Yom Kippur - wikipedia Yom Kippur This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( September 2018 ) For the war, see Yom Kippur War. Yom Kippur Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur, by Maurycy Gottlieb ( 1878 ) Observed by Jews, Samaritans, some Christian groups Type Jewish Significance Atonement for personal and national sins, fate of each person is sealed for the upcoming year Observances Fasting, prayer, abstaining from physical pleasures, refraining from work Date 10th day of Tishrei 2017 date Sunset, 29 September -- nightfall, 30 September 2018 date Sunset, 18 September -- nightfall, 19 September 2019 date Sunset, 8 October -- nightfall, 9 October 2020 date Sunset, 27 September -- nightfall, 28 September Related to Rosh Hashanah, which precedes Yom Kippur Part of a series on Judaism Movements Orthodox Haredi Hasidic Modern Conservative Reform Karaite Reconstructionist Renewal Humanistic Haymanot Philosophy Principles of faith Kabbalah Messiah Ethics Chosenness Names of God Musar movement Texts Tanakh Torah Nevi'im Ketuvim Ḥumash Siddur Piyutim Zohar Rabbinic Mishnah Talmud Midrash Tosefta Law Mishneh Torah Tur Shulchan Aruch Mishnah Berurah Aruch HaShulchan Kashrut Tzniut Tzedakah Niddah Noahide laws Holy cities / places Jerusalem Safed Hebron Tiberias Synagogue Beth midrash Mikveh Sukkah Chevra kadisha Holy Temple Tabernacle Important figures Abraham Isaac Jacob Moses Aaron David Solomon Sarah Rebecca Rachel Leah Rabbinic sages Chazal Tannaim Amoraim Savoraim Geonim Rishonim Acharonim Religious roles Rabbi Rebbe Posek Hazzan Dayan Rosh yeshiva Mohel Kohen Culture and education Brit Pidyon haben Bar and Bat Mitzvah Marriage Bereavement Yeshiva Kolel Cheder Ritual objects Sefer Torah Tallit Tefillin Tzitzit Kippah Mezuzah Menorah Shofar Four species Etrog Lulav Hadass Arava Kittel Gartel Prayers Shema ( Sh'ma ) Amidah Aleinu Kaddish Minyan Birkat Hamazon Shehecheyanu Hallel Havdalah Tachanun Kol Nidre Selichot ( S'lichot ) Major holidays Rosh Hashana Yom Kippur Sukkot Pesach Shavuot Other religions Judaism and Christianity Hinduism Islam Abrahamic religions Judeo - Christian Pluralism Related topics Jews Zionism Israel Criticism Antisemitism Anti-Judaism Holocaust theology Music Jesus Muhammad Judaism portal Yom Kippur ( / ˌjɒm kɪˈpʊər, ˌjɔːm ˈkɪpər, ˌjoʊm - / ; Hebrew : יוֹם כִּיפּוּר ‬, IPA : ( ˈjom kiˈpuʁ ), or יום הכיפורים ‬ ), also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jewish people traditionally observe this holy day with an approximate 25 - hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services. Contents 1 Etymology 2 Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur 2.1 Heavenly books opened 3 Prayer service 4 Observance 4.1 Preceding day 4.2 General observances 4.3 Eve 4.4 Prayer services 4.5 Repentance ( Teshuva ) and confessional ( Vidui ) 4.6 Avodah : remembering the Temple service 4.7 Date of Yom Kippur 5 In the Torah 5.1 Midrashic interpretation 6 Mishnaic and Talmudic literature 6.1 Temple service 7 Observance in Israel 8 Observance by athletes 9 Related observances in other religions 10 Recognition by the United Nations 11 Modern scholarship 12 See also 13 References 14 External links Etymology Yom means `` day '' in Hebrew and Kippur comes from a root that means `` to atone ''. Yom Kippur is usually expressed in English as `` Day of Atonement ''. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Yom Kippur is `` the tenth day of ( the ) seventh month '' ( Tishrei ) and is regarded as the `` Sabbath of Sabbaths ''. Rosh Hashanah ( referred to in the Torah as Yom Teruah ) is the first day of that month according to the Hebrew calendar. On this day forgiveness of sins is also asked of God. Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in Judaism as the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im ( `` Days of Awe '' ) that commences with Rosh Hashanah. Heavenly books opened According to Jewish tradition, God inscribes each person 's fate for the coming year into a book, the Book of Life, on Rosh Hashanah, and waits until Yom Kippur to `` seal '' the verdict. During the Days of Awe, a Jew tries to amend his or her behavior and seek forgiveness for wrongs done against God ( bein adam leMakom ) and against other human beings ( bein adam lechavero ). The evening and day of Yom Kippur are set aside for public and private petitions and confessions of guilt ( Vidui ). At the end of Yom Kippur, one hopes that they have been forgiven by God. Prayer service The Yom Kippur prayer service includes several unique aspects. One is the actual number of prayer services. Unlike a regular day, which has three prayer services ( Ma'ariv, the evening prayer ; Shacharit, the morning prayer ; and Mincha, the afternoon prayer ), or a Shabbat or Yom Tov, which have four prayer services ( Ma'ariv ; Shacharit ; Mussaf, the additional prayer ; and Mincha ), Yom Kippur has five prayer services ( Ma'ariv ; Shacharit ; Musaf ; Mincha ; and Ne'ilah, the closing prayer ). The prayer services also include private and public confessions of sins ( Vidui ) and a unique prayer dedicated to the special Yom Kippur avodah ( service ) of the Kohen Gadol ( high priest ) in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Observance As one of the most culturally significant Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur is observed by many secular Jews who may not observe other holidays. Many secular Jews attend synagogue on Yom Kippur -- for many secular Jews the High Holy Days are the only times of the year during which they attend synagogue -- causing synagogue attendance to soar. Preceding day Erev Yom Kippur ( lit. `` eve ( of ) day ( of ) atonement '' ) is the day preceding Yom Kippur, corresponding to the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. This day is commemorated with additional morning prayers, asking others for forgiveness, giving charity, performing the kapparot ritual, an extended afternoon prayer service, and two festive meals. General observances Leviticus 16 : 29 mandates establishment of this holy day on the 10th day of the 7th month as the day of atonement for sins. It calls it the Sabbath of Sabbaths and a day upon which one must afflict one 's soul. Leviticus 23 : 27 decrees that Yom Kippur is a strict day of rest. Five additional prohibitions are traditionally observed, as detailed in the Jewish oral tradition ( Mishnah tractate Yoma 8 : 1 ). The number five is a set number, relating to : In the Yom Kippur section of the Torah, the word soul appears five times. The soul is known by five separate names : soul, wind, spirit, living one and unique one. Unlike regular days, which have three prayer services, Yom Kippur has five - Maariv, Shacharis, Mussaf, Minchah and Neilah The Kohen Gadol rinsed himself in the mikveh ( ritual bath ) five times on Yom Kippur. The traditions are as follows : No eating and drinking No wearing of leather shoes No bathing or washing No anointing oneself with perfumes or lotions No marital relations A parallel has been drawn between these activities and the human condition according to the Biblical account of the expulsion from the garden of Eden. Refraining from these symbolically represents a return to a pristine state, which is the theme of the day. By refraining from these activities, the body is uncomfortable but can still survive. The soul is considered to be the life force in a body. Therefore, by making one 's body uncomfortable, one 's soul is uncomfortable. By feeling pain one can feel how others feel when they are in pain. This is the purpose of the prohibitions. Total abstention from food and drink as well as keeping the other traditions begins at sundown, and ends after nightfall the following day. One should add a few minutes to the beginning and end of the day, called tosefet Yom Kippur, lit. `` addition to Yom Kippur ''. Although the fast is required of all healthy men over 13 or women over 12, it is waived in the case of certain medical conditions. Virtually all Jewish holidays involve meals, but since Yom Kippur involves fasting, Jewish law requires one to eat a large and festive meal on the afternoon before Yom Kippur, after the Mincha ( afternoon ) prayer. Wearing white clothing ( or a kittel for Ashkenazi Jews ), is traditional to symbolize one 's purity on this day. Many Orthodox men immerse themselves in a mikveh on the day before Yom Kippur. In order to gain atonement from God, one must : Pray Repent of one 's sins Give to charity Eve Main article : Kol Nidre Before sunset on Yom Kippur eve, worshipers gather in the synagogue. The Ark is opened and two people take from it two Sifrei Torah ( Torah scrolls ). Then they take their places, one on each side of the Hazzan, and the three recite ( in Hebrew ) : In the tribunal of Heaven and the tribunal of earth, we hold it lawful to pray with transgressors. The cantor then chants the Kol Nidre prayer ( Aramaic : כל נדרי, English translation : `` All vows '' ). It is recited in Aramaic. Its name `` Kol Nidre '' is taken from the opening words, and translates `` All vows '' : All personal vows we are likely to make, all personal oaths and pledges we are likely to take between this Yom Kippur and the next Yom Kippur, we publicly renounce. Let them all be relinquished and abandoned, null and void, neither firm nor established. Let our personal vows, pledges and oaths be considered neither vows nor pledges nor oaths. The leader and the congregation then say together three times `` May all the people of Israel be forgiven, including all the strangers who live in their midst, for all the people are in fault. '' The Torah scrolls are then placed back into the Ark, and the Yom Kippur evening service begins. Prayer services Some married Ashkenazi Orthodox men wear a kittel, a white robe - like garment for evening prayers on Yom Kippur, otherwise used by males on their wedding day. They also wear a tallit ( prayer shawl ), which is typically worn only during morning services. Prayer services begin with the Kol Nidrei prayer, which is recited before sunset. Kol Nidre is a prayer that dates back to 9th century Palestine. It is recited in a dramatic manner, before the open ark, using a melody that dates back to the 16th century. Then the service continues with the evening prayers ( Ma'ariv or Arvit ) and an extended Selichot service. The morning prayer service is preceded by litanies and petitions of forgiveness called selichot ; on Yom Kippur, many selichot are woven into the liturgy of the mahzor ( prayer book ). The morning prayers are followed by an added prayer ( Mussaf ) as on all other holidays. This is followed by Mincha ( the afternoon prayer ) which includes a reading ( Haftarah ) of the entire Book of Jonah, which has as its theme the story of God 's willingness to forgive those who repent. The service concludes with the Ne'ila ( `` closing '' ) prayer, which begins shortly before sunset, when the `` gates of prayer '' will be closed. Yom Kippur comes to an end with a recitation of Shema Yisrael and the blowing of the shofar, which marks the conclusion of the fast. Repentance in Judaism Teshuva `` Return '' Repentance, atonement and higher ascent in Judaism In the Hebrew Bible Altars Korban Temple in Jerusalem Prophecy within the Temple Aspects Confession Atonement Love of God Awe of God Mystical approach Ethical approach Meditation Services Torah study Tzedakah Mitzvot In the Jewish calendar Month of Elul Selichot Rosh Hashanah Shofar Tashlikh Ten Days of Repentance Kapparot Mikveh Yom Kippur Sukkot Simchat Torah Ta'anit Tisha B'Av Passover The Omer Shavuot In contemporary Judaism Baal Teshuva movement Jewish Renewal Musar movement Repentance ( Teshuva ) and confessional ( Vidui ) The Talmud states, `` Yom Kippur atones for those who repent and does not atone for those who do not repent ''. Repentance in Judaism is done through a process called Teshuva, which in its most basic form consists of regretting having committed the sin, resolving not to commit that sin in the future and to confess that sin before God. Confession in Judaism is called Vidui ( Hebrew וידוי ). There is also a commandment to repent on Yom Kippur. Accordingly, Yom Kippur is unique for the confessional, or Vidui, that is part of the prayer services. In keeping with the requirement to repent on Yom Kippur, Jews recite the full Vidui a total of 9 times : once during Mincha on Yom Kippur eve, and on Yom Kippur itself during Ma'ariv ( 2 times ), Shacharit ( 2 times ), Musaf ( 2 times ), and Mincha ( 2 times ) ; at Ne'eilah, only the short confessional is said. The first time in each service takes place during the personal recitation of the Amidah ( standing, silent prayer ), and the second time during the cantor 's repetition of the Amidah ( except during the preceding Mincha ), in a public recitation. The Yom Kippur confessional consists of two parts : a short confession beginning with the word Ashamnu ( אשמנו, `` we have sinned '' ), which is a series of words describing sin arranged according to the aleph - bet ( Hebrew alphabetic order ), and a long confession, beginning with the words Al Cheyt ( על חטא, `` for the sin '' ), which is a set of 22 double acrostics, also arranged according to the aleph - bet, enumerating a range of sins. It is notable that during the public recitation of Ashamnu together with the cantor, the entire congregation sings these words to a tune, representing the joy of being cleansed from one 's sins. Avodah : remembering the Temple service A recitation of the sacrificial service of the Temple in Jerusalem traditionally features prominently in