Jews begin to celebrate the holiday of Sukkot on the 15th day of the New Year and it lasts a week. In 2017, Sukkot falls on October 5-12, 2017.
Sukkot is an ancient agricultural holiday. At this time, the harvest was just finishing in Israel and the peasants had the opportunity to rest a little before the arrival of the first rains.
Translated from Hebrew, sukkot (sukkah) is translated as tent or tabernacle. On this holiday in Israel, it is customary to build small festive huts – sukkahs – from palm branches, etrogs and lulavs. Their walls are usually made of fabric, and their roofs are decorated with palm branches. Sukkahs are everywhere – in backyards, balconies, parking lots. Previously, it was customary to spend the whole week in these huts (there were tables there during the day, and they were replaced on beds at night), but now they are mainly decorative and bring joy to children who love to play in them.
These huts symbolize the illusory nature of the existing security that the house (roof) provides. Also, these huts should remind the Jews of how they were poor and lived in huts after the Exodus from Egypt.
According to existing tradition, on this holiday it is customary to receive and treat all guests (even strangers) all week long.
