Sukkot 2008

October 2008 Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Columbus Day Monday October 13 -16 years, -1 months, -9 days or -5884 days 14 Sukkot Tuesday October 14 -16 years, -1 months, -8 days or -5883 days 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Halloween Day Friday October 31 -16 years -22 days or -5866 days

Sukkot for the year 2008 starts on Tuesday, October 14th ending the 7 day festival on sundown Monday, October 20th. For the Jewish calendar night begins before day, thus the holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day on the evening of Monday, October 13th.

Sukkot is a seven day Jewish festival with the first day starting on the 15th day of the first month on the Jewish calendar called Tishri. This festival season is not a public holiday but many Jewish businesses and schools may have reduced hours. Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are celebrated the next consecutive 2 days after Sukkot with Simchat Torah ending the annual cycle of bible readings.

Why do Jewish holidays start at nighttime?

According to the Torah, the story of creation in Genesis says “And it was evening, and it was morning day one”, “And it was evening, and it was morning; the second day”, thus night comes before day. So for the Jewish calendar all days begin at nightfall and end the next day at nightfall including holidays.

Days to the start of Sukkot 2008

Tuesday, October 14th is day number 288 of the 2008 calendar year with -16 years, -1 month, -8 days until the start of the 7 day festival of Sukkot 2008.