both the liturgy and the religious thought of the holiday. Specifically, the Avodah ( `` service '' ) in the Musaf prayer recounts in great detail the sacrificial ceremonies of the Yom Kippur Korbanot ( sacrificial offerings ) that are recited in the prayers but have not been performed for 2,000 years, since the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans. This traditional prominence is rooted in the Babylonian Talmud 's description of how to attain atonement following the destruction of the Temple. According to Talmud tractate Yoma, in the absence of a Temple, Jews are obligated to study the High Priest 's ritual on Yom Kippur, and this study helps achieve atonement for those who are unable to benefit from its actual performance. In Orthodox Judaism, accordingly, studying the Temple ritual on Yom Kippur represents a positive rabbinically ordained obligation which Jews seeking atonement are required to fulfill. In Orthodox synagogues and many Conservative ones a detailed description of the Temple ritual is recited on the day. In most Orthodox and some Conservative synagogues, the entire congregation prostrates themselves at each point in the recitation where the Kohen Gadol ( High Priest ) would pronounce the Tetragrammaton ( God 's holiest name, according to Judaism ). The main section of the Avodah is a threefold recitation of the High Priest 's actions regarding expiation in the Holy of Holies. Performing the sacrificial acts and reciting Leviticus 16 : 30, ( `` Your upright children '' ). ( These three times, plus in some congregations the Aleinu prayer during the Musaf Amidah on Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah, are the only times in Jewish services when Jews engage in prostration, with the exception of some Yemenite Jews and talmedhei haRambam ( disciples of Maimonides ) who may prostrate themselves on other occasions during the year ). A variety of liturgical poems are added, including a poem recounting the radiance of the countenance of the Kohen Gadol after exiting the Holy of Holies, traditionally believed to emit palpable light in a manner echoing the Torah 's account of the countenance of Moses after descending from Mount Sinai, as well as prayers for the speedy rebuilding of the Temple and the restoration of sacrificial worship. There are a variety of other customs, such as hand gestures to mime the sprinkling of blood ( one sprinkling upwards and seven downwards per set of eight ). Orthodox liturgies include prayers lamenting the inability to perform the Temple service and petitioning for its restoration, which Conservative synagogues generally omit. In some Conservative synagogues, only the Hazzan ( cantor ) engages in full prostration. Some Conservative synagogues abridge the recitation of the Avodah service to varying degrees, and some omit it entirely. Reform synagogues generally experience their largest attendance of the year on Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah for worship services. The prayer philosophy of Reform, as described in the introduction of the movement 's High Holy Day prayerbook, `` Mishkan Hanefesh '', is to reflect `` varied theological approaches that enable a diverse congregation to share religious experience... with a commitment to Reform tradition, as well as ( to ) the larger Jewish tradition. '' A central feature of Reform these services is the rabbinic sermon. `` For more than a century and a half in the Reform Movement, '' writes Rabbi Lance Sussman, `` High Holiday sermons were among the most anticipated events in synagogue life, especially on the eve of Rosh Hashanah and Kol Nidre night. '' Reconstructionist services omit the entire service as inconsistent with modern sensibilities. Date of Yom Kippur See also : Jewish and Israeli holidays 2000 -- 2050 Yom Kippur falls each year on the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tishrei, which is 9 days after the first day of Rosh Hashanah. In terms of the Gregorian calendar, the earliest date on which Yom Kippur can fall is September 14, as happened most recently in 1899 and 2013. The latest Yom Kippur can occur relative to the Gregorian dates is on October 14, as happened in 1967 and will happen again in 2043. After 2089, the differences between the Hebrew calendar and the Gregorian calendar will result in Yom Kippur falling no earlier than September 15. Gregorian calendar dates for recent and upcoming Yom Kippur holidays are : Sunset, 22 September 2015 -- nightfall, 23 September 2015 Sunset, 11 October 2016 -- nightfall, 12 October 2016 Sunset, 29 September 2017 -- nightfall, 30 September 2017 Sunset, 18 September 2018 -- nightfall, 19 September 2018 Sunset, 8 October 2019 -- nightfall, 9 October 2019 Sunset, 27 September 2020 -- nightfall, 28 September 2020 Sunset, 15 September 2021 -- nightfall, 16 September 2021 Sunset, 4 October 2022 -- nightfall, 5 October 2022 In the Torah The Torah calls the day Yom HaKippurim ( יוֹם הַכִּיפּוּרִים ) and in it Leviticus 23 : 27 decrees a strict prohibition of work and affliction of the soul upon the tenth day of the seventh month, later known as Tishrei. The laws of Yom Kippur are mentioned in three passages in the Torah : Leviticus 16 : 1 -- 34 : God told Moses to tell Aaron that he can only enter the sanctuary in front of the cover that is on the ark when God is present on the cover in a cloud. If Aaron is to enter otherwise, he will die. On the tenth day of the seventh month, God said that the people must not work in order to cleanse and atone for their sins. The Kohen will lead in the atonement of all the people. Leviticus 23 : 26 -- 32 : God said to Moses that the tenth day of the month is the day of atonement and will be holy. The people must give a fire - offering to God and must not work. God told Moses that whoever does work, God will rid of the soul from its people. This is a day of complete rest from the evening of the ninth day of the month to the following evening. Numbers 29 : 7 -- 11 : The tenth day of the seventh month is a holy day and one must not work. For an elevation offering, one must sacrifice a young bull, a ram and seven lambs who are a year old. As well, for a sin offering, one must sacrifice a male goat. Midrashic interpretation Traditionally, Yom Kippur is considered the date on which Moses received the second set of Ten Commandments. It occurred following the completion of the second 40 days of instructions from God. At this same time, the Israelites were granted atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf ; hence, its designation as the Day of Atonement. Mishnaic and Talmudic literature Temple service The following summary of the Temple service is based on the traditional Jewish religious account described in Mishnah tractate Yoma, appearing in contemporary traditional