Sukkot, the joyful Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, begins at sundown on Friday, September 25, 2026 and runs for seven days through nightfall on October 2. Coming just days after Yom Kippur, it turns the autumn festival season from solemn to celebratory. Follow the live Sukkot countdown for the exact days and hours remaining.
When is Sukkot 2026?
Sukkot starts on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, five days after Yom Kippur. In 2026 the holiday begins at sundown on September 25, with the first full day on September 26. As with every Jewish holiday, observance starts the evening before the calendar date. The week flows directly into Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah at its close.
What Sukkot celebrates
The festival recalls the forty years the Israelites spent wandering the desert after the Exodus, sheltering in temporary huts, and it doubles as an ancient harvest thanksgiving. The Torah calls it "the season of our rejoicing" — a deliberate release of joy after the introspection of the High Holy Days that begin with Rosh Hashanah and peak at Yom Kippur.
How Sukkot is celebrated
- The sukkah — a temporary hut roofed with branches and open to the sky, where families eat, host guests and sometimes sleep.
- The four species — the lulav (palm, myrtle and willow) and the etrog (a citron), waved together during festive blessings.
- Hospitality and meals — friends and neighbours are welcomed into the sukkah across the week.
- Hoshanah Rabbah — the seventh day, marked by special prayers and processions.
Count down to Sukkot
Open the live Sukkot 2026 countdown for the exact time to the first night, browse more festival countdowns, or create your own countdown to share with family and friends.