Lag B'omer Day 2024 is on Friday, May 17, 2024: JEWS - What exactly is a Lag B'Omer PARADE & do Messianics attend?

Friday, May 17, 2024 is Lag B'omer Day 2024. Lag BaOmer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Lag BaOmer bonfire.jpg

Pretty much it is the 33rd day of the Omer, and the Hilula of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai-Author of the Zohar. 1)Messianics are not Jews, so no reason for them to celebrate it. 2) They don't believe in the Rabbis, and since Rashb"i wrote the Zohar, why would they care?

For more info-

which Jewish hols is on thurs/fri?

Friday is Lag B'Omer (starts Thursday night) - literally the 33rd day of the Omer.

The "Omer" is a counting of the days between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot. During the Omer there are some restrictions on Jews - listening to music, getting married, shaving, all of which are allowed for one day on Lag B'Omer. It is traditionally described as being a day to celebrate the victory of Bar Kochba against the Romans.

It's not a religious holy day - you are allowed to work and there are no special mitzvot associated with it. Traditionally kids celebrate by lighting bonfires and shooting arrows, also probably in reference to Bar Kochba.

How do we celebrate the holiday of Lag BaOmer?

Lag b'Omer is traditionally celebrated with outings to the fields, bows and arrows, and bonfires. The Lubavitcher Rebbe encouraged communities to make Jewish Children's Parades on this day.

The largest celebration for Lag b'Omer takes place in and around Miron, the town near Safed where Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son Rabbi Elazar are buried.

Hundreds of thousands attend the festivities, large bonfires can be seen from miles away and the celebration is unparalleled.

In some circles there are special poetic songs that are sung on this day extolling the greatness of Rabbi Shimon.

Boys who turn three between Passover and Lag b'Omer get their first haircut on this day. Many make an effort to observe this celebration in Miron.

The largest celebration for Lag b'Omer takes place in and around Miron...where Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son Rabbi Elazar are buried. Hundreds of thousands attend the festivities...

Some Chassidic groups treat the day as a festival, dressing in their festive clothing and holding a banquet like on Sabbath or festivals.

The grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Baruch of Mezibuz, would study the entire Zohar (authored by Rabbi Shimon) each year, concluding its study on Lag b'Omer. He would then take the Zohar in his hand and dance with it for many hours with great ecstasy and rapture. For him it was a day like Simchat Torah.

Here are a number of additional customs...

According to Ashkenazi custom, we celebrate Lag b'Omer by not mourning. Unlike the rest of the days between Passover and Shavuot, Lag b'Omer we celebrate with music, marriages, permission to take haircuts etc.

Sephardic Jews, however, stop mourning on the 34th day. From then on, the mourning is over for the Sephardim. Ashkenazi Jews resume mourning after the 33rd day. These differences are based on varying opinions of the exact details relating to the death of Rabbi Akiba’s students.