What part do you play in the annual hut-fest? Builder? Helper? Decorator? or just dweller? I build the thing every year. Its a big job, too. For reasons I won't disclose it takes me and two helpers about 5 hours to take it out of storage, drag it to the deck/patio/porch and put it up. In the old days, I did it alone, and 7 hours of work (over three days) wasn't unsual. The kids decorate. My wife cooks. (Don't cluck your tounges disaprovingly: She rocks at it, and enjoys cooking the way you feminists enjoy not shaving your legs.)
What's your favorite part of the holiday? The drinking. A fine burbon in a chilly sukka is one of my most favorite things. I also like the soups. The wife does a different one each night. This year we had mushroon barley on the first night, and hamburger/vegetable on the second. I should also say that I like Hallel, and Birchas Kohanim, though neither are unique to sukkos. Hoshana Rabba done right (by which I mean "the way I like it") is also a small pleasure. If the right mixture of men, liquor and music/conversation is present the Simchas Bes Hashoeva, traditionaly held on the second night, can also be wonderful.
Least favorite? Building the sukka (see above). I also loath and despise sfard style nah-nuim, which are done in a fasion that strikes me as disorganized and contrary to the communal spirit of the hallel. Also, Sefardim don't use that neat, haunted, old-sounding chant for Hodu. Another thing I hate is this bogus idea that the arba minim have "spiritual" qualities, and that they are used "like an attenna" to (mixed metaphor alert) "soak up spiritual energies." This is another of those meangingless sentences Jews use to let you know they haven't thought the matter through.
Decoration preferences? (Homemade kids' art, fancy/elegant sukkah, tacky plastic crap? Do you guys change it up every year or do more or less the same look every year?) The dominant decorative theme is Stuff the Kids Made. We keep things they've made from year to year, so currently identical first grade projects hang side by side on the North Wall (the kids all had the same teacher, so they all made the same thing.) In past years, we've used the tacky plastic crap, too, though this year we've finally made a move to spruce things up a little. The motiff this year is Stuff the Kids Made with Tacky Crap We Like and (this the new bit) Fall Foilage.
Anything else you want to know? Send me an email.
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