Sukkot 2026

What this countdown tracks

Sukkot 2026 — the seven-day Jewish "Feast of Tabernacles" — beginning at sundown on Friday, September 25, 2026. Observed by Jewish communities worldwide with the building of a sukkah (a temporary outdoor booth), the waving of the Four Species, and pilgrim festival meals.

About this festival

Sukkot (literally "booths" or "tabernacles") is one of the three Pilgrimage Festivals of the Hebrew Bible — alongside Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot — during which all Jewish men in ancient times were commanded to travel to the Temple in Jerusalem. The festival is observed for seven days from the 15th to the 21st of the month of Tishrei, beginning at sundown on the 14th. In 2026 the 15th of Tishrei begins at sundown on September 25 and continues through sundown on October 2, followed by Shemini Atzeret (October 3) and Simchat Torah (October 4 in the diaspora; October 3 in Israel).

The festival has two layered meanings. Historically, it commemorates the 40 years the Israelites lived in temporary shelters in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt. Agriculturally, it is the autumn harvest festival of ancient Israel, celebrating the gathering of the year's crops before the winter rains. Both meanings are reflected in the festival's central ritual — the dwelling in the sukkah and the waving of the Four Species (lulav, etrog, hadassim, aravot) representing the harvest of the land.

The sukkah is a temporary booth with at least three walls and a roof made of natural plant material (s'chach) loose enough that the stars can be seen through it. Observant Jews eat all meals in the sukkah for the seven days, and many sleep in it; the commandment is to "dwell" in the sukkah to recall the wilderness shelters. The Four Species — a closed date palm frond (lulav), a citron (etrog), three myrtle branches (hadassim) and two willow branches (aravot) — are bound together and waved in six directions during the daily Hallel and the special hoshanot processions.

How it's observed

Sukkot is one of the most physically distinctive Jewish festivals because the sukkah is built outdoors and visible to passers-by. In Israel — where Sukkot is a national holiday with school and government closure on the first day — sukkahs appear on apartment balconies, in public squares, and in the gardens of restaurants (many of which build a sukkah on their pavement so observant patrons can eat outdoors). The Western Wall plaza hosts the largest single Sukkot gathering, with priestly blessings (Birkat Kohanim) drawing tens of thousands.

In the Jewish diaspora — the United States (especially New York and Los Angeles), the United Kingdom, France, Argentina, Mexico, Australia, South Africa — sukkahs in front yards and synagogue courtyards are an annual fixture of the September–October streetscape in observant Jewish neighbourhoods. The Lubavitch movement runs "Sukkah Mobile" trucks in many major cities, allowing Jewish passers-by to wave the Four Species without entering a permanent sukkah.

Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh day of Sukkot (October 2 in 2026), is observed with seven processions around the sanctuary while waving the Four Species, ending with the ritual beating of willow branches on the floor. Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, which immediately follow Sukkot, mark the conclusion of the autumn festival cycle and the annual restart of the Torah reading.

Past observances

• October 6–13, 2025 — Sukkot 2025
• October 16–23, 2024 — Sukkot 2024
• September 29 – October 6, 2023 — Sukkot 2023
• October 9–16, 2022 — Sukkot 2022
• September 20–27, 2021 — Sukkot 2021
• October 2–9, 2020 — Sukkot 2020

How to observe

Hebcal, Chabad.org and the Orthodox Union publish exact start and end times by city. The Western Wall priestly blessing is live-streamed by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation. Major Jewish broadcasters and Chabad's worldwide network publish lulav-and-etrog video tutorials and sukkah-construction guides. Diaspora communities organise communal sukkah-decoration events for children.

Related countdowns

Sukkot 2026 follows Rosh Hashanah 2026 and Yom Kippur on the autumn Jewish calendar, and shares the year with Purim 2026, Tu BiShvat 2026 and Tisha B'Av 2026.

FAQ

When is Sukkot 2026? From sundown Friday, September 25 through sundown Friday, October 2, 2026. What is a sukkah? A temporary outdoor booth with at least three walls and a natural-plant-material roof; observant Jews eat all meals in it for seven days and many sleep in it. What are the Four Species? Lulav (palm frond), etrog (citron), hadassim (three myrtle branches) and aravot (two willow branches) bound together and waved in the daily ritual. Are Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah part of Sukkot? Technically separate festivals immediately following Sukkot's seven days; together they conclude the autumn festival cycle.