Yom Kippur

Hello! I am Yom Kippur. In the Jewish religion, I am a very important day. People also call me the Day of Atonement. That is a special way of saying that I am a day for thinking about the past year. It is a time for people to say they are sorry for any mistakes they made. It is also a day to ask for forgiveness. I am the holiest day of the whole Jewish year. People spend my time quietly, thinking about how to be kind to everyone.

When Jewish people observe me, they spend the day resting their bodies and thinking in their hearts. Many people go to a special building called a synagogue to pray together. For about 25 hours, grown-ups do not eat or drink. This is called a fast. Fasting helps them focus all of their attention on their thoughts and prayers. Many people also wear white clothes. The color white is a symbol of wanting a fresh, clean start for the new year.

My observance ends when the sun has set and the stars begin to appear in the sky. To mark the end of the day, a special instrument is used. It is a ram's horn called a shofar. Someone blows into the shofar, and it makes a long, loud blast of sound! This sound tells everyone that the day of fasting and praying is over. After hearing the shofar, families and friends often gather to eat a delicious meal together. It is a hopeful way to end my special time.