Sukkot 2027: the Feast of Tabernacles
Just days after Yom Kippur, Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, changes the mood completely: now it is time for joy. For seven days, meals are eaten in a sukkah, a hut roofed with branches, and the four species are waved each morning. The festival continues with Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, when people dance with the Torah scrolls. Here are the dates of Sukkot, what it means, its traditions and its food, from the hut in the garden to the celebrations in synagogue.
When is Sukkot in 2027?
2027
From the evening of Friday 15 October until nightfall on Friday, 22 October 2027
in 342 days
2028
From the evening of Wednesday 4 October until nightfall on Wednesday, 11 October 2028
Every holiday begins at sunset the evening before and ends at nightfall; dates shown are those observed outside Israel, with Israel’s dates noted where they differ.
What Sukkot means
Sukkot recalls the temporary shelters the Israelites lived in during their forty years in the desert after leaving Egypt. It is also a harvest festival, celebrating the autumn ingathering, and one of the three pilgrimage festivals, alongside Passover and Shavuot, when people once went up to the Temple in Jerusalem. The liturgy calls it “the season of our rejoicing”. The sukkah, fragile and open to the sky, is a reminder of how precarious life is, and of trust. At the end of the festival comes Shemini Atzeret, a day of closure when the prayer for rain begins. Simchat Torah, “rejoicing in the Torah”, celebrates finishing the annual cycle of readings and immediately starting again; in Israel both fall on the same day, while in the diaspora they span two days.
Sukkot traditions
Many families build a sukkah in a garden, a courtyard or on a balcony, with a roof of branches or bamboo sparse enough to see the stars through, then decorate it with fruit, paper chains and children’s drawings. Meals are eaten there, guests are welcomed there, and some even sleep there. Every day except Shabbat, the lulav, a palm frond bound with myrtle and willow, is waved together with the etrog, a citron. Tradition also invites symbolic guests, the ushpizin, biblical figures welcomed one each evening. The intermediate days, chol hamoed, are more relaxed and perfect for family outings. On Simchat Torah, the congregation circles the synagogue seven times, dancing with the Torah scrolls; children join in, and it is often the most joyful service of the year.
Sukkot food
Sukkot cooking celebrates the harvest: autumn vegetables, fruit and slow-cooked dishes that are easy to carry out to the sukkah. In Ashkenazi homes, stuffed cabbage is a classic of the holiday, alongside strudel and apple cakes. Sephardic families love stuffed vegetables, courgettes, peppers or onions, and vegetable couscous. Anything that is easy to share works well, since there are always guests in the sukkah.
Sukkot as a couple
Sukkot is the festival of hospitality: you invite people into your sukkah and visit theirs. For a new couple, it is a gentle way to get to know each other’s circle, friends, neighbours and family, over relaxed meals. Building a sukkah together, decorating it and choosing whom to invite can become a first shared tradition. And Simchat Torah, with its infectious joy, is a lovely time to discover your partner’s community.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Sukkot last?
Sukkot lasts seven days and is followed by Shemini Atzeret. In Israel, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah fall on the same day; in the diaspora they take up two days, and the opening days of Sukkot are also doubled.
What is a sukkah?
It is a temporary hut whose roof is made of cut plant material, such as branches, bamboo or leaves, leaving a little sky visible. Meals are eaten in it during the festival, in memory of the shelters in the desert.
What are the four species?
The lulav, a palm frond, together with myrtle, willow and the etrog, a citron. They are held together and waved during the festival services, except on Shabbat.
What is the difference between Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah?
Shemini Atzeret is the closing day of the autumn festivals, when the prayer for rain is added. Simchat Torah celebrates finishing and restarting the Torah reading. In Israel they share one day; in the diaspora, Simchat Torah follows Shemini Atzeret.
Someone to invite into your sukkah?
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