Happy Sukkot 
Sukkot, also called the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of the Ingathering, is a Jewish festival celebrated in September or October.
It is considered the most joyous festival of the year.
Sukkot in the Jewish Calendar
Sukkot begins five days after Yom Kippur, on the 15th day of Tishrei, which is the seventh month of the Jewish calendar.
The first day of Sukkot falls in September or October in the Gregorian calendar.
The Sukkah: Living in a Hut
One of the central customs during Sukkot is to dwell in a sukkah, a temporary hut topped with branches.
Jewish people are expected not to consume any food or drink outside of the sukkah during the festival period, and some also spend the nights there.
The Four Kinds
Each day of the Sukkot period, with the exception of the Sabbath, involves the ritual of the Four Kinds or Four Species.
In the ritual, a blessing is recited while holding 4 types of plants: lulav (a green, closed frond of a date palm tree), hadass (twigs and leaves from a myrtle tree), aravah (twigs and leaves from a willow tree), and etrog (a lemon-like fruit of the citron tree).
In Jewish culture, each plant symbolizes a different type of Jew, categorized by their level of Torah knowledge and adherence.
During the ritual, the plants are ceremoniously brought together to symbolize Jewish unity and waved in six directions: south, north, east, up, down, and west.
First Two Days Are Yom Tov
The first 2 days of Sukkot are considered Yom Tov, when it is forbidden to work and a range of restrictions apply.
A typical meal on these days includes challah bread dipped in honey. In the evenings, candles are ceremoniously lit.
Following the last day of Sukkot, Hoshana Rabbah, two further Yom Tov are celebrated: Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.
On these days, Jewish people may still use the sukkah but they are not expected to carry out the ritual of the Four Kinds.
In all other countries except Israel, Shemini Atzeret falls on the 8th day after the beginning of Sukkot and Simchat Torah occurs on the 9th day. In Israel, both fall on the 8th day.
Why Is Sukkot Celebrated?
Sukkot is both an agricultural festival marking the end of the harvest in Israel and a religious observance commemorating God’s protection of the Israelites during their escape from Egypt.
As a celebration of God’s love, it is considered the most joyous festival of the Jewish year.
The story of Sukkot
The first day of Sukkot (Succot, Succoth, Sukkoth) is the start of the Feast of Tabernacles period. The festival starts on 15th day of Tishri (or Tishrei) in the Jewish calendar.
Many Jewish people around the world visit Jerusalem around this time.
Sukkot is celebrated among many Jewish people worldwide.
What Do People Do?
The first day of Sukkot is a day when many people of Jewish faith do not carry out many forms of work.
Many people celebrate the first two days as full holidays. This is because it is a sacred occasion that is observed like Shabbat (the Sabbath). Work is permitted on the remaining days of Sukkot.
Many Jewish families build a temporary structure known as the sukkah, usually in a garden or on a balcony, prior to the first day of Sukkot.
Some people spend some or all of Sukkot in the sukkah and may even sleep in it, although this is less likely in cooler climates.
Some people construct a sukkah each year, while others have a foldable one, which is stored carefully for future years.
The “four species” (four plants with symbolic meanings) are waved in proscribed directions after a blessing is recited during Sukkot, except on Shabbat (the Sabbath). People may do this at a synagogue, in the sukkah or at home.
Public Life
The first day of Sukkot is a public holiday in Israel. It is not a nationwide public holiday in countries such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom or the United States. However, many Jewish businesses, schools and organizations may be closed or offer a reduced level of service.
Background
In the time of the Temple, many Jewish people made a pilgrimage (Hakhel) to the Temple in Jerusalem at Sukkot once every seven years.
There they would listen to readings from the Torah by the king of Israel.
This custom stopped after the destruction of the Temple in the year 70 CE, but has been revived in recent times.
Some sources claim that Sukkot lasts for about seven days while others state that it is an eight-day festival.
The seventh day of Sukkot is known as Hoshana Rabbah while the eighth day is known as Shemini (or Shmini) Atzeret and the day after that is called Simhat (or Simchat) Torah.
Symbols
An important Sukkot symbol is the sukkah.
This is a temporary structure with a roof made of sechach or s’chach, which is raw, unfinished plant material, such as palm branches, bamboo poles, reeds or even corn stalks.
Most or all of its roof should be directly under the sky and the inside may be decorated with extracts from the Torah, real or imitation fruit and shiny decorations.
Portable sukkahs are available for travelers.
The “four species” are also important symbols of Sukkot and represent the blessings of nature. These are lulav (a green, closed frond of a date palm tree), hadass (twigs and leaves from a myrtle tree), aravah (twigs and leaves from a willow tree) and etrog (a lemon-like fruit of the citron tree).
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