I love your friend’s observation about Succos that lately “it’s becoming popular in the Northeast.” It’s been “popular” among observant Jews for thousands of years!!
In NO way is Succos related to the American holiday of Thanksgiving, which has its origins in the Pilgrims being grateful for surviving in the unsettled early America, save for the occasional approximate calendar coincidence. Since Jewish holidays are observed according to a lunar calendar, and secular holidays such as Thanksgiving are observed according to a Gregorian calendar, there is no set day corresponding to the “regular” calendar upon which they occur. They occur, however, on a set day on the Hebrew calendar.
Succos is a Jewish festival commemorating the 40 year sojourn in the wilderness following the exodus from slavery in Egypt as well as the harvest of the ripened produce. Jews are commanded to build and dwell in huts (Sukkahs) such as the Hebrew ex-slaves dwelt in during their 40 year journey. Meals are served in the Sukkah during the holiday, and the family’s men sleep out in the Sukkah if the weather permits.
There are no cornucopias, celebrations of “Harvest Home”, etc. which are associated with Succos. Those are symbols of other religions.
BTW, if your “Jewish blood” is from a maternal relative from whom you are directly descended, such as a grandmother, then you are, according to Jewish law, a Jew.
I know, I know Succos is not related to Thanksgiving!! I’m just relating what a friend said: that it was replacing Thanksgiving. It was a dumb thing to say and I didn’t answer her properly. I do think it is a beautiful holiday and it truly has become very popular in NYC. The city streets are decorated with booths, and folks are giving out glasses of wine and food! Just wonderful. But it’s a very new trend!
I’m so proud to find out about my Jewish ancestors. For some reason they converted to the Catholic faith. We don’t have a clue as to why they did that. One of my ancestors held found Texas!!!!!!!!
Also, people forget Thanksgiving’s origins in the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln instituted it to bring the country back together.