NOTE: This article is also in the September/October 2022 Issue 8 of Torah Sisters Magazine. Get it quick while it’s still available in print!

While many of us go away for the Feast of Tabernacles, there are lots of Hebrews who stay home to celebrate the Feast. Below are ideas that Torah Sisters have submitted of fun, meaningful and “feasty” things to do at home.

Each year we put together a schedule/sign-up sheet to cover each day of Sukkot. A different person hosts each day at their home. The host gives direction on how to handle the food, i.e., themed, informal, or host provided. This is a time of double blessing as everyone gets to enjoy the hospitality of others’ sukkahs, and the hosts are blessed with ushpizim! -Tina

On the first night of Sukkot, our family hosts a party for our congregation using the facility where we meet. We start the night with a few songs and a short message followed by an informal dinner with lots of fellowshipping. Then, to close out the evening, we all head outside to the sukkah, where we read the account of Yeshua’s birth from one of the gospels, sing happy birthday to Yeshua and enjoy birthday cake together. -Tina

Sukkot is an excellent time to catch up with friends if your schedule allows it. You can offer a simple sampling of cookies (store-bought will do) and a cup of tea, or whatever your preference. If you want to provide something more substantial while still keeping it simple, find a cup of hearty soup accompanied by some nice bread to make a simple sukkah meal. -Tina

We have lots of different fun activities each year. One year we did wilderness survival skills activities like building a fire from scratch, building shelters, and making rope out of tree bark. Other years we have done corn mazes, lots of sports (kickball, dodgeball, basketball, etc) geocaching, scavenger hunts, board games, airsoft, outdoor movies, and many more. We also have praise and worship around the campfire, dancing, lots of fellowship, and food. -Michelle

We do crafts such as painting Shabbat candles, making 12 tribes banners and painting sukkah pictures. -Lisa

I invite people who don’t know Sukkot to join me!! I’m new as well, switched over about 4 years ago. I was raised Lutheran and am now following God’s appointed Holy days! -Sharon

We do a daily challenge with fun things for the children to do. -Shaine

Some ideas I thought of are to go goofy golfing, have a contest by making and decorating graham cracker sukkah, with kosher marshmallow s’mores after the sukkah crackers! Go apple picking. We usually go to brunch at the only place we know of with beef bacon that is a super special treat! Even though we don’t know for sure when our Messiah was born, we always throw a “birthday party” for Yeshua on the first day! The kids decorate cupcakes and we sing happy birthday as part of our first day of Sukkot celebrations. The kids blow their toy shofars and this is always one of their favorite parts of the week! -Jessica

I decorate with fall harvest corn husks, hay bales, and squash. We sleep and eat outside, wave palm branches, and blow the shofar. -Kaylene

Many of the things we do have already been mentioned for the little ones such as making a Sukkah out of Graham crackers, Sukkah coloring and activity packages. We also live on the property and have hiked to identify edible and medicinal plants. Invite others for outdoor cookouts. Outdoor games such as horseshoes, paintball, and tug of war. The bottom line is to go technology free and spend time with family and friends. Praise YAH! -Ann

We have a structure built outside and plan activities all day. Sometimes we go to a different house each day. This year we are preparing to camp out at a temple set up with grills, etc. We are blessed to have a nice spot and a kitchen and bathrooms… I love praise and worship outside with shofars, flags, and dancing. -Linda

We always have a huge bbq and smoke briskets! There are lots of fireworks on the last great day and one year we also projected a movie on the wall of the barn for a movie night – we were camping at the family farm. -Kayte

We always make gingerbread Sukkahs which my boys love, decorate, do crafts and eat dinner under our sukkah outside nightly. We gather with our congregation/local congregations and celebrate by waving the lulav, worshipping, blowing shofars, etc. -Audrey

.Outdoor movies! We have a big projector set up and invite friends and neighbors to take part (which always prompts good discussions about our sukkah and camping tents) -Sarah

We put up a backyard sukkah and invite your neighbors. -Andi

We make mini sukkahs out of popsicle sticks and then decorated them with flowers/leaves/etc. -Deeleigh

We do outdoor scavenger hunts for the kids by finding acorns, leaves, sticks, etc. We also enjoy a variety of s’mores over the campfire, make nature art and decorate our sukkah, create tie-dye t-shirts outside (which makes a great keepsake), have relay races for the kids outside, and go for hikes! -Lauren