Holiday guide
Sukkot
Sukkot is a seven-day harvest festival spent in a sukkah, a temporary booth with a roof of cut branches. The opening days are full festival days, two in the diaspora and one in Israel; the rest are chol hamoed, intermediate days when most work is permitted.
Begins at sundown
October 15, 2027
first full day October 16, 2027
Ends at nightfall
October 22, 2027
Sukkot 2027
Length
7 days
work restricted on the first two days
Dates on file
7 years
2024 to 2030
…
Israel or the diaspora?
In Israel the festival opens with one yom tov day, then six intermediate days. In the diaspora the opening is two yom tov days, then five intermediate days.
On the ground
What happens in Israel
Sukkot is the big domestic holiday week. Schools are shut, sukkot appear on every balcony and outside restaurants, and the whole country travels.
Work is restricted on the first day in Israel and the first two days in the diaspora. The days in between are chol hamoed, when most work is permitted.
Practice
How it is observed
- Eating (and for many, sleeping) in the sukkah, a temporary roofed booth, for a week
- Waving the four species: lulav, etrog, myrtle and willow
- Hoshana Rabbah processions on the seventh day
- Inviting guests (ushpizin) into the sukkah each night
"Chag sameach" (happy holiday) or the Sukkot-specific "Moadim l'simcha"
Stuffed foods symbolizing abundance (stuffed cabbage, peppers), seasonal harvest dishes, all eaten in the sukkah.
Year by year
Sukkot dates, year by year
Every date from 2024 to 2030, computed from the Hebrew calendar. Each year has its own page with candle lighting times.
The rest of the calendar
Other Jewish holidays
8 of the 14 other holidays on the Hebrew calendar, nearest date first. Every card opens a guide with dates from 2024 to 2030.
December 5, 2026
Hanukkah
The festival of lights: eight nights of candle lighting marking the rededication of the Temple. Latkes, sufganiyot and dreidels.
January 23, 2027
Tu BiShvat
The new year of the trees. Tree planting in Israel and eating the fruits of the land.
March 23, 2027
Purim
Celebrates the rescue of the Jews of Persia as told in the Book of Esther. Megillah readings, costumes, mishloach manot and festive meals.
April 22, 2027
Passover (Pesach)
The festival of freedom, marking the Exodus from Egypt. Seder nights, matzah, and no chametz for eight days (seven in Israel).
May 4, 2027
Yom HaShoah
Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Israel a two-minute siren brings the country to a standstill.
May 11, 2027
Yom HaZikaron
Israel's Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, the day before Independence Day.
May 25, 2027
Lag BaOmer
The 33rd day of the Omer count. Bonfires, weddings and celebrations at Mount Meron.
Frequently asked questions
When is Sukkot?+
The next Sukkot begins at sundown on October 15, 2027 and ends at nightfall on October 22, 2027. Because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, the Gregorian date shifts each year while the season stays fixed.
What is Sukkot?+
Sukkot is a seven-day harvest festival spent in a sukkah, a temporary booth with a roof of cut branches. The opening days are full festival days, two in the diaspora and one in Israel; the rest are chol hamoed, intermediate days when most work is permitted.
Does Israel observe Sukkot differently?+
In Israel the festival opens with one yom tov day, then six intermediate days. In the diaspora the opening is two yom tov days, then five intermediate days.
What is Sukkot like in Israel?+
Sukkot is the big domestic holiday week. Schools are shut, sukkot appear on every balcony and outside restaurants, and the whole country travels.