Sukkot began on October 4th and ends the evening of October 11th What to do with this wonderful week ahead of you? As Anita Diamant says, “Sukkot is an opportunity and excuse for a seven-day picnic.” Here are a few things you can try to bring the holiday to life. Eat one or more meals outside. Decorate your eating area with fall leaves, branches, little pumpkins, squash, apples, and other harvest symbols. Plan a family outing to a farmer’s market to find recently harvested fruits and veggies. Make a harvest-themed centerpiece; simply group your farmer’s market finds with … [Read more...]
Outdoor Lovers Love Sukkot
This year, a new friend asked me when I got to be an outdoor lover. Had to think about that for a moment. And then I realized that I was part of the generation of kids who stayed outside until the streetlights came on. We played in the woods, on the hills, riding our bikes or metal skates (the kind where you needed a skate key) anywhere we wanted to go. As a teen, I went to Jewish camps where the connection with nature was tangible. Friday evenings started with outdoor services; after dinner, we trudged through the woods to an open setting where enormous bonfires were set up. We sang … [Read more...]
Inspiration for Sukkot Fun
Sukkot 2016 starts the evening of Sunday, October 16th. I love fall, nature, excuses to be outside, and autumn harvest foods. So it’s no wonder that I love Sukkot. If you don’t have the luxury of being able to build your own sukkah, there are still 100s of ways to celebrate. To inspire you, here are just a few: Colorful Sukkot Recipes Apple Cider Glazed Sweet Potatoes Easy Roasted Red Pepper Soup from kosherlikeme.com Mini-Sukkah Crafts Build a Mini Sukkah for Sukkot from Tori Avey Instant Edible Sukkah from BibleBeltBalabosta More Family-Friendly … [Read more...]
Building Anticipation for Sukkot
“Is It Sukkot Yet?” is a brand new hard cover book by Chris Barash, pictures by Alessandra Psacharopulo designed for young children, 3-6. With a focus on all the senses, the story uses an echoing of the phrase, “Sukkot is on its way,” as it shares the tale of a family in a pastoral setting getting ready for the holiday. With lovely stylized images on each page – from gardens and fences, to trees and birds, squirrels and dogs, wagons, and so on, the color palette is all about fall, with lots of reds, oranges, browns, greens, golds. Because of the short amount of copy on each page (some of … [Read more...]
Sukkot – “Excuse for a 7-Day Picnic”
“Sukkot is an opportunity and excuse for a seven-day picnic.” – Anita Diamant [Here’s one of our favorite blog posts from the past, edited for 2015] If you’re a nature lover, the holiday of Sukkot is tailor-made for you. And because the festival lasts from sunset on Sunday, September 27 through nightfall Sunday, October 4, you have lots of time to celebrate. During this annual harvest festival, we sometimes eat meals – and even sleep – in temporary outdoor structures called “sukkot” (singular: sukkah). What if you don’t have a traditional sukkah? No worries. There are still lots … [Read more...]