Enjoy Sukkot On the Go: Benefits of Traveling for Sukkot

Hello dear readers,
Some holidays on the Jewish calendar can feel slow and internal. The yamim noraim (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), for example, can feel very claustrophobic and cramped. Hanukkah is a joyous occasion, but it’s in the dead of winter and a lot of times you’re trapped indoors while a snowstorm rages outside (at least on the east coast – my cousin Louis describes a very different Hanukkah in San Diego, where he lives!). That’s why when the calendar gives you a holiday like Sukkot, you should take advantage – and get up and go!

This Sukkot, my family will be going away for a kosher Sukkot vacation at an amazing hotel. Part of the time we’ll be based at the hotel, where we’ll be eating in the sukkah (not the dining room!) and spending time by the pool and enjoying the other great facilities and amenities. However, we also plan to get up and go, to do day trips and explore the area. So whether you’re spending the week of Sukkot at a kosher hotel like us, or whether you’re enjoying the holiday on a staycation, here are a few good reasons to enjoy sukkot on the go:

1. SUKKOT, NATURE AND CHAG HA-ASIF. One of the names of Sukkot is “chag ha-asif”, the harvest festival. Obviously, today we don’t live in the same agricultural environment, and we aren’t all farming our own plot of land, but there’s still a value in spending the holiday in touch with nature. Our dwelling during this holiday is outdoors, in the sukkah, and you can also spend more time during Sukkot enjoying the outdoors, even if you’re not harvesting your grains like in older times.

2. FUN IN THE FALL. Similarly, Sukkot is a fall holiday, and it’s a good time to enjoy the cooling weather, before it gets way too cold to spend time outdoors. If you live on the east coast, you know the annual autumn traditions like going apple-picking or watching the leaves change color. Well, in the Jewish calendar there’s a lot of overlap between the autumn season and the High Holiday season, so while you might not get the chance to go apple-picking on Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashanah (even if you do eat apples in honey), Sukkot is definitely a good time to spend time outdoors before the winter snows and rains arrive.
More soon,
Ariella

Leisure Time Tours wants to help you create a memorable kosher Sukkot vacation. Contact us today at 708-528-0700.