Lulav and Etrog

I was hoping to share photos of my "dream sukkah" with you.  (I blogged about that here.) But, the money set aside for the sukkah was spent on oral surgery (!) and my dream sukkah will have to wait until next year. (This year we just borrowed a nylon snap together sukkah--trust me it's not blog worthy!)

So instead, let's talk about the lulav and etrog...an important part of the holiday of sukkot.

 PHOTO: SHAFFER/SMITH 

This combination of palm, willow, and myrtle branches, along with a yellow etrog, are shaken each day of Sukkot along with blessings. 

The four species represent different parts of the human body: the etrog is the heart; the straight palm is the sturdy spine of the Jewish people; the rounded myrtle leaf is the eye and the willow leaf is the mouth. This symbolism reminds us to serve God with every part of our being. There are many other symbols for the lulav and etrog, which you can read more about here.

We've have a few days of rain but mostly beautiful weather in the 60's to enjoy meals with friends. How is your holiday?