Jewish prayer books for Yom Kippur, and studied as part of a traditional Jewish Yom Kippur worship service. While the Temple in Jerusalem was standing ( from Biblical times through 70 CE ), the Kohen Gadol ( High Priest ) was mandated by the Torah to perform a complex set of special services and sacrifices for Yom Kippur to attain Divine atonement, the word `` kippur '' meaning `` atone '' in Hebrew. These services were considered to be the most important parts of Yom Kippur because through them the Kohen Gadol made atonement for all Jews and the world. During the service, the Kohen Gadol entered the Holy of Holies in the center of the Temple, the only time of the year that anyone went inside. Doing so required special purification and preparation, including five immersions in a mikvah ( ritual bath ), and four changes of clothing. Seven days prior to Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol was sequestered in the Palhedrin chamber in the Temple, where he reviewed ( studied ) the service with the sages familiar with the Temple, and was sprinkled with spring water containing ashes of the Red Heifer as purification. The Talmud ( Tractate Yoma ) also reports that he practiced the incense offering ritual in the Avitnas chamber. On the day of Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol had to follow a precise order of services, sacrifices, and purifications : Morning ( Tamid ) Offering The Kohen Gadol first performed the regular daily ( Tamid ) offering -- usually performed by ordinary priests -- in special golden garments, after immersing in a mikvah and washing his hands and feet. Garment Change 1 The Kohen Gadol immersed in a special mikvah in the Temple courtyard and changed into special linen garments, and washed his hands and feet twice, once after removing the golden garments and once before putting on the linen garments. Bull as Personal Sin - Offering The Kohen Gadol leaned ( performed Semikha ) and made a confession over the bull on behalf of himself and his household, pronouncing the Tetragrammaton. The people prostrated themselves when they heard. He then slaughtered the bull as a chatat ( sin - offering ) and received its blood in a bowl. Lottery of the goats At the Eastern ( Nikanor ) gate, the Kohen Gadol drew lots from a lottery box over two goats. One was selected `` for the Lord '', and one `` for Azazel ''. The Kohen Gadol tied a red band around the horns of the goat `` for Azazel ''. Incense Preparation The Kohen Gadol ascended the mizbeach ( altar ) and took a shovel full of embers with a special shovel. He was brought incense. He filled his hands and placed it in a vessel. ( The Talmud considered this the most physically difficult part of the service, as the Kohen Gadol had to keep the shovelful of glowing coals balanced and prevent its contents from dropping, using his armpit or teeth, while filling his hands with the incense ). Incense Offering Holding the shovel and the vessel, he entered the Kadosh Hakadashim, the Temple 's Holy of Holies. In the days of the First Temple, he placed the shovel between the poles of the Ark of the Covenant. In the days of the Second Temple, he put the shovel where the Ark would have been. He waited until the chamber filled with smoke and left. Sprinkling of Bull 's Blood in the Holy of Holies The Kohen Gadol took the bowl with the bull 's blood and entered the Most Holy Place again. He sprinkled the bull 's blood with his finger eight times, before the Ark in the days of the First Temple, where it would have been in the days of the Second. The Kohen Gadol then left the Holy of Holies, putting the bowl on a stand in front of the Parochet ( curtain separating the Holy from the Holy of Holies ). Goat for the Lord as Sin - Offering for Kohanim The Kohen Gadol went to the eastern end of the Israelite courtyard near the Nikanor Gate, laid his hands ( semikha ) on the goat `` for the Lord '', and pronounced confession on behalf of the Kohanim ( priests ). The people prostrated themselves when he pronounced the Tetragrammaton. He then slaughtered the goat, and received its blood in another bowl. Sprinkling of Goat 's Blood in the Holy of Holies The Kohen Gadol took the bowl with the goat 's blood and entered the Kadosh Hakadashim, the Temple 's Holy of Holies again. He sprinkled the goat 's blood with his finger eight times the same way he had sprinkled the bull 's blood. The blood was sprinkled before the Ark in the days of the First Temple, where it would have been in the days of the Second Temple. The Kohen Gadol then left the Kadosh Hakadashim, putting the bowl on a stand in front of the Parochet ( curtain separating the Holy from the Holy of Holies ). Sprinkling of blood in the Holy Standing in the Hekhal ( Holy ), on the other side of the Parochet from the Holy of Holies, the Kohen Gadol took the bull 's blood from the stand and sprinkled it with his finger eight times in the direction of the Parochet. He then took the bowl with the goat 's blood and sprinkled it eight times in the same manner, putting it back on the stand. Smearing of blood on the Golden ( Incense ) Altar The Kohen Gadol removed the goat 's blood from the stand and mixed it with the bull 's blood. Starting at the northeast corner, he then smeared the mixture of blood on each of the four corners of the Golden ( Incense ) altar in the Haichal. He then sprinkled the blood eight times on the altar. Cliffs of Mount Azazel Goat for Azazel The Kohen Gadol left the Haichal and walked to the east side of the Azarah ( Israelite courtyard ). Near the Nikanor Gate, he leaned his hands ( Semikha ) on the goat `` for Azazel '' and confessed the sins of the entire people of Israel. The people prostrated themselves when he pronounced the Tetragrammaton. While he made a general confession, individuals in the crowd at the Temple would confess privately. The Kohen Gadol then sent the goat off `` to the wilderness ''. In practice, to prevent its return to human habitation, the goat was led to a cliff outside Jerusalem and pushed off its edge. Preparation of sacrificial animals While the goat `` for Azazel '' was being led to the cliff, the Kohen Gadol removed the insides of the bull, and intertwined the bodies of the bull and goat. Other people took the bodies to the Beit HaDeshen ( place of the ashes ). They were burned there after it was confirmed that the goat `` for Azazel '' had reached the wilderness. Reading the Torah After it was confirmed that the goat `` for Azazel '' had been pushed off the cliff, the Kohen Gadol passed through the Nikanor Gate into the Ezrat Nashim ( Women 's Courtyard ) and read sections of the Torah describing Yom Kippur and its sacrifices. Garment change 2 The Kohen Gadol removed his linen garments, immersed in the mikvah in the Temple courtyard, and changed into