Yom Kippur: When Does It Start?

Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, begins at sundown on Tuesday and continues until Wednesday evening.

Traditionally, Yom Kippur falls on the 10th day of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar, Tishrei. Rosh Hashanah, which happened on the first day of the month, marked the new year and the first day of the High Holy Days, which end on Wednesday night with the conclusion of Yom Kippur.

The day marks one of the largest attendance days at synagogues, and is spent fasting and praying. Prayers include confessions of sins and requesting forgiveness for any wrongs done.

Some schools and offices across the country will be closed in observance.

Read more: The Playground Theory of Morality

Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now.

Please enter a valid email address.

Sign Up Now

Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME.

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Thank you!

For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.

Write to Tanya Basu at tanya.basu@time.com.