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Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year for people of the Jewish faith. It is observed with a 25-hour fast, prayer and day-long synagogue attendance. Services include private and public confessions of guilt to ask God for forgiveness and a better fortune in the next year.
On Yom Kippur, Jews observe the Five Prohibitions, which include not eating or drinking; not wearing leather shoes; not bathing or washing; not anointing oneself with oil, perfume, jewelry or makeup; and not engaging in marital relations.
It begins Friday night and continues with multiple services Saturday until a ram’s horn or shofar is blown to signify the end of the ceremony when stars emerge at night.
The second of the Jewish High Holidays, Yom Kippur comes 10 days after Rosh Hashanah, which marks the new year.
Rosh Hashanah has also been called the “day of judgment,” a time for reflection before Yom Kippur, the “day of atonement.”
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