The weather is still comfortable enough in most places to be outdoors right after dark. There is a fun family devotional you can do to take advantage of it.
The Jewish holiday of Sukkot is celebrated on October 16 this year. It may sound a bit strange for a Christian parenting blog to suggest your family should celebrate a Jewish holiday, but there is actually a lot we can learn from them (not to mention Jesus and the Apostles celebrated them).
Sukkot may be more familiar to you as the Festival of Booths. It involves building a booth of usually three walls using natural materials. The wall of a building can be one of the walls, but the “roof” of your booth should be natural materials. Spaces between branches is nice, because it makes it easier to see the moon and stars.
Bring out some blankets and get comfortable inside your booth. Historically families sat in their booths as the children were told the stories of the Torah and how God protected the Israelites. For Christians, it points to Jesus – especially through the story of that first Passover in Exodus. Ask your children for the parallels as you tell them the story.
Sukkot actually lasts several nights. Modern Jews have specific readings from the Torah (first five books of our Old Testament) and Ecclesiastes. If you want to cover them all with your children, you can find lists of the scriptures online. As you read the various passages, ask your children how God cared for the Israelites then how Jesus cared for the world in his day and how God/Jesus cares for us today.
While there are no specific foods eaten during Sukkot, many families have traditions of eating stuffed peppers or cabbage, challah bread, kugel, tzimmes, kreplach and fava bean soup. You can find recipes online and take your feast to eat outside, too.
Have fun with it, but take advantage of the opportunity to teach your children some important scriptures and how God continues to care for us today.