Sukkot is a Jewish holiday with an unusual setting: for one week, people are encouraged to step outside their normal homes and spend time in a temporary structure called a sukkah.
The holiday is both a harvest festival and a reminder of the Israelites’ years in the wilderness after leaving Egypt. Those two ideas come together in a holiday centered on gratitude, hospitality, nature, and the recognition that even the things that feel permanent can be temporary.
Sukkot begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, just a few days after Yom Kippur. It is one of the three major pilgrimage festivals in the Jewish calendar, alongside Passover and Shavuot. In 2026, Sukkot begins at sundown on September 25 and continues through October
The Story Behind Sukkot
Sukkot has two closely connected roots.
One is agricultural. In the ancient Land of Israel, Sukkot came at the end of the year’s major harvest season. It was a time to gather crops and celebrate the food and resources that had been produced. That gives the holiday its character as a festival of harvest and thanksgiving.
The other is historical. Jewish tradition connects the sukkah to the temporary shelters used by the Israelites during their forty-year journey through the desert after the Exodus from Egypt . The structures were not permanent homes. They offered protection while people were traveling toward a new future.
That combination gives Sukkot a particularly human message. You can have plenty and still remember what it feels like to have very little. You can have a home and still take time to appreciate what it means to have shelter. And you can enjoy a successful harvest while remembering that food, nature, and security should never be taken for granted.
What Is a Sukkah?
A sukkah is a temporary structure built for Sukkot. It can be simple or elaborate, but it is meant to feel different from an ordinary room or permanent building.
The roof, known as the s’chach, is made from natural materials such as branches, leaves, or other plant material. The structure is often decorated with fruit, plants, artwork, lights, and other personal touches. For many families, building and decorating the sukkah becomes part of the holiday itself.
Traditionally, the sukkah becomes a place to eat meals during Sukkot. Some people also spend significant amounts of time there, including sleeping in it. Exactly how people observe this practice varies by community, family, climate, and personal tradition.
That flexibility is part of what makes the sukkah such an approachable part of Sukkot. You do not need a permanent structure or an elaborate setup to understand the basic idea. The point is to step outside the usual walls for a while and experience a different kind of space.
A sukkah can also become a natural gathering place. Friends and family can share a meal, children can help decorate, and guests can come and go throughout the week. The temporary structure becomes a reminder that Jewish tradition is not only about what happens inside a synagogue. It can also happen around a table, outdoors, with other people.
What Are the Lulav and Etrog?
Another familiar part of Sukkot is the lulav and etrog, commonly called the Four Species.
Despite the name, the lulav itself is only one part of the group. The four species are:
- A lulav, which is a palm branch
- Hadassim, or myrtle branches
- Aravot, or willow branches
- An etrog, a yellow citrus fruit similar to a citron
The three types of branches are held together with the etrog, and they are traditionally waved during Sukkot prayers. The practice comes from the Torah’s description of gathering these plants and rejoicing during the festival.
There are many traditional interpretations of what the four species represent. One commonly discussed idea is that bringing different plants together represents unity and the diversity of the Jewish community. Other interpretations connect them to nature, gratitude, rain, and the harvest.
You do not have to know every interpretation to understand the basic ritual. The Four Species bring the natural world directly into the holiday. Along with the sukkah, they make Sukkot a holiday you can see, touch, smell, and experience physically.
Celebrating Sukkot Outside Observant Communities
Sukkot does not have to look exactly the same in every Jewish home.
For observant Jews, the sukkah and Four Species are important religious practices with specific requirements and traditions. For others, Sukkot may show up in a much more informal way.
A family might build a small sukkah mainly because they enjoy eating outside together. Someone might decorate one with their children without observing the full holiday. A Jewish community might host a meal in a sukkah as a way to bring people together. Others may simply learn about the holiday, visit someone else’s sukkah, or take part in a Sukkot event.
The underlying ideas can still be meaningful: appreciating what we have, spending time with people we care about, noticing the natural world, and remembering that life does not always stay as stable as we expect.
That may be one reason Sukkot continues to feel relevant. It takes something as ordinary as a meal and places it somewhere unexpected. It asks us to leave the comfort of our usual surroundings, even briefly, and pay attention to the people, food, shelter, and community around us.
Why Sukkot is Central to Jewish Thought
Sukkot is sometimes called the Festival of Booths or the Festival of Tabernacles, but its central ideas are easier to understand than those names might suggest.
It is a harvest celebration, but also a reminder of uncertainty. It remembers the wilderness, but creates a place for gathering. It involves ancient rituals with plants and fruit, while still leaving room for families and communities to make the holiday their own.
At its heart, Sukkot is about gratitude without taking stability for granted. For one week, a temporary structure becomes a place to eat, welcome guests, celebrate, and remember where we have come from.
Whether someone observes every traditional practice or simply builds a sukkah for a meal with friends, Sukkot offers a simple invitation: step outside, gather together, and appreciate what you have while you have it.
