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There was a difference of opinion between the disciples of Hillel, who said the New Year for Trees falls on the fifteenth of the month, and those of Shamai, who said that it falls on the first of the month. But the Halacha (the Jewish Law) is, as in most cases, according to Hillel (Beit Hillel).

In the Talmud we find the reason for the new year. It marks the end of the heavy rain season in Israel, when the new saplings start to grow. After the destruction of the Second Temple various customs based on the agricultural significance of the day were observed.

But Tu Bishvat was not considered a real holiday until the sixteenth century when the Jewish Cabalists of Safed (Tzfat) gave it a unique character. They used to celebrate it around a set table like in a Pesach Seder (Passover ceremony). This celebration was called "Tikun for Tu Bishvat". At this Seder they used to read from the Torah, the Mishna and the Zohar (the main Cabalistic book) and to tell legends praising trees and fruit.

They served 15 kinds of fruit from Eretz-Israel and drank white and red wine. The white wine symbolizes the fall of leaves (exfoliation) and the deep sleep (hibernation) of winter and the red wine symbolizes the awakening of nature. The awakening of nature wasa symbol of the longing for the revival of the Jewish people in its homeland.