The booth in question is a succah, which is a temporary dwelling we build outside our homes. We live in the succah during the festival. For most of us in Maryland, living means eating and hanging out, not sleeping. In Israel, sleeping in the succah is more common as the climate is more favorable there this time of year. The essence of the succah is the roof, which must be made of unfinished materials that grew from the ground.
Most folks use bamboo poles.
We have rough lumber strips. After the hard work of Rosh Hashanna and Yom Kippur, we feel a lot closer to God, a lot more centered. To go one spiritual step further, we leave our comfortable, secure permanent homes and put ourselves at the mercy of the elements in the temporary dwelling. You're there if you can feel yourself in a world that you did not create, a world in which you participate, but do not control. Together with family and friends in a time set aside from the work of the world.