The celebratory nature of Lag BaOmer is observed through the omission of Tahanun in the day’s prayers, and through other customs that have developed over the generations.

On the night of Lag BaOmer, it is customary to light candles or bonfires in memory of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai, and to sing liturgical poems composed in his honor. The most well-known lighting is the one performed at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon in Meron, in the Galilee, with the participation of hasidic rabbis and tens of thousands of celebrants. This custom is based on the comparison of the Torah to light, as it is stated: “For the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is light” (Proverbs 6:23), and likewise, the Torah is likened to fire, as it is written: “So is My word like fire, the utterance of the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:29). Since Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai was one of the greatest Torah scholars of his generation, who also revealed the secrets of the Torah, it became customary to light bonfires on the anniversary of the day of his passing. Moreover, it is related in the Zohar that when Rabbi Shimon revealed the secrets of Kabbala to his students, the house was filled with light and fire to such an extent that the students could not approach and look at their rabbi.

In a year when Lag BaOmer falls on a Sunday, in which case the bonfires are lit after the conclusion of Shabbat, it is very important not to light them nor even to start the preparations (by collecting firewood and the like) before the end of Shabbat. There is no value in acting “in honor of Rabbi Shimon” if it is done through the desecration of Shabbat, which is prohibited by Torah law.

In Israel it is popular to travel to the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai in Meron and participate in the lighting of bonfires and reciting of prayers in an atmosphere of great joy that prevails at the site throughout the day of Lag BaOmer. On this day, some recite the passage from the Zohar called Idra Zuta, which tells the story of the day of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai’s passing and the secrets of the Torah that he uttered to his disciples on the day of his death.

Some have the custom not to cut the hair of young boys until they turn three years old. Among those with such a practice, many give the first haircut, often called an upsherin or halaka, on Lag BaOmer. This is because it is the first opportunity to cut the hair of boys who turned three between Passover and Lag BaOmer due to the mourning customs that are practiced during this time period. The child’s first haircut is of special educational importance, as one leaves the boy with sidelocks or pe’ot (the hair that grows parallel to and slightly above the ears) on both sides of his head.

In Israel, some have the custom of taking their sons to the grave of the tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai in Meron, in order to combine the haircutting with the celebrations that are conducted there. According to tradition, this was the practice of the renowned kabbalist Rabbi Yitzhak Luria, as he took his three-year-old son to the grave of Rabbi Shimon and cut his hair there.

In many communities, Lag BaOmer is a kind of holiday celebrated by educators who teach Torah to children, and also by the children themselves. On this day, the teachers and pupils venture out together to the fields to take in the fresh air and talk about the greatness of Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai.

In the past, it was customary, and some even continue the practice to this day, to play with bows and arrows. Two reasons have been suggested for this custom: First, because in the days of Rabbi Shimon no rainbow was seen in the sky. This expresses the greatness of his merit, as he protected his generation to such an extent that they did not need the sign that God gave after the flood of His oath not to destroy the world again (see Genesis 9:13).

Second, there is a tradition that teachers in the days of the Romans (during the period of Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Shimon) went to teach Torah to Jewish children, which was an activity that was strictly forbidden by the government. So as not to be seen studying Torah, they would move away from inhabited areas and do it secretly, out in nature. The children would come equipped with bows and arrows, and if a Roman soldier happened upon the place, they would take them out and pretend to be practicing shooting.