“The Day of Atonement”. In the Jewish religion, Yom Kippur is one of the most important dates for believers. It takes place on the tenth day of Tishrei, which is the first month of the Jewish calendar year. This year, this corresponds to the evening of this Friday, October 11th until the evening of this Saturday, October 12th. The date changes each year in the Gregorian calendar, which is solar and consists of 365 days, while the Hebrew calendar is lunar, consisting of 354 days.
Yom Kippur occurs ten days after Rosh Hashanah, which marks the start of the new year in the Jewish calendar. This holiday commemorates the day when God forgave the Jewish people for the sin of the Golden Calf. A few months after leaving Egypt, the Jewish people sinned by worshiping a Golden Calf, while Moses, mounted on Mount Sinai, delayed his return. Finally returning, the prophet prayed to God to forgive them. After two periods of forty days spent at the top of the mountain, Moses obtained forgiveness from God for his people on the tenth day of the month of Tishrei, the day Yom Kippur is celebrated.
If the Golden Calf is the symbol of wealth and idolatry, Yom Kippur marks a time of atonement through fasting and prayer. This is the time for believers to atone for all their sins from the past year and repent through prayer and forgiveness to start the new year well. The Day of Atonement is placed under the sign of mourning, remorse and self-sacrifice.
What time does Yom Kippur start?
The fast begins on Friday October 11, 2024 at 6:50 p.m. (Paris time) and ends on Saturday October 12, 2024 at 7:54 p.m. (Paris time). It starts shortly before sunset on the first day and ends at sunset the next day. In total, Yom Kippur lasts 25 hours.
During this holy day, five obligatory prayers take place in the synagogue for those wishing to obtain divine forgiveness. The 25-hour fasting period is also very important and obligatory for all men from the age of 13 and all women from the age of 12. This Saturday evening, the fast will be broken and celebrated with a festive meal. In France, it is very often a chicken-based dish. A symbol of atonement, it can be consumed in the form of soup, tagine, chicken in the pot or even couscous.
Ban on washing and wearing leather shoes
On Yom Kippur, work is prohibited, and it is also prohibited to wash, or apply cream or lotion. It is also forbidden to engage in sexual activity and to wear leather shoes, which symbolize material goods and comfort.
Known to be the most popular holiday of the Jewish community, “Day of Atonement” is also celebrated by non-observant Jews who go to the synagogue for prayers. When the final prayers end, the sound of a ram’s horn, the shofar, sounds, signifying that God’s forgiveness has been granted and the twenty-five hour fast is over.
