The central theme of Yom Kippur is atonement and reconciliation. Eating, Drinking, Washing, Cosmetics, Marital Relations are forbidden. Many people wear sneakers or soft slippers throughout the day rather than leather shoes. Total abstention from food and drink usually begins from one half hour before sundown. The addition of fasting a little bit the day before ends at the nightfall the following day. All adults are required to fast. Boys and girls before their Bar or Bat Mitzvahs are not required to fast. People who are too ill to fast are also not required to fast. The festival is experienced in different ways by different Jewish communities. The Sephardic Jews, of Spanish, Portuguese and North African descent term this holiday as the White Fast. Many Jews also follow the custom of wearing only white as they believe it symbolizes their purity from sin. Others such as the Ashkenazic jews along with celebrating the day with rejoicing also tend to take a solemn and grave attitude. Being the holiest of all jewish holidays, it is also observed among the majority of those secular jews who are not very secular about the other holidays.

While Yom Kippur is devoted to fasting, the day before is devoted to eating. According to the The Talmud the person "who eats on the ninth of Tishri (and fasts on the tenth) , it is as if he had fasted both the ninth and tenth." Prayer is also down played so that Jews can concentrate on eating and preparing for the fast. On the eve of Yom Kippur the community joins at the synagogue. Men put on prayer shawls, usually worn in the evenings. Then as the night falls the cantor begins the "Kol Nidre", or the evening prayer, it is repeated 3 times, each time in a louder voice. The Kol Nidre emphasizes the importance in keeping vows, as violating an oath is one of the worst sins. An important part of the Yom Kippur service is the 'Vidui' or confession. The confessions reflect on ones misdeeds and to confess them verbally is part of the formal repentance in asking God's forgiveness.

A memorial candle, also known as a yahrzeit candle is lit in memory of close family members who have died. It burns for 24 hours. There are no prayers or blessings for lighting a yahrzeit candle and it is kindled before the holiday candles. Yizkor means "remember" and is the name of a prayer and a service memorializing loved ones. It takes place during the daytime Yom Kippur service. Some congregations hold this as part of morning services while others in the late afternoon. Congregations often produce a yizkor book in where they provide the names of deceased loved ones that they wish to be remembered. As Yom Kippur ends, at the last hour a service called 'Ne'ila' offers a final opportunity for repentance. It is the only service of the year during which the doors to the Ark (where the Torah scrolls are stored) remain open from the beginning to end of the service, signifying that the gates of Heaven are open at this time. The service closes with the verse, said 7 times, "The Lord is our God." The Shofar is sounded once and the congregation say 'Next Year' in Jerusalem.

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