Residents Set Up for Harvest Festival Sukkot

A rainy day Wednesday didn't stop preparations for Sukkot, a Jewish holiday known as the Feast of Tabernacles. The harvest holiday begins at sundown Wednesday and ends Oct. 19.

Throughout the Pikesville area, there were temporary huts—known singularly as sukkah, but plurally as sukkot—set outside at homes, apartments, synagogues and downtown businesses.

A sukkah represents a hut that Jews in Israel would erect at the edge of fields during harvest season. They had meals in the hut, ensuring they could spend as much time in the fields as possible, according to About.com.

Traditionally the huts are topped with tree branches. In Pikesville Wednesday afternoon, some sukkot already had branches atop.

The types of huts varied as well.

On a drive through town, I saw plastic or light-canvas ones in white, blue and a combination blue and yellow. Some were set on sidewalks, some on driveways, lawns and decks.

Sukkot styles vary, so we've posted some photos taken Wednesday.

Feel free to post photos of your own, or photos of your holiday meal inside.