The Festival of Tabernacles, a joyful seven-day harvest festival that begins on the fifteenth of Tishrei. Sukkot commemorates the forty years the Israelites spent wandering in the desert under divine protection after the Exodus from Egypt, living in temporary shelters. It is also one of the three ancient pilgrimage festivals.
For a week we leave our solid homes for a hut open to the sky, and remember that shelter was never really ours to build.
Sukkot holds a dual significance: it is both a harvest thanksgiving and a historical commemoration. The sukkah, a temporary hut with an open roof through which the stars can be seen, represents the fragile dwellings of the Israelites in the desert and teaches humility and dependence on God. The holiday is called 'the season of our rejoicing' in Jewish liturgy. The four species, lulav (palm branch), etrog (citron), hadassim (myrtle), and aravot (willow), are waved together in all six directions to symbolize God's presence throughout the universe. Sukkot also has ecological significance, reminding us of our connection to and dependence on the natural world.
The central observance is building and dwelling in a sukkah, a temporary outdoor structure decorated with hanging fruits, paper chains, and artwork. Meals and sometimes sleep are taken in the sukkah. The four species are held together and waved daily during morning prayers. The holiday includes Hallel (praise psalms) and Hoshana prayers in synagogue. Simchat Beit HaShoevah water-drawing celebrations with music and dancing were held in ancient times and are still celebrated today. The last day, Hoshana Rabbah, carries special significance as a final opportunity for divine mercy.
Moadim L'Simcha, Appointed times for rejoicing
The common greeting is "Chag Sameach" ("happy festival") or "Gut Yontif." On the intermediate days some say "Moadim l'simcha" "[may your] appointed times be joyful" answered with "Chagim uzmanim l'sasson."
“You shall dwell in sukkot for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in sukkot, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”Leviticus 23:42-43
Sukkot 2026 begins at sundown on Friday, September 25 and ends at nightfall on Friday, October 2.
A temporary outdoor hut with a roof of branches, recalling the shelters the Israelites lived in during forty years in the desert. Families eat and gather in it all week.
The lulav (palm), etrog (citron), myrtle, and willow, held together and waved during prayers to symbolize unity and God's presence in every direction.
The first day is a full festival day when many refrain from work; the middle days (Chol HaMoed) are semi-festive, and normal activities largely resume.
Both the desert wanderings after the Exodus and the autumn harvest, it is called 'the season of our rejoicing.'
Sundown, Fri Sep 25 – nightfall, Fri Oct 2, 2026
Sukkot runs seven days. The first day is a full festival day; the following days are Chol HaMoed (intermediate days), ending with Hoshana Rabbah.
Moadim L'Simcha, Appointed times for rejoicing