
Lag B’Omer: The Perfect Outdoor Program
Wait, back up – what’s Lag B’Omer again?
“Lag” is the Hebrew letters lamed and gimel, which in gematria (a system where Hebrew letters represent numbers) equals 33. So Lag B’Omer is the 33rd day of the Omer count. The Omer is the period of 7 weeks between Passover and Shavuot. It is a day of happiness during the Omer which is typically considered a time of mourning.
Got it, so how do I host this during a pandemic?
This year, Lag B’Omer starts in the evening of Thursday, April 29th, and goes until sundown on Friday, April 30th. Since one of the most well-known traditions of the holiday is to have a bonfire and that is done outdoors, it’s easy to create a program that can allow for social distancing and a good time celebrating in nature!Step 1: Build the bonfire
If you’re lucky enough to live near the beach, that’s a great spot to build a bonfire. If not, check your local parks to see what places might allow for one in the area. If you can’t find a spot, a campfire in a backyard fire pit will give you the same effect. Check out this article for steps to building a bonfire, and this one for how to build a campfire.
Step 2: Set up a s’mores bar
Gather your basics: chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers, and arrange them on a variety of small plates or bowls. Pro tip: collect roasting sticks the day before while it’s still light out and pile them up neatly next to the s’mores building station so people aren’t fumbling around in the dark. One more idea… have each guest bring a unique ingredient to add to your s’more bar. Branch out with different kinds of fancy chocolate, add in a shmear of peanut butter or nutella – the sky’s the limit!Step 3: Rock out!
