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51黑料 CELEBRATES... Yom Kippur
Posted 09/10/24
11th-12th October : From sundown on Friday 11 October to sundown on Saturday 12 October 2024.
Yom Kippur is the most solemn day in the Jewish, or Hebrew, calendar. It is the Day of Atonement.
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What is Yom Kippur?
Yom Kippur happens every year 10 days after the beginning of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah marks the start of a 10-day period called the Days of Awe, heralded in by the sounding of a special instrument called a Shofar, which is a horn made out of a ram鈥檚 horn.
The day of Yom Kippur is a time to reflect on the past year and request forgiveness from God for anything that one may have done wrong in the last 12 months. God is believed to record his judgement of what is in store for people in his Book of Life, which is then closed and sealed up on Yom Kippur. Those who have atoned, and been sorry for their sins of the last year are thought to have a good next year ahead of them, hence Yom Kippur being known as the Day of Atonement.
The History of Yom Kippur
The fast of Yom Kippur is explained in the Torah, the holy book of Judaism, and described in the Book of Leviticus as a day of cleansing where Jewish people can atone for their sins and become pure. This holiday, and the process of asking for God鈥檚 forgiveness, has been part of Jewish law for thousands of years and many otherwise non-observant Jews will go out of their way to observe Yom Kippur in some way.
Marking Yom Kippur has changed in nature throughout its long history. Now, it is associated with prayer, fasting and wearing white, but in the past, it has been marked by ritual sacrifices, which are remembered today in Yom Kippur services.
How is Yom Kippur Celebrated?
There are many components to marking Yom Kippur, such as not eating or drinking for 25 hours. However, children under the age of 13, those who are pregnant, and those who are ill, are not required to fast by many Jewish denominations. Another custom to mark Yom Kippur is wearing white as a symbol of purity.
Jewish people may also attend special services at the synagogue, the place of worship for Judaism. There are five special services held at the synagogue for Yom Kippur, as people spend the day praying for forgiveness and hoping that God forgives them, singing their name in the Book of Life. The final service of these five is called 鈥淣eilah鈥�, when God鈥檚 judgement on what the next year will be like for each individual is believed to be made final. At the end of Yom Kippur, the Shofar is blown for a final time.
Yom Kippur differs from other Jewish festivals in that while many other markers of the Jewish calendar are equally concerned with family, celebration and feasting as they are with worship, Yom Kippur is primarily about prayer. For observant Jews, the fast comes with rules such as not eating or drinking, not working, and not using electronics. It is then usual to break the fast with a light meal of bread and water.
Fascinating Facts
- The earliest date that Yom Kippur can fall on is 14 September, while the latest possible date for the occasion is 14 October
- The distinctive holiday greetings given on Yom Kippur are 鈥渢zom kal鈥� (鈥渆asy fast鈥�) and 鈥済鈥檓ar chatima tovah鈥� (鈥渁 good final signing鈥�), which wishes people a good judgement from God in the Book of Life
- In 2024, Yom Kippur is falling on a Sabbath day, as it will be from sundown on a Friday to sundown on a Saturday
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