a second set of special golden garments. He washed his hands and feet both before removing the linen garments and after putting on the golden ones. Offering of Rams The Kohen Gadol offered two rams as an olah offering, slaughtering them on the north side of the mizbeach ( outer altar ), receiving their blood in a bowl, carrying the bowl to the outer altar, and dashing the blood on the northeast and southwest corners of the Outer Altar. He dismembered the rams and burned the parts entirely on the outer altar. He then offered the accompanying mincha ( grain ) offerings and nesachim ( wine - libations ). Musaf Offering The Kohen Gadol then offered the Musaf offering. Burning of Innards The Kohen Gadol placed the insides of the bull and goat on the outer altar and burned them entirely. Garment change 3 The Kohen Gadol removed his golden garments, immersed in the mikvah, and changed to a new set of linen garments, again washing his hands and feet twice. Removal of Incense from the Holy of Holies The Kohen Gadol returned to the Holy of Holies and removed the bowl of incense and the shovel. Garment Change 4 The Kohen Gadol removed his linen garments, immersed in the mikvah, and changed into a third set of golden garments, again washing his hands and feet twice. Evening ( Tamid ) Offering The Kohen Gadol completed the afternoon portion of the regular ( tamid ) daily offering in the special golden garments. He washed his hands and feet a tenth time. The Kohen Gadol wore five sets of garments ( three golden and two white linen ), immersed in the mikvah five times, and washed his hands and feet ten times. Sacrifices included two ( daily ) lambs, one bull, two goats, and two rams, with accompanying mincha ( meal ) offerings, wine libations, and three incense offerings ( the regular two daily and an additional one for Yom Kippur ). The Kohen Gadol entered the Holy of Holies three times. The Tetragrammaton was pronounced three times, once for each confession. Observance in Israel Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv, empty of cars on Yom Kippur 2004 Yom Kippur is a legal holiday in the modern state of Israel. There are no radio or television broadcasts, airports are shut down, there is no public transportation, and all shops and businesses are closed. In 2013, 73 % of the Jewish people of Israel said that they were intending to fast on Yom Kippur. It is very common in Israel to wish `` Tsom Kal '' ( ( an ) easy fast ) or `` Tsom Mo'il '' ( ( a ) benefiting fast ) to everyone before Yom Kippur, even if one does not know whether they will fast or not. It is considered impolite to eat in public on Yom Kippur or to sound music or to drive a motor vehicle. There is no legal prohibition on any of these, but in practice such actions are universally avoided in Israel during Yom Kippur, except for emergency services. Over the last few decades, bicycle - riding and inline skating on the empty streets have become common among secular Israeli youngsters, especially on the eve of Yom Kippur in Tel Aviv and Israel in general. In 1973, an air raid siren was sounded on the afternoon of Yom Kippur and radio broadcasts were resumed to alert the public to the surprise attack on Israel by Egypt and Syria that launched the Yom Kippur War. Observance by athletes Sandy Koufax Gabe Carimi Some notable athletes have observed Yom Kippur, even when it conflicted with playing their sport. In baseball, Sandy Koufax, the Hall of Fame pitcher, decided not to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur. Koufax garnered national attention for his decision, as an example of the conflict between social pressures and personal beliefs. Hall of Fame first baseman Hank Greenberg attracted national attention in 1934, nearly three decades earlier, when he refused to play baseball on Yom Kippur, even though the Tigers were in the middle of a pennant race, and he was leading the league in RBIs. The Detroit Free Press columnist and poet Edgar A. Guest wrote a poem titled `` Speaking of Greenberg '', which ended with the lines `` We shall miss him on the infield and shall miss him at the bat / But he 's true to his religion -- and I honor him for that. '' When Greenberg arrived in synagogue on Yom Kippur, the service stopped suddenly, and the congregation gave an embarrassed Greenberg a standing ovation. Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Shawn Green, similarly, made headlines in 2001 for sitting out a game for the first time in 415 games ( then the longest streak among active players ), to honor Yom Kippur, even though his team was in the middle of a playoff race. Other baseball players who have similarly sat out games on Yom Kippur include former Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees third baseman Kevin Youkilis, former Houston Astros catcher and former Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus, and outfielder Art Shamsky. Gabe Carimi, the Consensus All - American left tackle in American football who won the 2010 Outland Trophy as the nation 's top collegiate interior lineman, faced a conflict in his freshman year of college in 2007. That year Yom Kippur fell on a Saturday, and he fasted until an hour before his football game against Iowa started that night. Carimi said, `` Religion is a part of me, and I do n't want to just say I 'm Jewish. I actually do make sacrifices that I know are hard choices. '' In 2004, Matt Bernstein, standout fullback at University of Wisconsin -- Madison, fasted on Yom Kippur, then broke his fast on the sidelines before rushing for 123 yards in a game against Penn State. In 2011, golfer Laetitia Beck declined a request to join the UNC Tar - Heels Invitational competition, because it conflicted with Yom Kippur. Instead, she spent the day fasting and praying. She said : `` My Judaism is very important to me, and... on Yom Kippur, no matter what, I have to fast. '' Boris Gelfand, Israel 's top chess player, played his game in the prestigious London Grand Prix Chess Tournament on 25 September 2012 ( eve of Yom Kippur ) earlier, to avoid playing on the holiday. In 2013, the International Tennis Federation fined the Israel Tennis Association `` more than $13,000... for the inconvenience '' of having to reschedule a tennis match between the Israeli and Belgian teams that was originally scheduled on Yom Kippur. Dudi Sela, Israel 's # 1 player, quit his quarterfinal match in the third set of the 2017 Shenzhen Open so he could begin observing Yom Kippur by the time the sun set, forfeiting a possible $34,000 in prize money and 90 rankings points. Related observances in other religions Messianic Jews and some other sabbatarian churches also observe Yom Kippur as a holy day, from evening to evening. In the Christian observance, it is a time of prayer and fasting from all food and