Let's Talk with Nancy J. Cohen
Sukkot Holiday Harvest
October 17, 2024
The Jewish holiday of Sukkot takes place this year starting Oct. 17. This festival may have had its origins in long-ago harvest celebrations. Also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, this holiday recalls the biblical story of the Jews wandering in the desert for forty years after their exodus from Egypt. It is observed for seven days starting on the fifteenth day of the month of Tishrei in the Hebrew calendar.
The freed slaves used makeshift dwellings that we represent today by building a sukkah, a hut with at least three walls and a roof made from tree branches. The sukkah must be open to the sky so the starry night view can remind people of heaven. Fruits and vegetables may be hung from the ceiling. One is supposed to eat meals in the sukkah and sleep there whenever possible during the holiday.
Four plants are used to express symbolic gratitude for a bountiful harvest. The lulav is made by binding a palm frond to myrtle and willow branches. The etrog is a citron fruit like a large lemon. These two objects are shaken in the air in all four directions to acknowledge God’s presence, along with prayers of thanksgiving for the harvest and for rain in the next season. As for special foods, stuffed dumplings such as kreplach or challah dipped in honey may be served.
The meaning of this holiday is in sharing meals with friends, appreciating nature, and being grateful for what we have. As writers, we need to do this more often to refill our creative wells. Taking a break may seem the antithesis of productive writing, but it’s all part of the process. I enjoy the farm festivals, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and fall craft fairs this time of year.
What makes this season special for you?
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Posted in Let's Talk, with Nancy J. Cohen • Tags: Haunted Hair Nights, Let's Talk, Nancy J Cohen, Sukkot Holiday Harvest | 18 Comments
Hi Nancy, thank you for sharing the meaning of this holiday. I love the cool breezes that come with October on the West Coast of Florida.
We certainly have some cool breezes today! I had to turn on the heat briefly to warm up the house this morning. Now it’s in the seventies outside, just perfect for me.
I have friends who build a sukkah in their backyard every year and decorate it as you describe, Nancy. They invite people to come eat with them under the shelter. I’ve heard that the festival is also about welcoming the stranger into your tent. It seems to be a lovely way to welcome fall weather, a kind of antidote to the scary themes of Halloween.
You’re right in that Sukkot is a friendlier holiday!
I love the much needed cooler weather especially since this was a pretty hot summer. I love the leaves changing color and I love that the Holidays are getting closer. Thank you for the chance. Have a great rest of the day and a great weekend.
We miss the leaves changing color here but I’m happy to exchange that for flowers throughout the year.
Nancy, thanks for explaining the meaning of this holiday. A lovely way to celebrate gratitude for all we’ve received.
I like the farm festivals in the Orlando area although I miss the vegetable u-pick sites in south Florida. Here we can pick berries in season. The corn mazes are fun, too.
Thank you for explaining about Sukkot. I love the cooler temperatures. My birthday, my twin sister’s and my daughter’s birthday were last week so it was a big celebration week for my family. I am also enjoying all the fall goodies I have been baking such a pumpkin bread and apple bread.
Yum, sounds like I need to pay you a visit. Happy birthday to everyone!
Congrats, you’ve won my giveaway. I will be in touch via email.
Thank you! I am thrilled to have won.
I love Sukkot because it’s so joyful
Yes, it is a happy holiday.
I like Fall because of family birthdays–my mom, daughter-in-law, grandson, me; cooler weather in Northern California, and basketball season!!
Happy Birthday to everyone! I lived in San Francisco for a year. It was definitely cooler there, and windy.
Thank you for the explanation of the holiday. It was very interesting. My birthday is on the 19th – just in time for cooler weather and our local fall festivals out here in northern California.
I’ll bet you have some great festivals there, especially with all the wineries!