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Being the greatest guest, you can be this holiday season

Tami Lancut Leibovitz

The Jewish holiday season is in full effect! Tonight, millions around the world will celebrate the first night of ukkot, one of my personal favorites!  The name Sukkot is in Hebrew and it comes from the word “Sukkah” that literally means a “shack” or a “hut”. Sukkot is the plural form of the word, symbolizing the huts that are built around the country and the world each holiday.

So did you ask yourselves…why do the Jewish people spend their holiday in a shack? Not only for the breeze in the outdoors spot but also in order to commemorate the 40 years of Jewish wandering in the desert after Sinai – some of the more religious Jews spend every night and every meal in the Sukkah for seven days! The rest, awaits this fun tradition that set the atmosphere for spontaneous meetings and parties. The shack has a few rules it has to follow in order to be consider as a proper Sukkah, for example: The person sitting in the Sukkah has to be able to see the stars, that’s why many people used palm tree branches to cover their celebratory hut. It is also extremely popular for kids and adults to decorate their Sukkah with drawings, posters, ribbons, lights and more traditional decorations.

Sukkot is an important holiday in the Jewish calendar and one of “Shloshet Ha’regalim”, the three Jewish Pilgrimage Festivals, along with Passover and Shavuot that are celebrated later in the year. In the Jewish faith, it’s believed that a harvest of the first fruits of the year were brought to the Temple in Jerusalem each Sukkot holiday. The symbolism for that appears in the variety of the rich holiday dinners.

The holiday only officially ends eight days after it starts, when the “Joy of Torah” celebration, called “Simchat Torah”, begins - a dance and music filled festival that celebrates the faith and the reading of the Jewish bible

Etiquette guide to Jewish Holidays

Sukkot is a festival for the crop, with deep biblical roots. The holiday is only five days away from Yom Kippur, on the 15th day of Tishrei, the first month in the Jewish calendar. If you have Jewish friends and family around the Sukkot holiday, you will probably get invited to a Sukkah at some point, LUCKY YOU - that’s always a great time!

Before you attend the Sukkah, learn the term “Ushpizin”, an ancient custom that is all about generosity. The word literally means “guests”, and it’s considered a blessing to host guests in the Sukkah. It’s also one of the most common traditions about this holiday, what means: Daily through the holiday, friends and loved ones spend time in the best way possible, together in the Sukkah.

How should you act if you are being invited to a Sukkah meetup or meal?

When you arrive to the Sukkah, it’s very common to bring a homemade pastry or food, but only if it’s for a family member or a friend that is close enough to you. You must ask about allergens, kosher limits etc. before you bring food to a Sukkah that is sometimes flooded with people. Think twice, it may be easier to being a drink or a gift for the guest!

When you arrive to the Sukkah don’t get awkward if you are not familiar with the situation, it’s never a good idea! There’s nothing ceremonial that should worry you, unless you are scared of good hospitality!

When you arrive to the Sukkah greet everyone when you enter, even if you know only some of the people, a welcoming gesture is always great. In a Sukkah, sometimes people sit and talk in different groups throughout the day and often you will find yourself talking to new people, friends of friends or family and having new, exciting conversations!

When you arrive to the Sukkah feel free to greet the attendees in a “Happy holidays” or “Chag Same’ach” in Hebrew. “Happy Sukkot” is also an official greeting, or “Sukkot Same’ach” in Hebrew. The greeting “Shana Tova” will also be heard in the Sukkah, especially for guests and loved ones that didn’t crosspatch in the holiday season yet.

You will be surprised to hear that many years ago, Ha’Rambam, a known Jewish scholar already discussed etiquette by talking about the importance of the guest’s presence in the Sukkot holiday. His key to understand the holiday’s etiquette was the importance of guests in the Sukkot Jewish tradition, and so he says:

“The size of our home and its wealth are not important. What is important and permanent in our lives is the welcome and support we give others. This is the sukkah of the soul that we celebrate during this joy filled season”.

I Hope this holiday finds you healthy and happy and I wish you all a Happy Sukkot and a fruitful, energetic new year!

For more about holidays and the proper ways to handle it in different cultures and countries, please visit my website and feel free to leave any etiquette-related question or concern on my blog! Chag Same’ach friends!