Five days after Yom Kippur, a feast is celebrated in memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and their wanderings for 40 years in the wilderness before reaching Palestine. This is called Succoth. During their wanderings, the Jews had to live in booths (succoth, plural of succah, a booth). To commemorate the wanderings, Jews construct booths.
A joyful holiday atmosphere prevails during the observance of the festival for 9 days. The pious have their meals and spend their prayer times in the shelter of the booths or huts, the roofs covered with leafy branches and twigs, decorated with coconuts and flowers through which the stars are visible. The Liturgy includes the waving of four kinds of branches, the palm, the myrtle, the willow and the citron, each day in the morning service, except on the Sabbath. The congregation moves around in a procession, Hakkafah, bearing the four branches, while the Hoshana (Save us) hymn is recited.
