Simchat Torah is a one-day Jewish festival that celebrates the joy of the Jewish religion, and receiving the Torah from God. The festival concludes the nine-day Sukkot Festival.

The main celebration of Simchat Torah takes place in the synagogue during evening and morning services.

The date today on the Hebrew calendar is Tishri 23, 5771

Also on this day......

1 October: Harvest Home (Harvest meal)

Harvest Home was the taditional way of ending the harvest. The last load of corn was brought in with the harvester singing a Harvest Home song, then the farmer entertained everyone to a harvest feast.

1 October: Start of the Pudding Season in England

Traditionally the 1st October was the date on which the English pudding season started. These were filled with steak, leaks, mushrooms, spices and some were cooked for as long as sixteen hours.

1 October: National Day of the People's Republic of China

1 October : The first compact disc player, jointly developed by Sony, Philips and Polygram, went on sale. It cost $625 (more than $1,000 dollars in todays money)

1 October 1843: The first ever Harvest Festival was held on 1 October 1843 by Rev. Robert Hawker in his Anglican church at Morwenstow in Cornwall. He wanted people to say 'thank-you' to God for the harvest.

1 October 1870: The first official issue of the post card was made in Britain by the Post Office together with the introduction of the halfpenny postage stamp.

1 October 1908: The first Model T Ford was introduced by Henry Ford.

1 October 1971: Disney World opened

1 October 1974: American fast-food chain, McDonald's, opened its first British outlet in London.

1 October 2000: Last commercial Hover Craft flight across the English Channel.