In August of 1969 (six years before I was born), some 500,000 progressive young people gathered at Max Yasgur's dairy farm for three days (which turned into four) of music, celebration and camping--or as the official event poster proclaimed, "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music", which became an icon and cultrual touchstone for the "hippy generation" of the 1960's.
The festival of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) is an annual event where progressive people of all ages* gather in sukkot (plural of sukkah, or booths) for 8 days of music, celebration** and camping (as the official literature*** proclaims), which remains an standard and cultural touchstone for Yahveh's people since it was first divinely ordained several thousand years ago.
* progressive in that they believe God's commandments are just as relevant in today's culture(s) as they were when they were first instructed at Sinai.
** or as my Rabbi advised per his translation of the passage: "Spin in circles, dance, leap and shout for joy like a drunkard; have a barbeque." What's not to love about that?
*** (Leviticus 23:33-36) YHVH said to Moishe, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month YHVH’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. For seven days present food offerings to YHVH, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to YHVH. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work. AND (Leviticus 23:39-43) "So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to YHVH for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest. On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before YHVH Eloheinu for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to YHVH for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am YHVH Eloheinu.”
Okay, actually the events don't really have much in common at all, but as I was doing some study on Sukkot leading up to the festival (which begins tonight at sundown and continues through 8 days), the original Woodstock poster got in my head and I couldn't get rid of it. So as a result, I had to make this goofy post to explain how I arrived at these posters--or what it may have looked like if there were event posters for the celebration of Sukkot.
Read more about the Biblical instruction and traditions which have been added to Sukkot here.
Read more about the Four Species (a Sukkot tradition), which are featured in my posters here.
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