Sukkot 2021: Dates, Prayers And Blessings In English For 'Feast Of Booths'

The Jewish holiday Sukkot, which is a week-long celebration, begins this year Monday and ends on the evening of Sept. 27. This harvest celebration is also known as the "Feast of Booths," or the "Feast of Tabernacles."

Sukkot "commemorates the miraculous protection G‑d provided for the children of Israel when they left Egypt," according to Chabad.org. It falls on the 15th day of Tishrei in the Jewish calendar. The festival is celebrated by building a sukkah as a temporary dwelling.

But, for most followers of the Jewish faith, it’s actually a lot like Thanksgiving. Also known as “The Season of Our Joy,” the holiday involves family fun time, festive meals and giving thanks.

To wish someone during Sukkot in Hebrew, you need to say “Chag Sameach,” which means happy holiday. You can also say “Moadim l’simcha,” which refers to a joyous festive occasion. To respond to this, you can say “Chagim u’zmanim l’sasson,” which translates to “holidays and seasons for rejoicing.”

During the festival, Jews are instructed to hold four plants: hadas (leaves from the myrtle tree), aravah (leaves from the willow tree), etrog (fruit of the citron tree) and lulav (palm frond). This practice is outlined in Leviticus 23:40, which reads: "On the first day you shall take the product of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days."

Below are some typical Hebrew prayers translated to English, courtesy Jewfaq.org and Reform Judaism:

• To be said before a meal in the sukkah: “Praised are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, Who has made us holy by mitzvot and has instructed us to dwell in the sukkah”
• To be said before wine is consumed: “Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine”
• To be said after candles are lit: “Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe Who makes us holy with Your mitzvot and commands us to kindle the lights of the Sabbath and the holiday”
• To be said before the lulav and etrog are waved: “Praised are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, Who has made us holy by mitzvot and has instructed us to take hold of the lulav”
• To be said as a farewell to the sukkah: “May it be Your will, Lord, our God and God of our ancestors, that just as I have stood up and dwelled in this sukkah, so may I merit next year to dwell in the sukkah of the hide of the Leviathan. Next year in Jerusalem!”