Upsherin
More Than a Haircut
A Meaningful Milestone
It is an age-old custom to allow a boy's hair to grow untouched until he's three years old. On his third Jewish birthday, friends are invited to a haircutting ceremony—called an upsherin in Yiddish, and a chalakah by Sephardic Jews. The child's peyot are left intact—the initiation into his first mitzvah.
A child's third birthday signals a major transition in his education. For the first three years of life, a child absorbs the surrounding sights and sounds and the parents' loving care. At the age of three, children's education takes a leap—they are now ready to produce and share their unique gifts.
The Ceremony
For a Jewish boy, this transition is marked with a ceremony. It is customary to hold or begin the upsherinish in a synagogue, house of study, or another holy setting. Many families celebrate at the resting place of a tzaddik. In Israel, many hold the ceremony in Meron, at the burial place of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
An upsherin is traditionally a modest event. Light refreshments are customary, and family and friends gather to celebrate together.
The child begins wearing tzitzit and the first locks of hair are traditionally cut by respected members of the community, beginning with a kohen, followed by a levi, and then a yisrael.
Customs & Traditions
Some begin cutting near the child's peyot, emphasizing the mitzvah of preserving them.
Because of the holiness of the occasion, many collect and bury the hair, and some give charity equal to its weight.
Children are encouraged to give tzedakah and recite verses of Torah during the celebration.
There are periods on the Jewish calendar when haircutting is postponed. If your son's third birthday falls during one of those times, consult your rabbi before choosing a date.
