Songs for Counting the Omer (50 Days to Shavuot/Pentecost)

From Resurrection Day/Feast of Firstfruits to the Feast of Shavuot/Pentecost, it's 50 days.  In Biblical Days these days were counted by starting on the day the omer (bushel) of grain was offered.   We believe this was done on the day after the regular Sabbath during Passover week, which is the first day of the week - Resurrection Day/Feast of Firstfruits/Bikkurim.  We like to collect twigs and count them.  We bundle up groups of 7 twigs at each Sabbath. Our goal is 7 bundles of twigs, plus one extra twig.  That's 7 weeks plus one day, or 50 days.  Shavuot is also called the Feast of Weeks, and now you know why. 
We also put numbers on our bulletin board to count up the days and weeks.  Another feast--another object lesson.  Counting up the days and weeks makes us really anticipate the coming of the great feast of the Holy Spirit: Shavuot (Pentecost).



We made up some songs for counting the omer.  We sing one or two of them at our Messianic House of Prayer Sabbaath services after we count up the twigs.  Perhaps you'd like to use them at your congregation or Sunday school or Shabbat school.  The melodies are not original:  Twinkle Twinkle (also called the ABC song), 10 Little Indians, and I've Been Workin' on the Railroad.  Here are the words. Have fun!  We sure do!

To the tune of the ABC Song:

One two three four five six seven
Start the count when it's Unleavened.
Count the sticks and make a note.
50 sticks it's Shavuot.
One two three four five six seven
Eight nine ten and then eleven... 

To the tune of 10 Little Indians (we sing these first two songs as a medley in the same key):

One and a two and a three, count the omer.
Four and a five and a six, count the omer.
Seven makes a week, let's all count the omer till
Seven times seven plus one is here.

One week and two weeks and three, count the omer.
Four weeks and five weeks and six, count the omer.
Seven weeks plus one day, let's all count the omer.
Count down till Shavuot is here.

7, 14, 21, count the omer,
28 and 35, count the omer,
42, 49, plus one equals
50 days, Shavuot is here!

To the tune of I've Been Workin' on the Railroad:

I've been countin' up the omer,
Starting with First Fruits,
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven,
Makes a week and that's the truth.

Keep on counting up the bundles,
Till 7 weeks are done.
Then you add an extra day and
Shavuot will come.

(chourus) When 50 days are done, Shavuot will come,
Shavuot will come one da-ay-ay. (repeat)

 On Shavuot/Pentecost, sing this chorus instead:
50 days are done, Shavuot has come, Shavuot has come today,
50 days are done, Shavuot has come.  Shavuot has come today,  Hurray!