TodayTools

Donate

About Sukkot

00 days

About Sukkot

Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths, is a seven day Jewish festival that begins on the 15th of Tishrei, five days after Yom Kippur, in September or October. It recalls the forty years the Israelites lived in simple huts in the desert, and it is also a harvest festival.

Families build a sukkah, a small hut with a roof of branches through which the stars can be seen, and eat their meals in it, sometimes sleeping in it too. They decorate it with paper chains, fruit and children's drawings, and welcome guests.

Each day people wave the four species: a palm branch (lulav), myrtle, willow and a citron (etrog). The festival is called the season of our joy, and it ends with Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, when the yearly reading of the Torah is finished and begun again with dancing.

  • Starts on 15 Tishrei
  • Seven days, followed by Shemini Atzeret
  • Four species: palm, myrtle, willow and citron

Where it began

The Torah asks the people to live in booths for seven days, to recall how the Israelites lived in shelters after leaving Egypt. Sukkot means booths.

It is also a harvest feast, the season of gathering in. People wave the four species, a palm branch with myrtle and willow and a citron fruit, in thanks.

How it grew over time

  1. Biblical times

    Sukkot is one of three pilgrimage feasts to the Temple in Jerusalem.

  2. Temple period

    Water drawing ceremonies with music and torches bring great joy.

  3. Medieval period

    Simchat Torah, dancing with the Torah scrolls, grows at the end of the festival.

  4. Today

    Families build sukkahs on balconies, in gardens and on rooftops.

How it is celebrated in different places

  • Israel

    Sukkahs fill balconies and restaurant terraces, and markets sell the four species.

  • US and Europe

    Synagogues build large sukkahs and invite guests for meals.

  • Communities worldwide

    Children decorate the sukkah with fruit and paper chains.

Sukkot today

Families eat, and some sleep, in the sukkah under its leafy roof, inviting guests to join. Each day they wave the four species with blessings, and the festival ends with dancing on Simchat Torah.

How people celebrate Sukkot

  • Building and decorating the sukkah
  • Meals and sleeping in the sukkah
  • Waving the lulav and etrog
  • Welcoming guests (ushpizin)
  • Harvest thanksgiving
  • Dancing with the Torah on Simchat Torah

How to wish well

  • Chag Sameach (happy holiday) or Chag Sukkot Sameach suit everyone. On the middle days, Moadim l'simcha is a traditional greeting.
  • An invitation to eat in your sukkah is one of the warmest Sukkot messages.
  • Send wishes before sunset on the first evening; many observant Jews do not use phones on the first days.

Questions about Sukkot

When is Sukkot 2027?

Sukkot 2027 begins at sunset on 15 October 2027 and runs from 16 to 22 October, followed by Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.

What do you say on Sukkot?

Chag Sameach or Chag Sukkot Sameach, meaning happy holiday. On the middle days, Moadim l'simcha, times for joy.

What is a sukkah?

A temporary hut with a roof of branches or leaves, built for the festival. Families eat, rest and sometimes sleep in it for seven days.

What are the four species?

A palm branch (lulav), myrtle (hadass), willow (aravah) and citron (etrog), held together and waved in six directions each day of Sukkot.

How long is Sukkot?

Seven days, followed by Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, which are one day in Israel and two days outside it.

Keep exploring

Related

Coming up next

    All festival wishes

    Donate