Sukkot Sales on Essex Street

Each Autumn, in the days leading up to the Jewish festival of Sukkot, many in the local Orthodox community set up shop along Essex Street to sell the Lulav, Etrog, Hadass, and Aravah, the “four species” used to help celebrate the holiday.  Yesterday afternoon, a handful of vendors were stationed in and around Essex/Rutgers Street competing for a seemingly slim consumer base.  People gathered around the long tables, and were busy haggling for the best price.  And there you have it, a thin slice of the old bargain district.

Sales will continue until just before sundown Friday night, when Sukkot officially begins and the unsold stock becomes nearly worthless.