Sukkot, or the festival of Tabernacles, occurs two weeks after the Jewish New Year, and is the culmination of the High Holy Days. After the solemnity of Rosh Hashanah (New Year) and Yom Kippur (the 25 hour fast which occurs ten days after) Sukkot is a joyous happy "harvest" festival, absolutely chock a block full of symbolisms and special things to do. There are the four "species" of plant known as the "Arba Minim" (click here for a pic) which are taken to synagogue each day and have a blessing said over them: a citron (ethrog), a palm branch, a branch of myrtle, and a branch of willow. We eat all our meals out of the house in "Sukkot" or huts, temporary structures with opening roofs covered with leaves, to show our absolute faith in God for protection and shelter. This is also to commemorate the time the Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness of Sinai living in similar structures.

In England, the inclement weather has forced our "sukkot" to become more permanent, some are even part of the house with just opening roofs to make them "kosher". In Jerusalem, where we like to spend this festival if possible, the flimsiest "wendy house" style canvas sukka is more than enough, no roof at all is needed, just a light covering of palm branches. It is simply wonderful to wander through the streets of Jerusalem on Sukkot and look at everyone's Sukka, gaily decorated and joyously inhabited.

Building the Sukkot; you can see a smaller one on our veranda,which Joseph slept in, and a larger one downstairs for family meals etc. Our lemon tree is on the right of this pic.
Sukkot lined up in the car park of a block of flats; the flats have no balcony to build the Sukkot on, and the hapless residents have to carry their food down to the car park during this festival.

Joseph eating lunch in a Lubavitch "Mitzvah Tank" mobile Sukka(1997)