Sukkot

Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths, is a biblical Jewish holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei (which typically falls in September or October in the Gregorian calendar). The word Sukkot means "booths" or "huts" in Hebrew (סוכות), referring to the temporary dwellings that play a central role in the holiday's observance. During Sukkot, Jews are commanded to dwell in a sukkah (a temporary hut with a roof made of natural materials), recalling the Israelites' 40 years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. The holiday lasts for seven days in Israel and eight days in the diaspora, with the first two days (and the last two days outside Israel) being full festivals with special prayer services and holidays meals. Sukkot is also marked by the Four Species (arba minim in Hebrew), which include a citron (etrog), a palm branch (lulav), myrtle branches (hadas), and willow branches (aravah), which are waved in all directions symbolizing God's omnipresence. In other languages, Sukkot is known as La Fête des Tabernacles in French, La Fiesta de los Tabernáculos in Spanish, and Sukkot or La Festa delle Capanne in Italian.