What Is Sukkot? How To Celebrate The Jewish Holiday 2021

 

Sukkot Jewish autumn festival of double thanks giving that begins on the 15th day, The holiday commemorates the forty-year period,First day of Sukkot.

Sukkot is about giving thanks

Giving thanks (tzelem Elokim) is an important spiritual tenet in Judaism. The notion of tzelem Elokim is to give thanks, especially for blessing. (Sukkot 9b) While giving thanks is an essential tenet of Judaism, Judaism is not considered a "solemn religion" in that there are no specific rules on how to practice Sukkot.

The holiday is not considered holy in the same way that Shabbat is; it is not commanded to be observed by all Jews at all. The High Priest is not required to sit in the Temple. However, because of the importance placed on it, some Jews must fulfill the obligations of tzelem Elokim. In the Ashkenazi tradition the main obligation during Sukkot is to eat matzah on the first day, HaBechirah.

The First Day of Sukkot

First day of Sukkot begins on the 15th day of the seventh month. The first day of the holiday is always observed with the sounding of the Shofar (ram's horn) at sunset. Each day of Sukkot has a different custom associated with it. After the Shofar is sounded in the evening, families gather to eat dairy foods and hold a religious service in which they receive blessings.

This can include an evening meal, an "israch" (wishing) ceremony, and a Sukkah party with foods that are only eaten during the holiday. Some families also go to the park for a public ritual on the eve of the holiday. The Characteristics of Sukkot Sukkot is a small festival, lasting from the 15th of Tammuz to the 15th of Av, during which time Jews are not supposed to do any work but should spend time in prayer and fasting.

Blessing For The Lulav

Prayers are recited in Hebrew. The first blessing is a blessing over the lulav – a four-cornered shall, which must have four olive shoots, one for each of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah. Then the hankyal – a sesame branch, which represents the crown of thorns worn by Jesus as he died on the cross.

The fourth and last blessing is a blessing over the ruach – a mixture of fragrant herbs from the Holy Land. Seven Day Feast The Day of Atonement – Yom Teruah – takes place on the tenth day and is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. It begins with special Sabbath prayers at sunset on Friday night and lasts for six hours. Then, on the morning of the 11th day, Jews pray for forgiveness and the renewal of their relationship with God.

Blessing For The Etrog

There is an egg shaped fruit or fruit of the sekhoth fruit that is the symbol of life and fertility in Judaism. The legend goes that Rabbi Akiva was riding on a donkey when a bunch of the special golden, fruit-like etrogs arrived for harvest, having been freshly harvested from a tree in the courtyard of a merchant's home.

Akiva took one of the etrogs and put it in the straw in front of him on the donkey, and it was blessed and then it turned red. Why Jews Use Etrog? Jews use the Etrog in all their important festivals of the year, The fruit is believed to have mystical powers in remembrance of God's protection and blessings during each year.

Blessing For The Four Kinds of Fruit

On the fourth day of the festival, instead of making "yumim tovim" and "blessed are you" (the blessings for pomegranates, grapes, apples, and olives), which everyone knows and practice throughout the year, I always say the blessings for the four kind of fruit. The first fruit is the olive tree. Blessed is the olive tree! You planted it; you tended it; you provided for it; and you gave it more branches when it was in need, for its fruit gives joy to my heart.

 Next I say the blessings for the grapes. Blessed is the grape vine! You nourished it with the best of food; you dressed it with rich garments made from the best of fibers; and you made it grow, just like you nurtured our people. The third fruit is the fig tree. Blessed is the fig tree!

jewish holidays 2021

Halloween is over. Now, it's time to get our game faces on. The holiday season is almost upon us. Luckily, there are plenty of holidays we can celebrate this season. If you're thinking about dusting off your jack-o'-lantern or making a costume, there are plenty of Jewish holidays that you can celebrate this year. First off, there's no need to worry about September.

The holiday season doesn't officially start until October. So if you've been hibernating since August and are wondering when to start thinking about your Halloween costume, worry no more. The start of the Jewish holiday season is the beginning of the harvest season. Even more importantly, according to Jewish tradition, Sukkot is the final harvest celebration.