Sukkot

What Is Sukkot?

Sukkot, also widely known as the Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of Booths, is a major Jewish holiday observed for seven days. It is a period of both agricultural thanksgiving and historical commemoration, falling after the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The holiday’s primary observance involves the construction and temporary dwelling in a “sukkah,” a temporary outdoor hut.

The holiday serves a dual purpose: it commemorates the forty years the Israelites spent wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt, during which they lived in temporary shelters. Concurrently, Sukkot is a harvest festival, marking the completion of the annual agricultural cycle in ancient Israel and celebrating the ingathering of the harvest. It is a time for reflection on human reliance on divine provision and protection.

Throughout the world, Jewish communities observe Sukkot with specific rituals and festive meals. In Israel, the first day of Sukkot is a public holiday, with many businesses and public services closed. Outside Israel, the first two days are observed as full holiday days.

History and Origins of Sukkot

The origins of Sukkot are deeply rooted in the biblical narrative and ancient Israelite agricultural practices. The holiday is explicitly commanded in the Torah, particularly in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Leviticus 23:42-43 states, “You shall dwell in booths for seven days… so that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.” This passage directly links the sukkah to the historical experience of the Exodus.

Historically, Sukkot served as one of the three pilgrimage festivals (Shalosh Regalim) when ancient Israelites would travel to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple. Its connection to the harvest season is equally prominent, as it marks the ingathering of the year’s produce, particularly grapes and olives, concluding the intense agricultural period. This aspect earned it the alternative name, ‘Chag HaAsif,’ the Festival of Ingathering.

Over centuries, as Jewish communities dispersed, the core observances of Sukkot were maintained. The construction of the sukkah and the waving of the Four Species became central to the holiday’s continuity, ensuring its meaning transcended geographical boundaries and agricultural cycles. The historical and agricultural themes continue to be central to its contemporary observance.

How Sukkot Is Celebrated

The primary observance of Sukkot revolves around the construction and use of the sukkah. A sukkah is a temporary structure with at least three walls and a roof made of natural, unprocessed materials, such as bamboo, branches, or palm fronds. The roof must be sparse enough to allow a view of the stars at night but dense enough to provide more shade than sun. During the seven-day festival, it is customary for meals to be eaten in the sukkah, and some individuals also sleep there, symbolising the temporary dwellings of the Israelites in the desert.

Another central practice is the ritual of the Arba Minim (Four Species). This involves taking an etrog (citron), a lulav (palm frond), hadassim (myrtle branches), and aravot (willow branches) and holding them together during daily prayer services. They are waved in six directions (east, south, west, north, up, and down) as a gesture of praise and unity, symbolising the interconnectedness of creation and acknowledging divine presence in all directions. Special blessings are recited during this ritual.

The intermediate days of Sukkot are known as Chol HaMoed, during which many of the restrictions of full holiday days are relaxed, but the sukkah and Four Species observances continue. Work is permitted, but many engage in leisure activities and family gatherings. The seventh day of Sukkot is called Hoshanah Rabbah, which has its own unique customs, including extended prayer services with additional circling of the synagogue altar while holding the Four Species.

Immediately following Sukkot are two additional holidays: Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. Shemini Atzeret is seen as a separate holiday but connected to Sukkot, marking a transition from the intense outdoor experience to a more introspective time. Simchat Torah, meaning “Rejoicing of the Torah,” celebrates the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings and the immediate beginning of a new cycle, characterised by joyous dancing with Torah scrolls in synagogues. In Israel, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are observed as a single day.

When Is Sukkot?

Sukkot is a moveable holiday, as it is determined by the Hebrew calendar. It begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, five days after Yom Kippur. Because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, Sukkot typically falls in the Gregorian months of September or October. The exact date varies each year on the secular calendar.

The holiday lasts for seven days. In Israel, the first day of Sukkot is observed as a full public holiday, during which most work is prohibited, and traditional observances are performed. The subsequent six days are known as Chol HaMoed (intermediate days), during which work is generally permitted, though the sukkah and Four Species rituals continue.

Outside of Israel, in the Jewish diaspora, the first two days of Sukkot are observed as full holiday days, meaning work is generally prohibited, and intense religious observance takes place. The following five days are Chol HaMoed. The holiday then immediately transitions into Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, which are observed as separate, full holidays.

Sukkot Key Facts