Say to the Israelites: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the L-rd's Feast of Tabernacles begins . . . ' (Lev. 23:33a, emphasis added)

Emphases of the Feast of Tabernacles
G-d is Our Provider * G-d is Our Refuge * G-d will return to take us home
Let us rejoice!

Why would a Gentile Christian want to celebrate Biblical Feasts?

What is Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles)?

Unlike Passover, which celebrates just one event --- that of the Exodus, the Feast of Tabernacles celebrates several happenings. Though Jewish apocraphal writings speak of a Sukkot-like holiday in Abraham's time, it is generally believed to have started out as a rememberance of the forty years Israel wandered in the wilderness. The Jews had no permanent home and had to build temporary shelters for themselves. They had to rely entirely on the L-rd for all their sustenance.

When the Hebrews entered Canaan they became farmers. Thanksgiving for the harvest was added. Perhaps there is a relationship between the Pilgrim's Thanksgiving celebration and Sukkot? (Sukkot ran from Sept. 20 - 28 in 1621.)

King Solomon's Temple was dedicated during this Feast. It soon became quite the spectacle as the festival grew.

Originally only seven days long, an eighth day, that of Shemini Atzeret, was added. In keeping with the agricultural theme, this extra day was used to pray for rain --- not too much, nor too little, to ensure success of the next year's crops. The prayer for rain could also be interpreted as a request for G-d to send the "latter rain," the Spirit that would come with the Messianic age. Some believe that the first Hanukkah was really a late Sukkot celebration. The Maccabees would have remembered that Solomon's Temple was dedicated during the holiday and perhaps they wanted to rededicate the Temple then as well.

Lastly, a ninth day was added to the season --- Simchat Torah, "Rejoicing in the Torah." It is on this day when the end of Deuteronomy, the last book of the Torah, and the beginning of Genesis is read, beginning the lectionary anew. Seven times the Torah scroll is carried around the congregation with all worshippers forming a great procession. Children wave flags and at least all adult men have a turn of carrying a scroll. The addition of Simchat Torah makes this the longest festival of the Jewish year.

The mood of the season is joy. Singing and dancing are emphasized. Fasting is prohibited.

Where does this fit with believers in Y'shua?  Thanksgiving is important, of course. Then there is the idea of the temporary shelter itself. The L-rd is our shelter, one much better than the houses we build. Just as the Jews wandered for a time in the wilderness awaiting entry into the Promised Land, we too are only "wandering" this Earth awaiting entry into the "New Promised Land." We, too, need to rejoice in all that Our Heavenly Father has done for us. These topics are discussed more fully in the liturgy.

Items for the family service

• Small decorative palm tree - available from "big box" home improvement stores or online nurseries
• Basket of fresh fruit - placed next to the altar opposite of the palm tree
• Candles - We use the same candles from our Passover Seder.  A menorah may also be included.  These can go on the altar.
• Altar - We make ours from a hard-sided cooler covered with an autumn-themed "tablecloth."  A decoration of fruits, vegetables, and/or gourds may be added.
• Decorations for the Sukkah
  • Artificial fruit and vegetables may be hung from the ceiling
  • Other artificial fruit/vegetable/fall "bunches" available from craft stores may be affixed to the walls
  • Posters with Bible verses
  • Jewish symbols cut out of paper or otherwise constructed
    • Israeli flag
    • Torah scroll
    • Star of David
    • Sukkot
    • Lulav and etrog (palm branches and fruit of citron plant)
  • Cotton ball and construction paper clouds with seven dangling stars (taditional Jewish decoration adaptable for Believers - Rev. 1:7, 16)
  • "Thank chain" or "Thank mobiles"  --- Each member of the family is encouraged to make a list of things he is thankful for from the previous year.  These are written on strips of construction paper and assembled into a paper chain, or on cutouts of Jewish or Sukkot symbols (star of David, etrog, torah scroll, water droplet, grape cluster, etc.) and made into either one large or individual mobiles.
• Foods (only a sampling, Google for a more ideas)
  • Fresh fruit (from basket mentioned above)
  • Baklava
  • Date bread
  • Fruit punch
  • Stuffed artichokes
  • Cranberry challah

Sukkah Construction

There are many rabbinical laws that govern the construction of a sukkah. Our family has chosen to not concern ourselves with most of them.  Still, the sukkah should be easy to put up and break down. It should be flimsy, but the walls should not flap in the wind.

The roof should be made of tree branches. Because of weather concerns we have chosen to use a camo-colored tarp. In keeping with the spirit of being able to see the stars through the roof we make sure there are plenty of holes where we join the roof and drape walls.  Those desiring to follow Jewish law more closely should not use live tree branches in or on the sukkah.

Our first sukkah was little more than  some blankets hanging over branches in a tree.  We now use lattice and lumber, and attach fabric to the sides.  Since moving to Ohio we have decided to align our sukkah with Jerusalem, meaning that when someone is facing the front of the sukkah (altar area) he is facing Jerusalem.  (In Ohio Jerusalem is at about 48°T.)

Photos of our fairly simple sukkah of 2002/5763

Photos of our upgraded sukkah of 2003/5764

Books (mostly general resources concerning all the Jewish Feasts, but some are specific to Sukkot)

• Strictly Jewish (not Christian)
  • Shake a Palm Branch, The Story and Meaning of Sukkot by Miriam Chaikin
  • Sukkot: A Time to Rejoice by Malka Drucker
  • The Complete Artscroll Siddur by Mesorah Publications
  • The Book of Jewish Customs by Harvey Lutske
  • The Complete Book of Jewish Observance by Leo Trepp
  • The Jewish Home Advisor by Alfred J. Kolatch
  • Jewish Worship by Abraham Millgram
  • The Jewish Holidays by Michael Strassfeld
  • The Mishnah by Herbert Danby
  • The Weekly Midrash by Mesorah Publications
• Messianic
  • Celebrate the Feasts by Martha Zimmerman
  • The Feasts of the L-rd by Howard and Rosenthal
  • G-d's Appointed Times by Barney Kasdan
  • Jesus in the Feasts of Israel by Richard Booker
  • The Life and Times of Jesus Messiah by Alfred Edersheim
  • The Seven Feasts of Israel by Zola Levitt
  • The Temple by Alfred Edersheim

Web Sites

• Torah Tots - The Site for Jewish Children - Holidays - Sukkot
• The Jewish New Year
• New Covenant Church of G-d, Articles & ...Feast of Tabernacles 2000
• Awareness Ministry - Tabernacles

Page last modified February 23, 2021.

Comments, corrections, or suggestions may be directed to the page author, Mary-Frances Bartels