# the Torah (what the Jews got on that day), # flowers (symbolizing how mount sinai was decorated), # the book of Ruth (the book in The Bible that's read on shavuot), # harvesting (the time of year that shavuot takes place), # mount sinai (where the Torah was received by Moses and the Jewish people), # dairy foods (Jews waited to eat meat before the Torah was given since they did not yet know the specific laws of slaughtering animals-after receiving the torah, they were able to learn the laws properly to eat only kosher meat), # 49 (the countdown from the 2nd day of passover till shavuot)
The Torah itself, or a depiction thereof. Many children carry paper flags with pictures of a Torah or the Ten Commandments, while dancing.
Shavuot is a Jewish religious holiday.
The Shavuot celebration originated in Israel and they celebrate a feast.
No. Tefillin are not worn on holidays, including Shavuot, or on the Sabbath.
Shavuot (mistranslated as Pentecost) was fifty days after the Passover. Still is.
No. Anything dairy is traditional on Shavuot, especially blintzes.
Shavuot is recognized as a festival by all branches of Judaism, Orthodox, Reform, Conserviative. However, of the three pilgrimage festivals, it is the most frequently ignored. (Despite the good food, since cheesecake is a traditioinal food for Shavuot.) I have been to Orthodox synagogues where hardly anyone showed up for Shavuot, and I have been to Reform synagogues that were crowded on Shavuot. Even so it is probable that more Orthodox Jews take Shavuot seriously.
Yes, Shavuot is a Jewish holy day/festival (Leviticus ch.23).
The custom is not to pray all night, but to study all night. Shavuot is considered to be the anniversary of the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Tikkun Leil Shavuot is the custom of staying up the entire night (leil) of Shavuot studying with the community in order to reexperience standing at Sinai.
A rabbi
Judaism
On Shavuot
Jewish culture