Sukkot follows the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur season in the Jewish holiday cycle.
Rosh Hashanah begins the Ten Days of Repentance, a period that culminates in Yom Kippur on 10 Tishrei. Sukkot then begins on 15 Tishrei, only a few days later, making it the next major festival in this autumn sequence. It is a seven-day holiday, followed by Shemini Atzeret and, outside Israel, Simchat Torah.
Sukkot is both agricultural and historical. It is associated with the autumn harvest and commemorates the Israelites’ years in the wilderness, when they lived under divine protection. Its best-known practice is dwelling in a sukkah, or temporary booth. The Four Species—lulav, hadass, aravah, and etrog—are also central holiday symbols.
Purim, Passover, and Shavuot are major Jewish festivals, but they occur elsewhere in the annual cycle. Passover and Shavuot belong to the spring period, while Purim falls in the month of Adar.