The Jewish holiday of Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, is meant to bring joy to all those who celebrate, but this year brought some added travel advisories for passengers visiting the U.S. The holiday, which in English translates to 'booths,' began last Wednesday and ends on Thursday.
Sukkot commemorates a time when the Israelites wandered through the desert during their 40 year exodus from Ancient Egypt. At that time, the Jews were forced to live in temporary shelters, or huts, known as sukkahs.
The festival is meant as a celebration of the harvest, as fruits such as pomegranates, are eaten in sukkahs. These fruits have helped to sustain the Jewish people both then and now. A sukkah has at least three walls.
As part of the Law, Jews are commanded to take and prepare four plants, the etrog, lulav, hadas and arava. Etrog is the citrus, the lulav is a pam tree; the hadas is a branch from a myrtle tree, and the arava is a willow branch. To prepare the species, as they are called, the lulav is first bound together with the hadas and aravah. The lulav then is placed in the center, and the two aravah branches are placed to the left, with the three hadas boughs placed to the right. Prayers are also recited.
While walking near Central Park in Manhattan in late September, a New Yorker may bump into Moshe and Asher greeting those who wish to mark the holiday with its customs and prayers.
Before the holiday began last week, U.S. authorities issued travel guidelines for those bringing the four species onboard, HaAretz reported.
"TSA's screening procedures do not prohibit the carrying of the four plants used during Sukkot - a palm branch, myrtle twigs, willow twigs, and a citron - in airports, through or security checkpoints, or on airplanes," the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement.
Despite these travel advisories, Sukkot is seen as one of most joyous Jewish holidays of the year.
