Chol Hamoed

Chol Hamoed is the four-day middle period of Sukkot, a stretch that loosens some holiday restrictions without becoming ordinary working time. For the narrator, its arrival also means the prospect of a family outing and a welcome day with her cousin Mimi.

Place in the Holiday

Sukkot is a long holiday, but its four Chol Hamoed days are described as comparatively nonceremonious. The narrator explains that there are no laws against driving or spending money on those days, while work is still prohibited. The combination gives the period a distinct rhythm: less formally restricted than the surrounding holiday, yet set apart from an ordinary weekday.

Family Outings

Because most people use Chol Hamoed for family trips, the narrator expects to accompany her cousins. The previous year, the family went to Coney Island; this year, Mimi says they will go ice-skating in the park. Mimi is one of the cousins who treats the narrator kindly, and the prospect of spending the day with her gives the outing personal significance.

The Day Begins

After two restless days helping Bubby serve holiday meals—carrying trays between the kitchen and the sukkah—the narrator is ready when Chol Hamoed arrives. Mimi comes to collect her in the morning. Following Mimi’s instructions, the narrator wears thick tights with socks over them, a heavy sweater, puffy mittens, and a hat. The layers leave her feeling swollen and awkward beside Mimi’s elegant charcoal wool coat and velvet gloves, making the outing begin with a vivid contrast between careful preparation for the cold and the narrator’s self-consciousness.