In Israel, the First Day of Sukkot is observed as a holy day with sukkah meals, synagogue prayers, and the waving of the Four Species, marking the beginning of a week of joy, gratitude and community celebrations. It blends the ancient biblical tradition of desert remembrance and harvest thanksgiving with modern Israeli culture.

When is the First Day of Sukkot?

The First Day of Sukkot in Israel is on the 6th of Sivan in the Hebrew calendar (usually late May or early June).

The following is the list of the First Day of Sukkot from 2020 to 2049.

The History of the First Day of Sukkot?

Sukkot is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals commanded in the Torah, alongside Passover and Shavuot. The Torah instructs that on the 15th of Tishrei, Israelites should observe a seven-day festival.

It had a dual purpose: agricultural (a harvest festival at the end of the year, celebrating the ingathering of crops) and historical (commemorating the Israelites' 40 years of wandering in the desert, when they lived in temporary shelters (sukkot)).

During the First Temple and Second Temple periods, Sukkot was one of the major pilgrimage festivals. Israelites traveled to Jerusalem to bring sacrifices and participate in ceremonies.

The First Day of Sukkot was treated as a holy convocation (Yom Tov) with no labor permitted, sacrifices offered and rituals performed at the Temple.

After the destruction of the Second Temple, the pilgrimage and sacrificial aspects could no longer be performed.

After the founding of Israel in 1948, Sukkot regained its public, national dimension. The First Day continues to be observed as a holy day in religious communities, but it also launches a nationwide cultural period:

The holiday week is filled with festivals, concerts, parades, and tourism. In Israel, Sukkot is 7 days long, so the first day (15 Tishrei) and the last day (Shemini Atzeret) are the primary festival days.

After the founding of Israel in 1948, Sukkot regained its public, national dimension. The First Day continues to be observed as a holy day in religious communities, but it also launches a nationwide cultural period.