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Ethereal in the Park

Celebrating the Season

Sukkot is one of the 3 major festivals in Judaism, and is both an agricultural festival of thanksgiving and a commemoration of the 40-year period during which, the children of Israel wandered in the desert after leaving slavery in Egypt, living in temporary shelters as they traveled.

Sukkot is known as “the Time of our Happiness.” When reaching Sukkot, those who observe move from the introspective and solemn mindset of the High Holidays to unbridled joy. You might see some interesting plants around this time. These are the Arba’at Haminim, or the Four Species, used to “rejoice before God.”

The lulav is made up of three of these plants—a long, swordlike palm branch flanked by willow and myrtle branches and bound together with dried palm leaves. The fourth of the species is the fragrant etrog, which is a citrus fruit and looks like a bumpy lemon. With the Four Species in hand, one recites a blessing and waves or shakes the species in all 6 directions (east, south, west, north, up and down). Moving the plants in all directions symbolizes that God is everywhere in the universe—above, below, and in every direction on Earth. The four different plants represent different types of people coming together as one community. Shaking them acts as a physical prayer of gratitude for the harvest, rain, and the gifts of life.