Many Jewish Australians observe the first day of Sukkot (Succot, Succoth, Sukkoth), which is the start of the Sukkot period. This period, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, lasts for about seven days. It is observed during the week starting on 15th day of Tishri (or Tishrei), which is the first month of the year in the Jewish calendar.
Is First day of Sukkot a Public Holiday?
First day of Sukkot is not a public holiday. Businesses have normal opening hours.
A lemon-like fruit found on a citron tree is one of the Sukkot symbols.
Many Jewish Australians build a temporary booth known as the sukkah before the start of the Sukkot period, which lasts for about seven days. The sukkah is a temporary dwelling that reminds people about God’s protection over those who wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, a story described in the Torah. Some Australian Jewish businesses sell products such as portable sukkahs, decoration packs for sukkahs, and modular sukkahs.
The first day of Sukkot is kept like the Sabbath so some Jewish Australians may observe work restrictions. The rest of the days during the Sukkot period are days when work is permitted. Many Jewish people in Australia also make symbolic use of four kinds of plants known as the “four species”, which are said to represent Israel, the final harvest and the land’s fertility. Some Jewish student societies at universities hold activities that feature music, free fruit, and a sukkah to commemorate Sukkot.
Public Life
The first day of Sukkot is a not a nationwide public holiday in Australia. However, many Jewish businesses, schools and organizations may be closed or offer a reduced level of service.
Background
The Sukkot period is a time to remember the Jewish people’s wandering in the desert for 40 years following their exodus from Egypt, according to Jewish teachings. It is also a time to celebrate the grape harvest. Some sources claim that Sukkot lasts for about seven days while others state that it is an eight-day festival. The seventh day of Sukkot is known as Hoshana Rabbah while the eighth day is known as Shmini Atzeret and the day after is called Simchat Torah.
Symbols
An important Sukkot symbol is the sukkah. This is a temporary structure with a roof made of sechach or s'chach, which is raw, unfinished plant material, such as palm branches, bamboo poles, reeds or even corn stalks.
The “four species” are also important symbols of Sukkot and represent the blessings of nature. These are lulav (a green, closed frond of a date palm tree), hadass (twigs and leaves from a myrtle tree), aravah (twigs and leaves from a willow tree) and etrog (a lemon-like fruit of the citron tree).
Note: Jewish holidays begin at sundown the day before the date specified for the holiday.
Year
Weekday
Date
Name
Holiday Type
2016
Mon
Oct 17
First day of Sukkot
Jewish holiday
2017
Thu
Oct 5
First day of Sukkot
Jewish holiday
2018
Mon
Sep 24
First day of Sukkot
Jewish holiday
2019
Mon
Oct 14
First day of Sukkot
Jewish holiday
2020
Sat
Oct 3
First day of Sukkot
Jewish holiday
2021
Tue
Sep 21
First day of Sukkot
Jewish holiday
2022
Mon
Oct 10
First day of Sukkot
Jewish holiday
2023
Sat
Sep 30
First day of Sukkot
Jewish holiday
2024
Thu
Oct 17
First day of Sukkot
Jewish holiday
2025
Tue
Oct 7
First day of Sukkot
Jewish holiday
2026
Sat
Sep 26
First day of Sukkot
Jewish holiday
While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.