Sukkot: The Festival of Shelters, Unity, and Joy

Sukkot (pronounced soo-COAT) is a weeklong Jewish holiday that starts five days after Yom Kippur. In 2025, it runs from October 6 to October 13, followed by Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. While it might not be as well-known as other Jewish holidays, it’s one of the most joyful.

The holiday commemorates two things: the fall harvest in ancient Israel, and the fragile shelters (called sukkahs) the Israelites lived in during their 40 years in the desert. Today, Jews build temporary huts with natural roofs, eat meals inside them, and sometimes even sleep there. It’s a chance to slow down, enjoy the outdoors, and appreciate life’s simple gifts.

One of the key rituals is waving the Four Kinds—a palm branch (lulav), citron (etrog), myrtle, and willow—symbolizing unity among different types of people. Each day (except Shabbat), people wave them in six directions to express gratitude and hope.

Sukkot is also filled with celebration. Communities gather for meals, singing, dancing, and festive prayers. On Simchat Torah, the final day, people dance with Torah scrolls in a joyful, high-energy celebration of Jewish learning and continuity.

You don’t have to build your own sukkah or know Hebrew to enjoy Sukkot. Just showing up to a sukkah meal or joining in the joy is a powerful way to connect—with your culture, your people, and maybe even yourself.