Celebrating Sukkot
On November 23rd, Americans will gather around tables to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with turkeys, yams and the ubiquitous green bean casserole. But America is not unique in its Autumnal holiday. Every culture around the world has some form of a harvest festival. The Jewish tradition has celebrated the harvest festival of Sukkot for thousands of years.
Initially mentioned in Exodus 23:16 as the “feast of the ingathering” to be celebrated at “the end of the year,” it is next mentioned in Deuteronomy 16:13-15 as the feast of booths or “Sukkot.” This feast is to last seven days and its purpose is to give thanks to God because He has “blessed you in all your crops.” Then in Leviticus 23:33-43, the Israelites are commanded to dwell in booths for seven days while giving thanks to God and making merry.
The celebration of Sukkot involves two main observances: dwelling in a sukkah or booth and the taking of the four species. During Sukkot, practicing Jews are encouraged to spend as much time as possible in a sukkah, a rough booth located under the open sky with at least three walls and a roof constructed out of unprocessed, natural vegetation, such as bamboo sticks, palm branches or pine boughs. As Leviticus 23:43 details, dwelling in a booth serves as a ritual reenactment of the when the Israelites sojourned in the desert for 40 years living in temporary structures. These booths also resemble the temporary structures peasants and farmers would have sheltered in during the Autumn harvest.
The next big component of Sukkot is the four species. This refers to four plants that are used to make a ritualistic prayer. These plants are a citron (a kind of lemon-like fruit), a palm frond, three myrtle twigs and two willow twigs. The frond and twigs are bound up together and held in the right hand, while the citron goes in the left. During each day of Sukkot, a prayer is recited using the plants, which are then waved in six different directions (except on the Sabbath) to indicate God’s dominion over all things.
The symbolism of the four species is deep and debated. Some sources explain that each plant stands for a letter in God’s name. They are bound together to symbolize God’s unity in Himself. Other sources say the species symbolize parts of the body: the citron is the heart, the palm is the spine, the myrtle is the eyes, the willow is the lips. All are joined together in praise of God. Still other sources claim the species represent different kinds of followers or men and women. Though different, all are joined in worship. No matter the interpretation, the meaning stays relatively the same; all things praise God.
Brian Rutter, PhD, is the cofounder of Hundredfold Video and plant biologist working for 2Blades at the University of Minnesota. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our “Things About Things – Odd Facts About Plants” and video production tips in your inbox every month!
Works Cited
Lightstone, Sefirah. “How to celebrate Sukkot.” Chabadorg, 2023, https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4457/jewish/How-To-Celebrate-Sukkot.htm. Accessed 27 October 2023.
“The Lulav and Etrog: The Four Kinds.” chabad.org, 2023, https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/609564/jewish/The-Lulav-and-Etrog-The-Four-Kinds.htm. Accessed 27 October 2023.
Siegel, Richard. “Lulav and Etrog Symbolism.” Myjewishlearning.com, 2023 https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/lulav-and-etrog-symbolism/. Accessed 27 October 2023.
