Sukkot 2011

October 2011 Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Columbus Day Monday October 10 -13 years, -2 months, -12 days or -4822 days 11 12 13 Sukkot Thursday October 13 -13 years, -2 months, -9 days or -4819 days 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Halloween Day Monday October 31 -13 years, -1 months, -22 days or -4801 days

Sukkot for the year 2011 starts on Thursday, October 13th ending the 7 day festival on sundown Wednesday, October 19th. For the Jewish calendar night begins before day, thus the holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day on the evening of Wednesday, October 12th.

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 2011

Thursday, October 13th is day number 286 of the 2011 calendar year with -13 years, -2 months, -9 days until the start of the 7 day festival of Sukkot 2011.