No matter where they come from and no matter what their closeness to Yiddishkeit the year round, Jews feel a draw to Meiron on this day. Sounds of singing and dancing permeate the air and the joy is contagious. Hard-working men hand out food and drink to any and all, fulfilling the mitzvah of hachnosas orchim en masse. Those who go say the kedushoh of the place and the time makes one yearn to become closer to HaKodosh Boruch Hu, through the merits of the Tana Hakodosh, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Preparations for the festivities at Meiron begin weeks before the actual date, when somewhere between 100,000 and a quarter of a million Jews of all ages and descriptions converge upon this tiny Galilean moshav from all parts of the country.
Bus services advertise, some boasting that they come the closest to the tsiyun.
Parking lots are prepared for the thousands of buses and private cars that will arrive. The highway is closed and traffic rerouted, as the whole area is covered with tents and vans for miles around. The pace of people coming and going will keep up uninterrupted throughout the night and day of Lag BaOmer. A lively procession from Tsefas sets out at night. This custom dates from the beginning of the 19th century.