Sukkot traditions 2019: All the traditions, food, and prayers - How to celebrate Sukkot
SUKKOT or the Festival of Tabernacles began on Sunday and lasts for a week. Here are all the traditions, food and prayers for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
Italian farmers cultivate an ancient Jewish tradition
Sukkot began on Sunday, October 13 and ends on Sunday, October 20. Translated as the Festival of Tabernacles, Sukkot falls five days after Yom Kippur. It involves prayer, food and staying in a foliage-covered structure.
Sukkot commemorates the gathering of the harvest and protection God gave the children of Israel when they left Egypt.
The first two days of Sukkot, this year being from sundown on October 13 until nightfall on October 15, are known as Yom Tov.
Yom Tov is when Jews are forbidden from working, wine and prayers known as Kiddush are drunk before festive meals and candles are lit in the evening.
Prayers are said throughout the seven days, and traditions adhered to.
The Four Kinds and Sukkah
From nightfall on October 15 until sundown on October 20, are quasi holidays and known as Chol Hamoed.
On these days, Jews dwell in a foliage-covered booth and take the Four Kinds.
The Four Kinds are plants named the lulav (palm branch), etrog (citron), hadassim (myrtle) and aravot (willow) over which a blessing is recited on each of the days of Sukkot.
These four plants are mentioned in the third book of the Torah, Leviticus.
The Torah states it is a mitzvah - commandment - to wave these plants around and rejoice before the Lord on every day of Sukkot.
The foliage-covered booth is known as the sukkah and is made of at least three walls and a roof of unprocessed natural vegetation.
This can be bamboo, pine or palm branches, and all meals are eaten over the holiday in the sukkah if possible.
Prayers
Throughout Sukkot, the Hallel - a collection of psalms of praise - is said as part of morning prayers.
The Hallel is said while holding the Four Kinds, which are waved in all directions.
After the Hallel, the bimah - the podium which holds the Torah - is circled while alphabetically arranged prayers are read - known as Hoshanot.
The seventh day - October 20 - is known as Hoshanah Rabbah and is when the fates of each Jew are sealed in the Book of Life for the coming year.
On this day the bimah is circled seven times and a short prayer is said while the floor is hit five times with bundles of five willows.
Food
Meals during Sukkot will be held in the foliage-covered sukkah where possible.
Dinnertimes will begin with Kiddush prayers said over a cup of wine, before sharing it among all at the table.
Then the ritual of washing the bread will take place before challah bread is dipped in honey and eaten.
After breaking the challah, a meal of two or three courses plus dessert will be served.
Food often fits with harvest themes, with plenty of fruit and vegetables.
Greetings
To wish someone a happy Sukkot, you can say “Chag Sameach” which translates as “happy holidays”.
You can also say “Gut Yontiff” is a yiddishized version of the Hebrew phrase Yom Tov meaning “good day”. It refers to any major holiday on which work is traditionally forbidden.
Another is to say “Moadim l’simcha” this refers to occasions of celebrations.
A response to this “Chagim u’zmanim ‘sasson” which means “holidays and seasons for rejoicing!”