Shemini Atzeret

Rare card · No. 49156

Shemini Atzeret (שְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת—"Eighth [day] of Assembly") is a Jewish holiday. It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, which usually coincides with late September or early October. It directly follows the festival of Sukkot, which is celebrated for seven days; thus, Shemini Atzeret is literally the eighth day [of assembly]. It is a separate—yet connected—holy day devoted to the spiritual aspects of the festival of Sukkot. Part of its duality as a holy day is that it is simultaneously considered connected to Sukkot and a separate festival in its own right. Outside of Israel, this is further complicated by the additional day added to all biblical holidays except Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Shemini Atzeret is thus sometimes wrongly regarded as the eighth day of Sukkot outside the Land of Israel, leading to sometimes involved analysis as to which practices of each holiday are to apply. The celebration of Simchat Torah is the most distinctive feature of the holiday...

Read on Wikipedia