Marlene's friend Miriam, who is of Syrian Jewish descent, though born and raised in Mexico, said that as kids in Mexico they would run into their home with paper bags and their parents would playfully say "Who sees Id II Jar?" (Id Ii Jar means "holiday of the trees", the Syrian name for Tu B'Shevat) and the kids would say "I see him, he's right here!" And then they would fill up their bags with the sweet treats, namely dried fruits and fruit candy, in celebration of the holiday.
And that my friends was the inspiration for this craft, which makes it even more fabulous!
- a cherry blossom stamp and ink pad
- small favor bags
- tags, if desired
- an assortment of dried fruits and fruit inspired treats
How To: Simply stamp bags and tags with the color ink that suits your table, and while you're at it, stamp some paper napkins too! Tags can be affixed to bags with double sided tape, or used as place cards.
To see more of Marlene's amazing Tu B'Shevat table, filled to the brim with many many edible creations from local (Brooklyn) culinary artisans, take a look at her post here on The Jewish Hostess.