at Sinai exactly seven weeks after the Exodus, connecting the two holidays in an unbroken chain of meaning. The Book of Ruth is read on Shavuot — Ruth's declaration of loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi ('Where you go, I will go; your people shall be my people') is a model of the covenant and love at the heart of Jewish commitment. Shavuot also marks the first fruits offering in the Temple, connecting the spiritual Torah to the physical abundance of the land.
Tikkun Leil Shavuot — all-night Torah study — is a widespread tradition, reflecting the idea that the Israelites fell asleep before Sinai and needed Moses to wake them, so Jews today stay awake to show their eagerness to receive the Torah. The Book of Ruth is read in synagogue. Synagogues and homes are decorated with flowers and greenery, representing the blooming of Mount Sinai before the giving of the Torah. Dairy foods are the traditional culinary custom, with various explanations including the connection to the 'land flowing with milk and honey.' Confirmation ceremonies are held in many synagogues.
“And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.”— Exodus 19:17-19
Chag Shavuot Sameach — Happy Shavuot