Sukkot - wikipedia Sukkot For the biblical location, see Sukkot ( place ). `` Ingathering '' redirects here. For the Ingathering of the Exiles ( Kibbutz Galuyot ), see Gathering of Israel. Sukkot From left to right, lulav with Hadasim and Aravot, etrog carrier, and etrog used on Sukkot Official name Hebrew : סוכות ‎ or סֻכּוֹת ‬ ( `` Booths, Tabernacles '' ) Observed by Jews, Hebrews, Israelites, Messianic Jews, Samaritans, Semitic Neopagans Type Jewish Significance One of the three pilgrimage festivals Observances Dwelling in sukkah, taking the Four Species, hakafot and Hallel in Synagogue Begins 15th day of Tishrei Ends 21st day of Tishrei ( 22nd outside of Israel, overlapping with Shemini Atzeret ) 2017 date Sundown October 4 through nightfall October 11 ( October 12 outside Israel ) 2018 date Sundown September 23 through nightfall September 30 ( October 1 outside Israel ) 2019 date Starting October 20 ( at sundown ). 2020 date Starting October 9 ( at sundown ). Related to Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torah Sukkot ( Hebrew : סוכות ‎ or סֻכּוֹת, sukkōt, commonly translated as Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of the Ingathering, traditional Ashkenazi pronunciation Sukkos or Succos, literally Feast of Booths ) is a biblical Jewish holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh month, Tishrei ( varies from late September to late October ). During the existence of the Jerusalem Temple, it was one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals ( Hebrew : שלוש רגלים ‎, shalosh regalim ) on which the Israelites were commanded to perform a pilgrimage to the Temple. Sukkot has a double significance. The one mentioned in the Book of Exodus is agricultural in nature -- `` Feast of Ingathering at the year 's end '' ( Exodus 34 : 22 ) -- and marks the end of the harvest time and thus of the agricultural year in the Land of Israel. The more elaborate religious significance from the Book of Leviticus is that of commemorating the Exodus and the dependence of the People of Israel on the will of God ( Leviticus 23 : 42 - 43 ). The holiday lasts seven days in Israel and eight in the diaspora. The first day ( and second day in the diaspora ) is a Shabbat - like holiday when work is forbidden. This is followed by intermediate days called Chol Hamoed, when certain work is permitted. The festival is closed with another Shabbat - like holiday called Shemini Atzeret ( one day in Israel, two days in the diaspora, where the second day is called Simchat Torah ). Shemini Atzeret coincides with the eighth day of Sukkot outside Israel. The Hebrew word sukkōt is the plural of sukkah, `` booth '' or `` tabernacle '', which is a walled structure covered with s'chach ( plant material such as overgrowth or palm leaves ). A sukkah is the name of the temporary dwelling in which farmers would live during harvesting, a fact connecting to the agricultural significance of the holiday stressed by the Book of Exodus. As stated in Leviticus, it is also intended as a reminiscence of the type of fragile dwellings in which the Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of travel in the desert after the Exodus from slavery in Egypt. Throughout the holiday, meals are eaten inside the sukkah and many people sleep there as well. On each day of the holiday it is mandatory to perform a waving ceremony with the Four Species. Contents 1 Origins 2 Laws and customs 3 Building a sukkah 4 Special prayers 4.1 Hoshanot 4.2 Ushpizin 5 Chol HaMoed 6 Hakhel 7 Simchat Beit HaShoevah 8 Hoshana Rabbah 9 Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah 10 Jeroboam 's feast 11 In Christianity 12 Academic views 13 See also 14 References 15 Further reading 16 External links 16.1 Jewish 16.1. 1 General 16.1. 2 By Branch of Judaism 16.2 Christian Origins External aerial view of Sukkah booths where Jewish families eat their meals and sleep throughout the Sukkot holiday A 19th century painted Sukkah from Austria or South Germany, Painted pine, 220 × 285.5 cm, Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme Sukkah in New Hampshire In the Book of Leviticus, God told Moses to command the people : `` On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook '' ( Lev. 23 : 40 ), and `` You shall live in booths seven days ; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths, in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt '' ( Lev. 23 : 42 -- 43 ). The origins of Sukkot are both historical and agricultural. Historically, Sukkot commemorates the forty - year period during which the children of Israel were wandering in the desert, living in temporary shelters. Agriculturally, Sukkot is a harvest festival and is sometimes referred to as Chag HaAsif ( חג האסיף, the `` Festival of Ingathering '' ), as it celebrates the gathering of the harvest. Laws and customs Sukkot is a seven - day holiday, with the first day celebrated as a full festival with special prayer services and holiday meals. The seventh day of Sukkot is called Hoshana Rabbah ( `` Great Hoshana '', referring to the tradition that worshippers in the synagogue walk around the perimeter of the sanctuary during morning services ) and has a special observance of its own. Outside Israel, the first and last two days are celebrated as full festivals. The intermediate days are known as Chol HaMoed ( `` festival weekdays '' ). According to Halakha, some types of work are forbidden during Chol HaMoed. In Israel many businesses are closed during this time. Throughout the week of Sukkot, meals are eaten in the sukkah. If a brit milah or Bar Mitzvah rises during Sukkot, the seudat mitzvah ( obligatory festive meal ) is served in the sukkah. Similarly, the father of a newborn boy greets guests to his Friday - night Shalom Zachar in the sukkah. Males awaken there, although the requirement is waived in case of draught. Every day, a blessing is recited over the Lulav and the Etrog. Observance of Sukkot is detailed in the Book of Nehemiah 8 : 13 - 18, Zechariah 14 : 16 - 19 and Leviticus 23 : 34 - 44 in the Bible, the Mishnah ( Sukkah 1 : 1 -- 5 : 8 ) ; the Tosefta ( Sukkah 1 : 1 -- 4 : 28 ) ; and the Jerusalem Talmud ( Sukkah 1a -- ) and Babylonian Talmud ( Sukkah 2a -- 56b ). Building a sukkah It is customary to decorate the interior of the sukkah to beautify the mitzvah. Pictured : 5 - by - 8 - foot ( 1.5 m × 2.4 m ) wall hanging The sukkah walls can be constructed of any material ( wood, canvas, aluminum siding, sheets ). The walls can be free - standing or include the sides of a building or porch. The roof must be of organic material, known as s'chach, such as leafy tree overgrowth, schach mats or palm fronds. It is customary to decorate the interior of the sukkah with hanging decorations of the four species as well as with attractive artwork. Special prayers Sukkot prayers at the Western Wall or Kotel Prayers during Sukkot include the reading of the Torah every day, reciting the Mussaf ( additional ) service after morning prayers, reciting Hallel, and adding special additions to the Amidah and Grace after Meals. In addition, the service includes rituals involving the Four Species. The lulav and etrog are not brought to the synagogue on Shabbat. Hoshanot On each day of the festival, worshippers walk around the synagogue carrying their Four species while reciting special prayers known as Hoshanot. This takes place either after the morning 's Torah reading or at the end of Mussaf. This ceremony commemorates the willow ceremony at the Temple in Jerusalem, in which willow branches were piled beside the altar with worshippers parading around the altar reciting prayers. Ushpizin A custom originating with Lurianic Kabbalah is to recite the ushpizin prayer to `` invite '' one of seven `` exalted guests '' into the sukkah. These ushpizin ( Aramaic אושפיזין ' guests ' ), represent the seven shepherds of Israel : Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph and David. According to tradition, each night a different guest enters the sukkah followed by the other six. Each of the ushpizin has a unique lesson which teaches the parallels of the spiritual focus of the day on which they visit. Chol HaMoed Main article : Chol HaMoed Decorations hanging from the s'chach ( top or `` ceiling '' ) on the inside of a sukkah The second through seventh days of Sukkot ( third through seventh days outside Israel ) are called Chol HaMoed ( חול המועד - lit. `` festival weekdays '' ). These days are considered by halakha to be more than regular weekdays but less than festival days. In practice, this means that all activities that are needed for the holiday -- such as buying and preparing food, cleaning the house in honor of the holiday, or traveling to visit other people 's sukkot or on family outings -- are permitted by Jewish law. Activities that will interfere with relaxation and enjoyment of the holiday -- such as laundering, mending clothes, engaging in labor - intensive activities -- are not permitted. Religious Jews often treat Chol HaMoed as a vacation period, eating nicer than usual meals in their sukkah, entertaining guests, visiting other families in their sukkot, and taking family outings. Many synagogues and Jewish centers also offer events and meals in their sukkot during this time to foster community and goodwill. On the Shabbat which falls during the week of Sukkot ( or in the event when the first day of Sukkot is on Shabbat ), the Book of Ecclesiastes is read during morning synagogue services in Israel. ( Diaspora communities read it the second Shabbat ( eighth day ) when the first day of sukkot is on Shabbat. ) This Book 's emphasis on the ephemeralness of life ( `` Vanity of vanities, all is vanity... '' ) echoes the theme of the sukkah, while its emphasis on death reflects the time of year in which Sukkot occurs ( the `` autumn '' of life ). The penultimate verse reinforces the message that adherence to God and His Torah is the only worthwhile pursuit. ( Cf. Ecclesiastes 12 : 13, 14. ) Hakhel Main article : Hakhel In the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, all Israelite, and later Jewish men, women, and children on pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the festival would gather in the Temple courtyard on the first day of Chol HaMoed Sukkot to hear the Jewish king read selections from the Torah. This ceremony, which was mandated in Deuteronomy 31 : 10 - 13, was held every seven years, in the year following the Shmita ( Sabbatical ) year. This ceremony was discontinued after the destruction of the Temple, but it has been revived in Israel since 1952 on a smaller scale. Simchat Beit hashoevah Main article : Simchat Beit HaShoeivah During the intermediate days of Sukkot, gatherings of music and dance, known as Simchat Beit HaShoeivah ( Celebration of the Place of Water - Drawing ), take place. This commemorates the drawing of the water for the water - libation on the Altar, an offering unique to Sukkot, when water was carried up the Jerusalem pilgrim road from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple in Jerusalem. Hoshana Rabbah Main article : Hoshana Rabbah The seventh day of Sukkot is known as Hoshana Rabbah ( Great Supplication ). This day is marked by a special synagogue service in which seven circuits are made by worshippers holding their Four Species, reciting additional prayers. In addition, a bundle of five willow branches is beaten on the ground. Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah Main articles : Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah The holiday immediately following Sukkot is known as Shemini Atzeret ( lit. `` Eighth ( Day ) of Assembly '' ). Shemini Atzeret is usually viewed as a separate holiday. In the Diaspora a second additional holiday, Simchat Torah ( `` Joy of the Torah '' ), is celebrated. In the Land of Israel, Simchat Torah is celebrated on Shemini Atzeret. On Shemini Atzeret people leave their sukkah and eat their meals inside the house. Outside Israel, many eat in the sukkah without making the blessing. The sukkah is not used on Simchat Torah. Jeroboam 's Feast According to 1 Kings 12 : 32 - 33, King Jeroboam, first king of the rebellious northern kingdom, instituted a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month in imitation of the feast of Sukkot in Judah, and pilgrims went to Bethel instead of Jerusalem to make thanksgiving offerings. Jeroboam feared that continued pilgrimages from the northern kingdom to Jerusalem could lead to pressure for reunion with Judah : If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah. In christianity Further information : Christian observances of Jewish holidays Sukkot is celebrated by a number of Christian denominations that observe holidays from the Old Testament. These groups base this on the fact that Jesus celebrated Sukkot ( see the Gospel of John 7 ). The holiday is celebrated according to its Hebrew calendar dates. The first mention of observing the holiday by Christian groups dates to the 17th century, among the sect of the Subbotniks in Russia. In the Orthodox Church, the holiday is said to correspond to the new covenant Feast of the Transfiguration. Academic views De Moor has suggested that there are links between Sukkot and the Ugaritic New Year festival, in particular the Ugaritic custom of erecting two rows of huts built of branches on the temple roof as temporary dwelling houses for their gods. Some have pointed out that the original Thanksgiving holiday had many similarities with Sukkot in the Bible. See also Harvest festival Jewish holiday List of harvest festivals Sukkah City - a 2010 public art and architecture competition planned for New York City 's Union Square Park Ushpizin ( film ), 2004 References Jump up ^ `` Judaism 101 : Sukkot ''. jewfaq.org. Jump up ^ Sukkot -- The Festival of Booths Jump up ^ Scherman, Nosson ; Zlotowitz, Meir, eds. ( 1994 ). Pesach Its observance, Laws and Significance. Mesorah Publications, Ltd. p. 88. ISBN 9780899064475. Retrieved October 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` True Chol Hamoed Celebration is only in Israel ''. Arutz Sheva. October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` How Do We Make a Sukkah ? ''. beingjewish.com. Retrieved 3 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` Judaica 101 : Sukkot ''. Ajudaica.com. Retrieved 2012 - 04 - 03. ^ Jump up to : Sacks, Lord Jonathan ( 2009 ). The Koren Siddur ( Nusaḥ Ashkenaz, 1st Hebrew / English ed. ). Jerusalem : Koren Publishers. ISBN 9789653010673. ^ Jump up to : `` Honshana Rabbah -- Sukkot & Simchat Torah ''. chabad.org. Retrieved 3 October 2017. Jump up ^ Encyclopaedia Judaica, v19, pg 303 Jump up ^ Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, 530 Jump up ^ Krakowski, Rabbi Y. Dov. `` Hilchos Chol HaMoed ''. ou.org. Retrieved 3 October 2017. Jump up ^ Schlesinger, Hanan. `` Ecclesiastes ( Kohelet ) ''. myjewishlearning.org. Retrieved 3 October 2017. Jump up ^ Appel, G., `` A Revival of the Ancient Assembly of Hakhel '', Tradition : A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought, Vol. 2, No. 1 ( Fall 1959 ) Jump up ^ Prero, Rabbi Yehudah. `` Simchas Bais HaShoeva -- A Happiness of Oneness ''. torah.org. Retrieved 3 October 2017. Jump up ^ See Rosh Hashanah 4b for rare cases where it is viewed as part of the Sukkot holiday. Jump up ^ See A Deeper Look at Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah Retrieved 2014 - 10 - 14 Jump up ^ 1 Kings 12 : 27 Jump up ^ Johannes Cornelis De Moor ( 1972 ). New Year with Canaanites and Israelites. Kok. pp. 6 -- 7. Jump up ^ Wagenaar, Jan A. ( 2005 ). Origin and Transformation of the Ancient Israelite Festival Calendar. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 156. Jump up ^ `` Thanksgiving 's Sukkot Roots ''. Jump up ^ `` Did Sukkot Shape Thanksgiving ? ''. Further reading Chumney, Edward ( 1994 ). The Seven Festivals of the Messiah. Treasure House. ISBN 1 - 56043 - 767 - 7. Howard, Kevin ( 1997 ). The Feasts of the Lord God 's Prophetic Calendar from Calvary to the Kingdom. Nelson Books. ISBN 0 - 7852 - 7518 - 5. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sukkot. Jewish General The Sukkah Project The Sukkah Center Jewish Virtual Library - Jewish Holidays : Sukkot My Jewish Learning : Sukkot 101 By Branch of Judaism Chabad.org : Sukkot & Simchat Torah Hasidic Judaism Orthodox Union - Jewish Holidays : Sukkot Orthodox Judaism The Rabbinical Assembly : Sukkot Conservative Judaism Reform Judaism : Sukkot Reform Judaism Reconstructing Judaism : Sukkot Reconstructionist Judaism The Karaite Jews of America : Sukkot Karaite Judaism Christian Sukkot : The Season of our Joy - The Feast of Tabernacles Jewish and Israeli holidays and observances Jewish holidays and observances Shabbat Shabbat High Holy Days Rosh Hashanah Fast of Gedalia Ten Days of Repentance Yom Kippur Three Pilgrimage Festivals Passover Fast of the Firstborn Pesach Sheni Shavuot Sukkot Hoshana Rabbah Shemini Atzeret Simchat Torah Yom tov sheni shel galuyot Chol HaMoed Isru chag Rosh Chodesh Hanukkah Tenth of Tevet Tu BiShvat Fast of Esther Purim Purim Katan Counting of the Omer Lag BaOmer 17th of Tammuz The Three Weeks The Nine Days Tisha B'Av Tu B'Av Rosh Hashanah LaBehema Holidays / memorial days of the State of Israel Yom HaShoah ( Holocaust Remembrance Day ) Yom HaZikaron ( Memorial Day ) Yom HaAtzmaut ( Independence Day ) Yom Yerushalayim ( Jerusalem Day ) Yom HaAliyah ( Aliyah Day ) Ethnic minority holidays Mimouna Seharane Sigd Hebrew calendar months Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar and Adar Sheni Nisan Iyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul Jewish and Israeli holidays 2000 -- 2050 Sukkot ( סֻכּוֹת ) Rituals Sukkah Four species Lulav Etrog Hadass Aravah Simchat Beit HaShoeivah S'chach Related days Chol HaMoed Hoshana Rabbah Shemini Atzeret Simchat Torah Isru Chag GND : 4166891 - 1 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sukkot&oldid=838683296 '' Categories : Autumn festivals Autumn traditions Hallel Harvest festivals Jewish holy days Non-Gregorian September observances Non-Gregorian October observances Observances set by the Hebrew calendar Sukkot Three Pilgrimage Festivals Autumn events in Israel Autumn holidays ( Northern Hemisphere ) Spring holidays ( Southern Hemisphere ) Hidden categories : Articles containing Hebrew - language text Infobox holiday ( other ) All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from December 2013 Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans Alemannisch Беларуская Български Català Cebuano Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌹𐍃𐌺 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar Македонски മലയാളം Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Slovenčina Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் Татарча / tatarça Türkçe Українська اردو Tiếng Việt Walon ייִדיש 粵語 中文 44 more Edit links This page was last edited on 28 April 2018, at 16 : 37. 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Question: how many days is the feast of tabernacles
Answer: seven