Sukkot
f o u r  o b j e c t s

 As the sun sets on the close of Yom Kippur and the meal to break the fast is concluded, the building of the sukkah booth begins in commemoration of the Pilgrim Festival of Sukkot, also called the Festival of Tabernacles or Festival of Booths. This holiday is a time for thanking God for bringing the Israelites through the wilderness to the Land of Milk and Honey. The people are commanded to spend seven days in a temporary structure as a reminder of the desert wanderings. The booth or tabernacle is to be made of wood, branches, and twigs, and hung with fruits and vegetables. The sides are often decorated with paper cut decorations and, among the Hasidim, a plaque of liturgy relating to the Ushpizin is also hung.

            Sukkot is a time for thanking God for the harvest and requires a number of artifacts to aid in the performance of required ritual. The symbols of the celebration are the lulov (comprised of a branch of the date palm, three little branches of myrtle, and two willow branches), bound together. The lulov is held and blessed along with an etrog (the fruit of the citron), which is kept in a special etrog container. In many communities of Jews, there were no artisans, so families would select a suitably shaped box, or bowl, either oval or rectangular, to house the etrog for the year until it was replaced by the new one. Wonderful containers of silver, olive wood, coconut shells, and the like have inspired many collectors of Judaica.