Sukkot 2016: 5 Unknown Facts About Jewish Harvest Festival

If you are a Jewish person, you must be very well aware that the time of the year is around when quite a number of festivals get piled up, and you have to prepare for them one after another. At the beginning of the month was Rosh Hashanah - Jewish new year, and now, it's time for Sukkot 2016 - the Jewish harvest festival.

Here are five unknown facts about this Jewish harvest festival:

Living in the Sukkah

At this time, the Jews are expected to live in the temporary shelter called Sukkah for seven days. Generally, they are built in the backyard of the house and are sheltered with branches. They are expected to eat and drink in the Sukkah; some even sleep in there.Sukkahs become their home for seven days and nights.

Building a Sukkah

A Sukkah is supposed to have three walls, and just big enough for the people to reside. The roof is the prime focus of this sukkah. It is built of sekhakh, which are the materials which come out of the ground - tree branches, leaves, stems, and more.

See how lovely our last Sukkah was. Celebrate #Sukkot 2016 at Kingston Liberal Synagogue. pic.twitter.com/IdssYu1XMX

— KingstonLibSynagogue (@KingstonLibShul) October 15, 2016

In the US, these are decorated with harvest fruits and vegetable which and a special attraction to it.

How to Greet?

Chag Sameach!

In English, this translates to a joyous festival. It's a common greeting during Sukkot and other holidays which include Passover and Shavu'ot

Food, Food, and More Meaningful Food

The festival sees symbolic food being eaten. Like Apple dipped in honey signifies hope for a sweet new year. There's also a custom to recite blessings before eating the food which talks about the significance of the food they are eating. Since it's the harvest time, there is so much food to eat.

Now here were some facts just in time for Sukkot 2016. With celebration comes joy, and with joy comes prosperity. So happy celebrating!