In post-Temple times, however, the main emphasis shifted to the festival's identification as the anniversary of the giving of the Torah at Sinai, when the TEN COMMANDMENTS were proclaimed to the assembled Children of Israel.   

Shavu'ot is less rich in special laws and customs than the other pilgrim festivals. In many traditional communities the world over, the practice of remaining awake during Shavu'ot night is widely observed. R. Solomon ALKABETS and other Sephardi kabbalists of the 16th century originated the custom of Tikkun Lel Shavu'ot (Tikkun for Shavu'ot eve) in which a special anthology comprising the beginning and end of each portion of the Pentateuch, the opening verses of each chapter in the rest of the Bible and the opening passage of each of the 63 tractates of the Mishnah, was read. Some lectionaries also contained citations from the ZOHAR, as well as poetic exhortations (AZHAROT) on the theme of the 613 commandments. Today, in those communities in which the custom is observed, a passage of Talmud or other rabbinic literature usually takes the place of this lectionary. Some Diaspora communities followed the practice of reading the Book of Psalms on the second night, in accordance with the tradition that David the Psalmist was born and died on Shavu'ot, but this custom has become rare. It was usual for the Jews of Kurdistan to visit holy tombs on this day, especially the traditional tomb of the prophet Nahum near Moshul.

Synagogues are decorated with flowers or plants on the occasion of the festival. Reasons suggested for this widespread custom are that the floral decoration is symbolic of the main summer harvest; that Mount Sinai, where the Divine Revelation occurred, was miraculously covered with vegetation in honor of the great event; that Shavu'ot is thought to be "judgment day" for fruit trees; or that the decorations symbolize the beautifully adorned first-fruit offering brought in Temple days.   

Dairy food has long been traditional on Shavu'ot. The simple reason for this may be that Shavu'ot is a summer festival, when light dairy dishes are appropriate. A more traditional explanation is that there was insufficient time to prepare a meat meal on the day of the Giving of the Torah as the entire community was occupied in receiving the Torah. Housewives who baked their own bread customarily made twin loaves for Shavu'ot. The custom probably commemorates the two loaves of bread which, in Temple times, were made from the new wheat of Erets Israel and brought as a communal offering (Men. 8.1).   

The prescribed readings for the festival include the Ten Commandments preceded by the liturgical poem AKDAMUT MILLIN, on the first day, and YETSIV PITGAM, before the haftarah on the second day. The Book of RUTH is also read. Various reasons have been suggested for this. The agricultural background to the story makes it an appropriate choice for Shavu'ot, the Harvest Festival; Ruth's commitment to the people and the faith of Naomi constitutes a timely lesson for Shavu'ot, which itself commemorates Israel's acceptance of the Torah; David, who was descended from Ruth, has traditional associations with the festival.   

In keeping with the Sinaitic aspect of Shavu'ot, it has been customary since the Middle Ages to begin the formal Jewish education of young children at this time of the year. Nowadays, in many communities (particularly in America), the festival also marks the graduation of teenagers from the formal synagogue educational framework, or CONFIRMATION in Reform congregations. In the State of Israel, many collective settlements hold a "First Fruits" (Hag ha-Bikkurim) celebration on Shavu'ot, at which the "fruits" of the kibbutz - - including industrial products -- are displayed in a festive procession. In Israeli kindergartens, there are special pre-Shavu'ot celebrations to which the children come carrying baskets of fruit and wearing wreaths of flowers on their heads, reminiscent of the harvest festival.