15 to 23 Tishrei 5787
Sukkot 2026
Sukkot began at sundown on Friday 25 September, and ended at nightfall on Friday 2 October. Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah followed on Saturday 3 October in Israel, and on 3 and 4 October elsewhere.
The first day is a Shabbat this year, so the lulav and etrog wait until Sunday. Shemini Atzeret falls on a Shabbat too.
Candle-lighting on Friday 25 September, for Shabbat and Sukkot
Of the ten days below, work stops on two in Israel and four outside it.
Times for Jerusalem and New York.
- Work stops
- Days of Sukkot when work goes on
- Begins at sundown
| Day | In Israel | Outside Israel |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 25 Sep14 Tishrei | Israel:Erev Sukkot. Candles 17:52 | Outside Israel:Erev Sukkot. Candles 18:30 |
| Sat 26 Sep15 Tishrei | Israel:First day, on Shabbat. Ends 19:07 | Outside Israel:First day, on Shabbat. Second day's candles after 19:27 |
| Sun 27 Sep16 Tishrei | Israel:Chol hamoed. Most work is permitted | Outside Israel:Second day. Ends 19:25 |
| Mon 28 Sep to Thu 1 Oct17 to 20 Tishrei | Chol hamoed, everywhere | |
| Fri 2 Oct21 Tishrei | Israel:Hoshana Rabbah. Candles 17:43 | Outside Israel:Hoshana Rabbah. Candles 18:18 |
| Sat 3 Oct22 Tishrei | Israel:Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, on Shabbat. Ends 18:58 | Outside Israel:Shemini Atzeret, on Shabbat. Simchat Torah candles after 19:15 |
| Sun 4 Oct23 Tishrei | Israel:A working day | Outside Israel:Simchat Torah. Ends 19:13 |
Candles 40 minutes before sunset in Jerusalem and 18 in New York. Shabbat and yom tov end when the sun is 8.5° below the horizon. The same times as our Shabbat pages.
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.
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.
How it is kept
- 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
What people say
"Chag sameach" (happy holiday) or the Sukkot-specific "Moadim l'simcha"
On the table
Stuffed foods symbolizing abundance (stuffed cabbage, peppers), seasonal harvest dishes, all eaten in the sukkah.
Sukkot moves by up to a month from one year to the next, but never leaves its season.
The Hebrew calendar follows the moon and adds a month seven years in nineteen. Here is Sukkot in every year this site has computed.
| Year | Begins at sundown | Ends at nightfall |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Wed 16 OctWednesday 16 October | Wed 23 OctWednesday 23 October |
| 2025 | Mon 6 OctMonday 6 October | Mon 13 OctMonday 13 October |
| 2026 | Fri 25 SepFriday 25 September | Fri 2 OctFriday 2 October |
| 2027 | Fri 15 OctFriday 15 October | Fri 22 OctFriday 22 October |
| 2028 | Wed 4 OctWednesday 4 October | Wed 11 OctWednesday 11 October |
| 2029 | Sun 23 SepSunday 23 September | Sun 30 SepSunday 30 September |
| 2030 | Fri 11 OctFriday 11 October | Fri 18 OctFriday 18 October |
14 other Jewish holidays fall in 2026.
The next 8 in the order they fall. Each has its own page for 2026.
Monday 2 February
Tu BiShvat
The new year of the trees. Tree planting in Israel and eating the fruits of the land.
Tuesday 3 March
Purim
Celebrates the rescue of the Jews of Persia as told in the Book of Esther. Megillah readings, costumes, mishloach manot and festive meals.
Thursday 2 April
Passover (Pesach)
The festival of freedom, marking the Exodus from Egypt. Seder nights, matzah, and no chametz for eight days (seven in Israel).
Tuesday 14 April
Yom HaShoah
Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Israel a two-minute siren brings the country to a standstill.
Tuesday 21 April
Yom HaZikaron
Israel's Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, the day before Independence Day.
Wednesday 22 April
Yom HaAtzmaut
Israel's Independence Day, marking the declaration of the state in 1948.
Tuesday 5 May
Lag BaOmer
The 33rd day of the Omer count. Bonfires, weddings and celebrations at Mount Meron.
Friday 22 May
Shavuot
The festival of receiving the Torah at Sinai. All-night learning and dairy foods. Two days in the diaspora, one in Israel.
Frequently asked questions
When is Sukkot 2026?+
Sukkot 2026 begins at sundown on Friday 25 September and ends at nightfall on Friday 2 October. Jewish days start in the evening, so the first full day is Saturday 26 September.
How long is Sukkot?+
7 days. 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.
Is Sukkot different in Israel?+
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 happens in Israel on Sukkot?+
Sukkot is the big domestic holiday week. Schools are shut, sukkot appear on every balcony and outside restaurants, and the whole country travels.
What do you say on Sukkot?+
The standard greeting is "Chag sameach" (happy holiday) or the Sukkot-specific "Moadim l'simcha".