drink and a time of instruction through study and church attendance. It focuses on Christ 's sacrifice and atonement for sins. It is seen as a time to give thanks and praise, to humble oneself and to seek repentance. It is also a time where Messianic Jews pray for Israel and Jews who have not yet proclaimed Yeshua / Jesus is the Messiah that was promised in prophesies from the Old Testament. Muslims also observe fasting on this day. In Islam, this day is called Yom Ashura. In Sunni Islam, Ashura marks the day that Moses and the Israelites were saved from Pharaoh by God creating a path in the Red Sea to the Holy Land. It falls on the tenth day of month of Muharram in the Islamic calendar. Recognition by the United Nations Starting 2016 the United Nations officially recognizes Yom Kippur, stating that from then on no official meetings would take place on the day. As well, the United Nations stated that, beginning in 2016, they would have nine official holidays and seven floating holidays which each employee would be able to choose one of. It stated that the floating holidays will be Yom Kippur, Day of Vesak, Diwali, Gurpurab, Orthodox Christmas, Orthodox Good Friday, and Presidents ' Day. This was the first time the United Nations officially recognized any Jewish holiday. Modern scholarship According to textual scholars, the biblical regulations covering Yom Kippur are spliced together from multiple source texts, as indicated by the duplication of the confession over the bullock, and the incongruity in one verse stating that the high priest should not enter the Holy of Holies ( with the inference that there are exceptions for certain explicitly identified festivals ), and the next verse indicating that they can enter whenever they wish ( as long as a specific ritual is carried out first ). Although Rashi tried to find a harmonistic explanation for this incongruity, the Leviticus Rabbah maintains that it was indeed the case that the high priest could enter at any time if these rituals were carried out. Textual scholars argue that the ritual is composed from three sources, and a couple of redactional additions : prerequisite rituals before the high priest can enter the Holy of Holies ( on any occasion ), namely a sin offering and a whole offering, followed by the filling of the Holy of Holies with a cloud of incense while wearing linen garments regulations which establish an annual day of fasting and rest, during which the sanctuary and people are purified, without stating the ritual for doing so ; this regulation is very similar to the one in the Holiness Code later elaborations of the ceremony, which include the sprinkling of the blood on the mercy seat, and the use of a scapegoat sent to Azazel ; the same source also being responsible for small alterations to related regulations the redactional additions On the basis of their assumptions, these scholars believe that the original ceremony was simply the ritual purification of the sanctuary from any accidental ritual impurity, at the start of each new year, as seen in the Book of Ezekiel. Textual scholars date this original ceremony to before the priestly source, but after JE. According to the Book of Ezekiel, the sanctuary was to be cleansed by the sprinkling of bullock 's blood, on the first day of the first and of the seventh months -- near the start of the civil year and of the ecclesiastical year, respectively ; although the masoretic text of the Book of Ezekiel has the second of these cleansings on the seventh of the first month, biblical scholars regard the Septuagint, which has the second cleaning as being the first of the seventh month, as being more accurate here. It appears that during the period that the Holiness Code and the Book of Ezekiel were written, the new year began on the tenth day of the seventh month, and thus liberal biblical scholars believe that by the time the Priestly Code was compiled, the date of the new year and of the day of atonement had swapped around. See also Break fast References ^ Jump up to : Hebrew / Gregorian calculations by ( ( Hebrew year ) ) -- via ( ( Calendar date ) ) ) Jump up ^ Wells, John C. ( 2008 ). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary ( 3rd ed. ). Longman. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4058 - 8118 - 0. Jump up ^ It can be argued that the weekly Sabbath ( Shabbat ) is holier. See Shabbat ( Status as a holy day ). Jump up ^ Numbers 29 : 7 Jump up ^ Cohen, S.M., Eisen, A.M. : The Jew within : self, family, and community in America, p. 169. Indiana University Press, 2000. `` For completely uninvolved Jews... the question of synagogue attendance rarely arises. They are unlikely ever to consider the matter, except at Rosh Hashanha and Yom Kippur or to attend a bar or bat mitzvah. '' See also Samuel C. Heilman, Synagogue Life, 1976. Jump up ^ `` Erev Yom Kippur -- The purpose of the day as seen through Talmudic anecdotes ( PDF ) '' ( PDF ). Retrieved March 25, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Scherman, Nosson. `` Yom Kippur -- Its Significance, Laws and Prayers '' New York : Mesorah Publications, 1989. Print ^ Jump up to : `` Why Rabbis wear sneakers on their holiest day ''. `` Article by Avi Rabinowitz, NYU homepages '' Jump up ^ Abrams, Judith. Yom Kippur : A Family Service Minneapolis : KAR - BEN, 1990. Print Jump up ^ `` OU Customs for Erev Yom Kippur ''. Retrieved September 21, 2008. Jump up ^ Translation of Philip Birnbaum, from High Holiday Prayer Book ', Hebrew Publishing Company, NY, 1951 Jump up ^ `` Jewish Virtual Library -- Yom Kippur ''. Retrieved September 21, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Halacha L'Maaseh : Yom Kippur ''. Retrieved September 20, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Rabbi Daniel Kohn. `` My Jewish Learning -- Prayer Services ''. Retrieved May 22, 2017. Jump up ^ Green, David B. ( September 26, 2011 ). `` Lawrence A. Hoffman and the message of Kol Nidre ''. Haaretz. Retrieved September 14, 2013. Jump up ^ The significance of shofar to Yom Kippur is discussed at `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on October 2, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2009. CS1 maint : Archived copy as title ( link ) Jump up ^ Yoma 85b. Jump up ^ Maimonodes, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Teshuva 2 : 7 ^ Jump up to : Arnold Lustiger, Michael Taubes, Menachem Genack, and Hershel Schachter, Kasirer Edition Yom Kippur Machzor With Commentary Adapted from the Teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. New York : K'hal Publishing, 2006. pp. 588 -- 589 ( summary ) ; 590 -- 618. Jump up ^ https://reformjudaism.org/blog/2018/08/30/why-we-need-good-sermons-now-more-ever Jump up ^ `` Rosh HaShanah and the Gregorian calendar ''. Oztorah.com. Retrieved September 12, 2012. Jump up ^ Spiro, Rabbi Ken. Crash Course in Jewish History Part 12 -- The Golden Calf. Aish HaTorah. accessed April 29, 2007 Jump up ^ `` Sounds of The City ''. Israel Insider. October 14, 2005. Archived from the original on February 17, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Poll : 73 % of Israelis fast on Yom Kippur ''. Ynet. September 13, 2013. Jump up ^ https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-shutting-down-for-yom-kippur-holy-day/ Jump up ^ `` Public Radio International, `` The World '', ' Yom Kippur : Kids and Bikes in Tel Aviv ' ``. Theworld.org. Retrieved 7 March 2015. Jump up ^ Solomvits, Sandor. `` Yom Kippur and Sandy Koufax ''. JewishSports.