Traditional clothing for Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year. The holiday can be physically intense, since it requires a more than 24-hour fast. Check out some helpful holiday advice below.

Yom Kippur is a very solemn holiday and many people choose to wear sneakers to synagogue. Not only are sneakers comfortable and easy to wear for long periods of standing, they also make it easy to walk to and from synagogue during one of the long breaks in the day.

Many people, especially clergy, where white on Yom Kippur. The reason is that it is supposed to make people look like angels and continue a theme of purity and repentance. Yom Kippur is the Jewish day of atonement when people ask for forgiveness for their sins.

Another important Yom Kippur tradition is to not wear leather as a symbol of humility and to eschew luxury and opulence. In modern days, many rabbis recommend people not wear leather shoes as a symbol rather than completely avoiding leather in general.

Fasting can be physically gruelling and many people can get lightheaded, dizzy spells, hot flashes and more. Many people dress comfortably and stay away from anything too tight or restricting. Women often wear loose fitting dresses with sneakers, and men wear comfortable pants and jackets with sneakers.