Sukkot

Sukkot (20-27 September) commemorates the biblical story of the years that the Jews spent in the desert on their way to the Promised Land, and celebrates the way in which God protected them under difficult desert conditions. Also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, or the Feast of Booths, it is a festival for giving thanks for many things, like food and shelter.

Sukkot is celebrated by, first of all, building a sukkah –  a temporary little hut or shelter. The roof covering must be made of something that used to grow in the earth like palm leaves or bamboo sticks, and the walls can be made of any material that can hold up to wind. Jews are required to eat in the sukkah for eight days (seven days in Israel), and some even sleep in the sukkah for the duration of the holiday. The sukkah is decorated and the first day is considered a holy day in which most forms of work are forbidden.

Sukkot meal inspiration can come from the harvest origin of the holiday, and meals can include fresh fruits and vegetables, or other harvest-related ingredients. Of course, challah, chicken soup, and kugels are traditional Jewish foods that can be served on Sukkot (or any time of the year).