(Feast of Booths) Observance begins at sundown. An eight-day Jewish festival of booths (or tabernacles) and the fall harvest. The name refers to the booths (sukkot) used by Israelites during desert wanderings and conscructed in the fields during the harvest season. It is a time of thanksgiving for God's presence in creation and among the Jewish people. The Eighth Day (Shemini Atzeret) is considered both the end of Sukkot and a distinct festival.