The Joy of Succot

Hi,

"Although there is a mitzvah of rejoicing on all holidays, there was an extra joy in the Temple on the holiday of Succot, as it is written, ‘And you shall rejoice before HaShem your Gd for seven days.’

"How did they do this? On the eve of the first Yom Tov they would establish a place for women above and men below in the Temple, to prevent the groups from mixing, and then they began to rejoice from the night following the first Yom Tov. On each day of Chol haMoed they would begin to celebrate after they brought the daily afternoon afternoon, for the duration of the day and the entire night."

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Yom Tov 8:12)

Good moed,
Mordechai