What it mean "Sukkot"?
The word Sukkot, pronounced "Sue COAT," means “booths” in Hebrew. It refers to temporary dwellings that Jews lived in for 40 years while wandering in the Sinai Desert after their exodus from Egypt. During that time, the Hebrew Bible describes how the huts shielded them from the outside elements. The holiday holds metaphorical meaning, representing how fragile we are and to appreciate the shelter of our homes and bodies.
History of the day Sukkot
The Sukkot period is a time to remember the Jewish people’s wandering in the desert for 40 years following their exodus from Egypt, according to Jewish teachings. It is also a time to celebrate the grape harvest. Some sources claim that Sukkot lasts for about seven days while others state that it is an eight-day festival. The seventh day of Sukkot is known as Hoshana Rabbah while the eighth day is known as Shmini Atzeret and the day after is called Simchat Torah.
Species of the day Sukkot
One of the best known symbols of Sukkot is the four species - the citron (etrog), the closed frond of a palm tree (lulav), boughs of myrtle (hadas) and branches of willow (aravah) - which are ceremoniously shaken during the holiday.
But these are almost certainly a later addition to the holiday. They sure aren't mentioned in the Bible.
In the context of Sukkot, the Bible does list four plants but of the four, only the palm is identifiable. (Leviticus 23:40) The willow, myrtle and citron were only introduced to Palestine after the Babylonian Captivity.
It was only during the time of the Talmud that what can be rendered “fancy fruit” (pri hadar) was interpreted as an etrog, whose name together with the fruit itself was brought by the Persians from India by that time. At least you don't have to shake the etrog, though.
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