Sukkah

Jewish holiday · temporary shelter · harvest celebration

Temporary home for a week. A sukkah is a small hut that Jewish families build outdoors, usually in their backyard or on a porch. Families eat meals, spend time, and sometimes even sleep in the sukkah during the seven-day festival of Sukkot.

Topped with branches and leaves. The roof of a sukkah is always made with branches, palm fronds, or tree branches called schach. The branches must be loose enough that you can see the stars through the roof at night.

Decorated with fall colors. Families decorate their sukkahs with colorful autumn decorations, harvest fruits like apples and pomegranates, and special symbols that represent the Jewish holiday. Many people add lights, paper chains, and paintings to make their sukkah beautiful.

Remembers the harvest. Sukkot celebrates the fall harvest and also remembers when Jewish people wandered in the desert long ago and lived in temporary shelters. Building and sitting in a sukkah connects people today to that ancient history.

Gathering place for family. The sukkah brings families together to share meals, tell stories, and celebrate their culture. Many people invite friends and extended family to visit their sukkah throughout the week.