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2006. Retrieved August 2, 2010. ^ Jump up to : Peter Dreier. `` How Will Jewish Ballplayers Handle the Yom Kippur Quandry ? ( sic ) ''. Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved September 14, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Came Yom Kippur : A Hank Greenberg Poem ''. baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved July 20, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Green, Koufax and Greenberg -- same dilemma, different decisions ''. ESPN. September 26, 2001. Retrieved March 25, 2011. Jump up ^ Brown, M. Stephen. `` One on One with Kevin Youkilis ''. JewishSports.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2009. Jump up ^ Gammons, Peter ( September 29, 2001 ). `` Apolitical blues ''. ESPN. Retrieved March 18, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Where Are They Now -- Art Shamsky ''. Baseball Savvy. September 14, 2004. Retrieved September 10, 2010. ^ Jump up to : Hirsch, Deborah ( December 27, 2010 ). `` Gabe Carimi : Star in shul and on the football field ''. JTA. Retrieved February 9, 2011. Jump up ^ Andrea Waxman ( October 5, 2007 ). `` Yom Kippur, then football ; Carimi fasts and then tackles ''. The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved February 9, 2011. Jump up ^ Madeline Miller ( December 17, 2010 ). `` The Biggest Thing in Jewish Sports ? UW Gridiron Great Gabe Carimi ''. Hillel.org. Retrieved March 18, 2011. Jump up ^ Chris McCoskey ( February 25, 2011 ). `` Combine Leftovers ''. Detroit News. Archived from the original on July 9, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2011. Jump up ^ Craig Ellenport ( February 24, 2011 ). `` Why is this prospect different from other prospects ? ''. NFL.com. Retrieved March 2, 2011. Jump up ^ Ivan Maisel ( September 27, 2004 ). `` Bernstein feasted on Penn State after fasting ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved October 7, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Saval, Malina ( October 14, 2011 ). `` Golf / Israelis abroad / Beck follows in Koufax 's footsteps ''. Haaretz. Retrieved September 17, 2013. Jump up ^ Soclof, Adam ( October 7, 2011 ). `` The original Sandy Koufax of women 's golf ''. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved September 17, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Gelfand and Grischuk winners in 4th round London Grand Prix ''. ChessVibes. Archived from the original on September 26, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Israeli tennis players fined for sitting out Yom Kippur ''. The Times of Israel. 12 August 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2015. Jump up ^ http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Fall_Holidays/Yom_Kippur/yom_kippur.html Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Jump up ^ ( 2 ) ^ Jump up to : Tal Trachtman Alroy ( 19 December 2015 ). `` U.N. recognizes Yom Kippur as official holiday ''. CNN.com. Jump up ^ `` Yom Kippur '' ^ Jump up to : Singer, Isidore ; et al., eds. ( 1901 -- 1906 ). `` ``. Jewish Encyclopedia. New York : Funk & Wagnalls Company. ^ Jump up to : Cheyne and Black, Encyclopedia Biblica Jump up ^ Leviticus 16 : 6 and Leviticus 16 : 6 Jump up ^ Leviticus 16 : 2 Jump up ^ Leviticus Rabbah 21 Jump up ^ Leviticus 16 : 1, 16 : 3 -- 4, 16 : 12 -- 13, 16 : 34 ( b ) Jump up ^ Leviticus 16 : 29 -- 34 ( a ) Jump up ^ Leviticus 23 : 27 -- 31 Jump up ^ Leviticus 16 : 5, 16 : 7 -- 10, 16 : 14 -- 28 Jump up ^ Exodus 30 : 10, Leviticus 25 : 9 Jump up ^ Leviticus 16 : 2, 16 : 6, 16 : 11 ^ Jump up to : Singer, Isidore ; et al., eds. ( 1901 -- 1906 ). `` Atonement, Day of ''. Jewish Encyclopedia. New York : Funk & Wagnalls Company. else -- > Jump up ^ Richard Elliott Friedman, Who wrote the Bible Jump up ^ Ezekiel 45 : 18 -- 20 Jump up ^ Leviticus 25 : 9 Jump up ^ Ezekiel 40 : 1 External links Look up Yom Kippur in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Prayers for Sephardic Jews From Our Collections : Marking the New Year -- Online exhibition from Yad Vashem on the celebration of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur before, during, and after the Holocaust Dates for Yom Kippur Jewish and Israeli holidays and observances Jewish holidays and observances Shabbat Shabbat High Holy Days Rosh Hashanah Fast of Gedalia Ten Days of Repentance Yom Kippur Three Pilgrimage Festivals Passover Fast of the Firstborn Pesach Sheni Shavuot Sukkot Hoshana Rabbah Shemini Atzeret Simchat Torah Yom tov sheni shel galuyot Chol HaMoed Isru chag Rosh Chodesh Hanukkah Tenth of Tevet Tu BiShvat Fast of Esther Purim Purim Katan Counting of the Omer Lag BaOmer 17th of Tammuz The Three Weeks The Nine Days Tisha B'Av Tu B'Av Rosh Hashanah LaBehema Holidays / memorial days of the State of Israel Yom HaShoah ( Holocaust Remembrance Day ) Yom HaZikaron ( Memorial Day ) Yom HaAtzmaut ( Independence Day ) Yom Yerushalayim ( Jerusalem Day ) Yom HaAliyah ( Aliyah Day ) Ethnic minority holidays Mimouna Seharane Sigd Hebrew calendar months Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar and Adar Sheni Nisan Iyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul Jewish and Israeli holidays 2000 -- 2050 High Holidays Rosh Hashanah Erev Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah greetings Rosh Hashanah seder Shofar Shofar blowing Tashlikh Yom Kippur Atonement Break fast Confession Jonah Kapparot Kittel Kol Nidre Ne'ila Repentance Selichot Ten Martyrs Unetanneh Tokef Ten Days of Repentance Avinu Malkeinu Fast of Gedalia Shabbat Shuvah Holidays, observances, and celebrations in the United States January New Year 's Day ( federal ) Martin Luther King Jr. Day ( federal ) Confederate Heroes Day ( TX ) Fred Korematsu Day ( CA, FL, HI, VA ) Idaho Human Rights Day ( ID ) Inauguration Day ( federal quadrennial, DC area ) Kansas Day ( KS ) Lee -- Jackson Day ( formerly Lee -- Jackson -- King Day ) ( VA ) Robert E. Lee Day ( FL ) Stephen Foster Memorial Day ( 36 ) The Eighth ( LA ) January -- February Super Bowl Sunday February American Heart Month Black History Month Washington 