Jews are celebrating Sukkot, a 7-day holiday intended as a time of joy

Jews are celebrating Sukkot, a 7-day holiday intended as a time of joy Updated 14 mins ago Sukkot, the Jewish holiday celebrating the traditional gathering of the harvest, has begun. It began at sundown Monday, Oct. 6 and continues through Monday, Oct. 13. Sukkot is considered one of the most joyful festivals on the Jewish calendar — distinctive in that it explicitly encourages Jews to rejoice and discourages public mourning. This year, the first full day of Sukkot falls on Oct. 7 — the second anniversary of Hamas’ 2023 attack on southern Israel that left more than 1,200 people dead and many others taken hostage.