Sukkot begins at sundown and is an eight day long celebration with a dual meaning. It is both a harvest festival, celebrating the gathering of crops, and a commemoration of the 40-year period when the Israelites lived in temporary shelters (called sukkahs) while wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt.
Sukkot traditionally begins with the building of a sukkah, a temporary outdoor hut with a roof made of branches, through which one can see the sky. Jews eat meals and some even sleep in these huts for the duration of the festival, symbolizing both gratitude for the harvest and reliance on God's protection.
Community: Jewish
Common Practices:
- Families in the United States commonly decorate the sukkah with produce and artwork