What is Sukkot?

"You shall celebrate Sukkot for seven days as you gather in your crops and the fruit of your vineyards."

In autumn people start spending time inside. It’s a little too cold to be out without a sweater, and in some places it’s even starting to snow. But in the middle of autumn we have a holiday, Sukkot, when we are supposed to stay outside - well, actually in a little hut, called a sukkah. For a whole week, life revolves around the sukkah. We eat in it, we entertain in it, and in some places, if it’s warm enough, people even sleep in the sukkah.

The first two days of Sukkot are just like Shabbat or other holidays. Instead of going to work or school, many people stay home with their families, go to synagogue... and, of course, spend time in the sukkah. Then come five days of Hol HaMo’ed, which are pretty much like regular days when it comes to work or school, but we still try to spend time in the sukkah, at least when we eat and relax. The last day of Hol HaMo’ed is called Hoshana Rabbah. It is a very serious day, with many special customs.