Dates
Yom Kippur 2026
Begins at sundown on September 20, 2026 and ends at nightfall on September 21, 2026.
Starts
September 20, 2026
at sundown
Ends
September 21, 2026
at nightfall
Length
1 day
work restricted
Candles, Jerusalem
17:59
on September 20, 2026
…
Israel or the diaspora?
One day everywhere. The date and the practice are identical in Israel and the diaspora.
Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, a 25-hour fast spent almost entirely in synagogue. No food, no drink, no leather shoes, five prayer services, ending with the single long shofar blast at Ne'ilah.
Candle lighting for Yom Kippur 2026
Times for the evening it begins, September 20, 2026. Calculated from sunset: 18 minutes before in most communities, 20 in Israel, 40 in Jerusalem and 30 in Haifa.
Your city not here? All 106 cities.
On the ground
What happens in Israel
Israel effectively stops. There are no flights, no broadcasts, no public transport and almost no cars, and children ride bicycles down empty motorways. It is the quietest day of the Israeli year.
Practice
How it is observed
- A 25-hour complete fast: no food or drink from sundown to nightfall
- Five prayer services, from Kol Nidrei through Ne'ilah
- Wearing white, and for many, canvas shoes instead of leather
- Asking forgiveness from people you have wronged before the day begins
"G'mar chatimah tovah" (may you be sealed for good) or an easy fast: "Tzom kal"
A festive pre-fast meal (seudah mafseket) before sundown; the fast breaks after nightfall, traditionally with something light and sweet.
Every year on file
Yom Kippur in other years
The Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, so the Gregorian date moves by up to a month from year to year but stays in the same season.
The rest of 2026
Other Jewish holidays in 2026
8 of the 14 other dates on the 2026 calendar, in the order they fall. Each has its own page for 2026.
February 2, 2026
Tu BiShvat 2026
The new year of the trees. Tree planting in Israel and eating the fruits of the land.
March 3, 2026
Purim 2026
Celebrates the rescue of the Jews of Persia as told in the Book of Esther. Megillah readings, costumes, mishloach manot and festive meals.
April 2, 2026
Passover (Pesach) 2026
The festival of freedom, marking the Exodus from Egypt. Seder nights, matzah, and no chametz for eight days (seven in Israel).
April 14, 2026
Yom HaShoah 2026
Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Israel a two-minute siren brings the country to a standstill.
April 21, 2026
Yom HaZikaron 2026
Israel's Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, the day before Independence Day.
April 22, 2026
Yom HaAtzmaut 2026
Israel's Independence Day, marking the declaration of the state in 1948.
May 5, 2026
Lag BaOmer 2026
The 33rd day of the Omer count. Bonfires, weddings and celebrations at Mount Meron.
May 22, 2026
Shavuot 2026
The festival of receiving the Torah at Sinai. All-night learning and dairy foods. Two days in the diaspora, one in Israel.
Frequently asked questions
When is Yom Kippur 2026?+
Yom Kippur 2026 begins at sundown on September 20, 2026 and ends at nightfall on September 21, 2026. Jewish days start in the evening, so the first full day is September 21, 2026.
How long is Yom Kippur?+
1 day. One day everywhere. The date and the practice are identical in Israel and the diaspora.
Is Yom Kippur different in Israel?+
One day everywhere. The date and the practice are identical in Israel and the diaspora.
What happens in Israel on Yom Kippur?+
Israel effectively stops. There are no flights, no broadcasts, no public transport and almost no cars, and children ride bicycles down empty motorways. It is the quietest day of the Israeli year.
What do you say on Yom Kippur?+
The standard greeting is "G'mar chatimah tovah" (may you be sealed for good) or an easy fast: "Tzom kal".