Yom Kippur 2026

What this countdown tracks

Yom Kippur 2026 – the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the Jewish year – begins at sundown on Wednesday September 30, 2026 and ends at nightfall on Thursday October 1, 2026. A 25-hour fast and day of repentance observed by Jewish communities worldwide, with Israel effectively shutting down for the day.

About Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur, literally "the Day of Atonement," is the holiest day in the Jewish liturgical year – the climax of the Ten Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim) that began with Rosh Hashanah, and the day on which Jewish tradition holds that the divine judgment for the coming year is sealed. The festival falls on 10 Tishrei in the Hebrew calendar – the seventh month – and is described in the Torah (Leviticus 16, 23, and Numbers 29) as a day of complete rest and self-denial.

In the time of the Jerusalem Temple, Yom Kippur was the only day of the year on which the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies – the inner sanctuary – to perform a sequence of ritual sacrifices and confessions on behalf of the entire Jewish people, culminating in the release of a scapegoat (azazel) into the wilderness bearing the people's sins. After the Temple's destruction in 70 CE, the day was reconstituted around prayer, fasting, and personal repentance.

The day's central themes are repentance (teshuvah), prayer (tefillah), and charity (tzedakah) – which the High Holy Day liturgy describes as the three actions that "annul the harshness of the decree." The day is one of the two most-attended synagogue days of the year (the other being Rosh Hashanah), with even otherwise non-observant Jews often attending the Kol Nidre service on the eve and the Neilah closing service.

How it's observed

Yom Kippur is one of the strictest fast days in any major religious tradition. The fast runs 25 hours, from sundown on Erev Yom Kippur to nightfall the next day. The five afflictions traditionally observed are: no eating or drinking, no bathing, no anointing with oils, no wearing of leather shoes, and no marital relations. White clothing – often a kittel, the white robe also worn at weddings and burials – is widely worn as a symbol of purity and a reminder of mortality.

The day's liturgy is the longest of the Jewish year. The eve begins with Kol Nidre, a haunting Aramaic declaration that annuls vows made under duress, sung in many traditions to a melody dating from at least the 16th century. Erev Yom Kippur services run two to three hours; the next day, congregations remain in synagogue for nearly the entire day. The morning Shacharit and Musaf services include the Vidui (confession), the Avodah (the reenactment of the Temple service), and the Yizkor memorial prayer for the dead. The afternoon Mincha includes the Book of Jonah and the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. The day closes with Neilah ("the locking of the gates") at sunset – the final hour of pleas before the heavenly judgment is sealed – and ends with a single long shofar blast at nightfall.

The fast is broken at home with a "break-fast" meal – traditionally bagels with cream cheese and lox in Ashkenazi households, or fasolada and lemonade in Sephardic ones. The atmosphere shifts immediately from solemn fasting to celebratory eating, but the spiritual mood lingers.

In Israel, Yom Kippur is the most observed day of the year – airports close, broadcasting halts, no cars are permitted on the roads (children freely ride bicycles down highways), and the country is more silent than at any other time. About 60% of Israeli Jews fast on Yom Kippur, including many who do not otherwise practice.

Why this date specifically

Yom Kippur falls on 10 Tishrei in the Hebrew calendar – the tenth day of the lunisolar Jewish New Year. In 2026, 10 Tishrei 5787 falls on October 1 in the Gregorian calendar, with the festival beginning at sundown on September 30 (the Hebrew day runs from sundown to sundown). Yom Kippur is exactly nine days after Rosh Hashanah and sets up the autumnal cycle that continues with Sukkot beginning on 15 Tishrei (October 5, 2026).

What to watch for / notable observances in 2026

• September 30, sundown – Erev Yom Kippur; Kol Nidre service in synagogues worldwide
• October 1 – Yom Kippur day; the 25-hour fast
• October 1, morning – Shacharit, Musaf, and Yizkor services
• October 1, afternoon – Mincha service with the Book of Jonah
• October 1, sunset – Neilah service, the day's spiritual climax
• October 1, nightfall – single long shofar blast; fast ends; break-fast meals
• Israel essentially shuts down: airport closures, no broadcasting, no cars on roads
• Jewish day schools and many workplaces close in major Western cities

Related festivals to track

Yom Kippur 2026 closes the Ten Days of Awe that began with Rosh Hashanah 2026 on September 11. Sukkot begins September 25; Hanukkah 2026 starts December 4. The family overview is at the Jewish festival hub. For comparable fast days in other traditions, see Ramadan 2027 (in Islam) and Lent in the Christian festival hub.

FAQ

When is Yom Kippur in 2026? Begins at sundown on Wednesday September 30, 2026 and ends at nightfall on Thursday October 1, 2026.

How is Yom Kippur observed? Through a 25-hour fast (no food, water, bathing, leather shoes, or marital relations), all-day synagogue services from Kol Nidre to Neilah, white clothing, and a break-fast meal at nightfall.

Is Yom Kippur a public holiday? Yes, in Israel as the most observed day of the year – airports close, no cars on roads, no broadcasting; observed widely but not as a civil holiday in the diaspora.

What is the typical greeting? Before the day: "G'mar Chatima Tovah" (may you be sealed for good) or "Tzom Kal" (an easy fast). After: "Shanah Tovah" (a good year).