Sukkot - First Days
09/19/2013 to 09/20/2013
The first day of Sukkot is the start of a period that is known as the Feast of Tabernacles. This period marks a traditional time for many Jewish people to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Some of the holiday is spent in a sukkah.
An important Sukkot symbol is the sukkah. This is a temporary structure with a roof made of sechach or s'chach, which is raw, unfinished plant material, such as palm branches, bamboo poles, reeds or even corn stalks. Most or all of its roof should be directly under the sky and the inside may be decorated with extracts from the Torah, real or imitation fruit and shiny decorations. Portable sukkahs are available for travelers.
The “four species” are also important symbols of Sukkot and represent the blessings of nature. These are;
- lulav (a green, closed frond of a date palm tree),
- hadass (twigs and leaves from a myrtle tree),
- aravah (twigs and leaves from a willow tree) and
- etrog (a lemon-like fruit of the citron tree).