What is Sukkot?
Sukkot is a week long Jewish holiday that comes five days after Yom Kippur. Sukkot celebrates the gathering of the harvest and commemorates the miraculous protection G‑d provided for the children of Israel when they left Egypt.
We celebrate Sukkot by dwelling in a foliage-covered booth (known as a Sukkah) and by taking the “Four Kinds” (arba minim), four special species of vegetation.
The first two days
Sundown on Friday 25th of September until nightfall on Sunday 27th of September of the holiday are Yom Tov, when work is forbidden, candles are lit in the evening, and festive meals are preceded by Kiddush and include challah dipped in honey.
The intermediate days
Nightfall on 27th of September until sundown on 2nd of October are quasi holidays, known as Chol Hamoed. We dwell in the Sukkah and take the Four Kinds every day of Sukkot (except for Shabbat, when we do not take the Four Kinds).
The final two days
Sundown on Friday 2nd of October until nightfall on Sunday 4th of October in 2026 are a separate holiday (one day in Israel known as: Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah.