's Birthday / Presidents ' Day ( federal ) Valentine 's Day Georgia Day ( GA ) Groundhog Day Lincoln 's Birthday ( CA, CT, IL, IN, MO, NJ, NY, WV ) National Girls and Women in Sports Day National Freedom Day ( 36 ) Primary Election Day ( WI ) Ronald Reagan Day ( CA ) Rosa Parks Day ( CA, MO ) Susan B. Anthony Day ( CA, FL, NY, WI, WV, proposed federal ) February -- March Mardi Gras Ash Wednesday ( religious ) Courir de Mardi Gras ( religious ) Super Tuesday March Irish - American Heritage Month National Colon Cancer Awareness Month Women 's History Month St. Patrick 's Day ( religious ) Spring break ( week ) Casimir Pulaski Day ( IL ) Cesar Chavez Day ( CA, CO, TX, proposed federal ) Evacuation Day ( Suffolk County, MA ) Harriet Tubman Day ( NY ) Holi ( NY, religious ) Mardi Gras ( AL ( in two counties ), LA ) Maryland Day ( MD ) National Poison Prevention Week ( week ) Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Day ( HI ) Saint Joseph 's Day ( religious ) Seward 's Day ( AK ) Texas Independence Day ( TX ) Town Meeting Day ( VT ) March -- April Easter ( religious ) Palm Sunday ( religious ) Passover ( religious ) Good Friday ( CT, NC, PR, religious ) Easter Monday ( religious ) April Confederate History Month 420 Day April Fools ' Day Arbor Day Confederate Memorial Day ( AL, MS ) Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust ( week ) Earth Day Emancipation Day ( DC ) Thomas Jefferson 's Birthday ( AL ) Pascua Florida ( FL ) Patriots ' Day ( MA, ME ) San Jacinto Day ( TX ) Siblings Day Walpurgis Night ( religious ) May Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Jewish American Heritage Month Memorial Day ( federal ) Mother 's Day ( 36 ) Cinco de Mayo Harvey Milk Day ( CA ) Law Day ( 36 ) Loyalty Day ( 36 ) Malcolm X Day ( CA, IL, proposed federal ) May Day Military Spouse Day National Day of Prayer ( 36 ) National Defense Transportation Day ( 36 ) National Maritime Day ( 36 ) Peace Officers Memorial Day ( 36 ) Truman Day ( MO ) June Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month Father 's Day ( 36 ) Bunker Hill Day ( Suffolk County, MA ) Carolina Day ( SC ) Emancipation Day In Texas / Juneteenth ( TX ) Flag Day ( 36, proposed federal ) Helen Keller Day ( PA ) Honor America Days ( 3 weeks ) Jefferson Davis Day ( AL, FL ) Kamehameha Day ( HI ) Odunde Festival ( Philadelphia, PA ) Senior Week ( week ) West Virginia Day ( WV ) July Independence Day ( federal ) Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea ( HI, unofficial ) Parents ' Day ( 36 ) Pioneer Day ( UT ) July -- August Summer vacation August American Family Day ( AZ ) Barack Obama Day ( IL ) Bennington Battle Day ( VT ) Hawaii Admission Day / Statehood Day ( HI ) Lyndon Baines Johnson Day ( TX ) National Aviation Day ( 36 ) Service Reduction Day ( MD ) Victory Day ( RI ) Women 's Equality Day ( 36 ) September Prostate Cancer Awareness Month Labor Day ( federal ) California Admission Day ( CA ) Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day ( 36 ) Constitution Day ( 36 ) Constitution Week ( week ) Defenders Day ( MD ) Gold Star Mother 's Day ( 36 ) National Grandparents Day ( 36 ) National Payroll Week ( week ) Native American Day ( CA, TN, proposed federal ) Patriot Day ( 36 ) September -- October Hispanic Heritage Month Oktoberfest Rosh Hashanah ( religious ) Yom Kippur ( religious ) October Breast Cancer Awareness Month Disability Employment Awareness Month Filipino American History Month LGBT History Month Columbus Day ( federal ) Halloween Alaska Day ( AK ) Child Health Day ( 36 ) General Pulaski Memorial Day German - American Day Indigenous Peoples ' Day ( VT ) International Day of Non-Violence Leif Erikson Day ( 36 ) Missouri Day ( MO ) National School Lunch Week Native American Day ( SD ) Nevada Day ( NV ) Sweetest Day White Cane Safety Day ( 36 ) October -- November Diwali ( religious ) November Native American Indian Heritage Month Veterans Day ( federal ) Thanksgiving ( federal ) Day after Thanksgiving ( 24 ) Election Day ( CA, DE, HI, KY, MT, NJ, NY, OH, PR, WV, proposed federal ) Family Day ( NV ) Hanukkah ( religious ) Lā Kūʻokoʻa ( HI, unofficial ) Native American Heritage Day ( MD, WA ) Barack Obama Day ( Perry County, AL ) December Christmas ( religious, federal ) Alabama Day ( AL ) Christmas Eve ( KY, NC, SC ) Day after Christmas ( KY, NC, SC, TX ) Festivus Hanukkah ( religious, week ) Indiana Day ( IN ) Kwanzaa ( religious, week ) National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ( 36 ) New Year 's Eve Pan American Aviation Day ( 36 ) Rosa Parks Day ( OH, OR ) Wright Brothers Day ( 36 ) Varies ( year round ) Eid al - Adha ( religious ) Eid al - Fitr ( religious ) Ramadan ( religious, month ) Legend : ( federal ) = federal holidays, ( state ) = state holidays, ( religious ) = religious holidays, ( week ) = weeklong holidays, ( month ) = monthlong holidays, ( 36 ) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies Bold indicates major holidays commonly celebrated in the United States, which often represent the major celebrations of the month. See also : Lists of holidays, Hallmark holidays, public holidays in the United States, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. GND : 4234190 - 5 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yom_Kippur&oldid=864790941 '' Categories : Hebrew words and phrases Jewish fast days Yom Kippur Book of Leviticus Non-Gregorian September observances Non-Gregorian October observances Observances set by the Hebrew calendar Autumn events in Israel Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Archived copy as title Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia with no article parameter Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia with a Wikisource reference Articles needing additional references from September 2018 All articles needing additional references Infobox holiday ( other ) Articles containing Hebrew - language text Wikipedia articles that may have off - topic sections All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2015 Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans Alemannisch Ænglisc Asturianu Avañe'ẽ Azərbaycanca Беларуская Български Català Cebuano Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Frysk Gaeilge 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ქართული Қазақша Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar Македонски Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی Polski Português Română Русский Scots Simple English سنڌي Slovenčina Slovenščina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் Türkçe Українська اردو Tiếng Việt ייִדיש Zazaki 中文 57 more Edit links This page was last edited on 19 October 2018, at 13 : 47 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what are the five services held on yom kippur
Answer: Ma'ariv