At 8 P.M. and 11 A.M., two minutes of silence, as a siren sounds, give the entire nation the opportunity to remember its debt and express its eternal gratitude to its sons and daughters who gave their lives for the achievement of the country's independence and its continued existence. This is not a centuries old celebration, but a day that means a lot to many citizens who have physically and actively participated in the creation of a new state and have witnessed the enormous changes that have taken place since 1948. On Independence Day many citizens get to know the countryside by travelling to battlefields of the War of Independence , visit the memorials to the fallen, go on nature hikes and, in general, spend the day outdoors picnicking and preparing barbecues. Israel Prizes for distinction in literary, artistic and scientific endeavor are presented and the International Bible Contest for Jewish Youth is held. Shavuot is observed among the Orthodox with marathon religious study and, in Jerusalem , with a mass convocation of festive worship at the Western Wall .
Ethnic communities observe further rites and celebrations of their own.
Thus, with its diverse population and multiple lifestyles and attitudes, Israel celebrates the cycle of Jewish festivals and observances in a public manner that underscores the country's Jewishness and its centrality to Judaism.