Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths, is one of the most joyful festivals on the Jewish calendar. It marks both the fall harvest and the forty years the Israelites spent wandering the desert after the Exodus from Egypt, living in temporary shelters along the way. Coming right on the heels of the solemn High Holidays, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Sukkot is a welcome exhale, a week of gratitude, hospitality, and celebration.
When is Sukkot 2026?
Sukkot in 2026 will begin at sundown on Friday, September 25th, and will end at nightfall on Friday, October 2nd. Like all Jewish holidays, Sukkot follows the Hebrew calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar, and it always begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, just five days after Yom Kippur. Immediately following Sukkot come Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, which round out the fall holiday season through October 4th.
Is Sukkot the same day every year?
The Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, meaning it's based on the cycles of the moon while still adjusting to stay aligned with the solar year. This is why Sukkot, like Yom Kippur, Purim, and other Jewish holidays, lands on a different date on the Gregorian calendar each year, even though it always falls on the 15th of Tishrei on the Hebrew calendar.
| Year | Sukkot begings | Sukkot ends |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday, Sept 25 | Friday, Oct 2 |
| 2027 | Thursday, Oct 14 | Thursday, Oct 21 |
| 2028 | Tuesday, Oct 3 | Tuesday, Oct 10 |
| 2029 | Sunday, Sept 23 | Sunday, Sept 30 |
What happens during Sukkot?
The most recognizable custom of Sukkot is building and dwelling in a sukkah, a temporary hut with a roof made of natural materials like branches or bamboo, loosely covered so the sky remains visible. Many families eat their meals in the sukkah throughout the week, and some even sleep in it, as a way of reconnecting with the fragility and simplicity of the Israelites' desert journey.
Sukkot also centers on the Four Species, or Arba Minim: the lulav (a palm branch bound with willow and myrtle) and the etrog (a citron fruit), which are held and waved together during prayer as a symbol of unity and gratitude for the harvest. Each night of the holiday, it's customary to symbolically welcome Ushpizin, honored guests from Jewish history, into the sukkah, reinforcing the week's themes of hospitality and welcome. The middle days of the holiday, known as Chol HaMoed, are more relaxed, with most normal activities resuming outside of the sukkah traditions.
Building a sukkah in the city
You don't need a backyard to build a sukkah. City dwellers get creative, using balconies, rooftops, and terraces, as long as the spot is open to the sky above with nothing permanent overhead. Many apartment buildings and synagogues in cities like New York even offer shared or public sukkahs, so anyone without their own space can still take part in the week's meals and traditions.
A week built around hosting
Unlike a single-day holiday, Sukkot stretches across a full week of meals shared with family, friends, and neighbors in the sukkah, night after night. That makes it one of the most hospitality-driven holidays on the calendar, and it means there's a lot more opportunity to bring a gift along, whether you're the one hosting or the one showing up as a guest.
If you're headed to someone's sukkah for dinner, arriving with a thoughtful hosting gift is always a welcome gesture, and if you're the one hosting all week, a little help keeping the table stocked goes a long way too.
Celebrating Sukkot with Broadway Basketeers
At Broadway Basketeers, we can help you mark the harvest season and the spirit of hospitality that defines Sukkot with our collection of Kosher gourmet gift baskets. Here are a few options that fit the week beautifully:
Sunshine Citrus Fruit Basket
Sukkot is, at its heart, a harvest festival, and nothing captures that better than a basket of fresh fruit. Our Sunshine Citrus Fruit Basket is filled with navel oranges, ruby grapefruit, mandarins, lemons, and limes, a bright and seasonal gift that fits right in with the holiday's themes of gratitude for the season's bounty.
Ultimate Delights Gift Basket
If you're on your way to someone's sukkah for a night of dinner and conversation, showing up with a gift is always appreciated. Our Ultimate Delights Gift Basket is a generous, crowd-pleasing option that works well whether you're the guest or the one keeping the table stocked for a week of hosting.
Extravagant Wine Gift Tray
With meals shared night after night throughout Sukkot, a good bottle of wine is always a welcome addition to the table. Our Extravagant Wine Gift Tray makes for a wonderful host gift, pairing nicely with a week full of gatherings.
Every gift basket from Broadway Basketeers is 100% certified kosher (OK Kosher), so you can send Sukkot gifts to family, friends, and hosts with complete confidence and peace of mind.
Wishing You a Joyful Sukkot
Sukkot is a time of gratitude, togetherness, and welcoming others to the table, values that carry through every night of the holiday. Whether you're building your own sukkah, gathering as a guest, or simply sending a gift to someone celebrating the season, we hope this guide has helped.
From all of us at Broadway Basketeers, Chag Sameach, and wishing you a joyful and bountiful Sukkot.
